would you buy from them? The reason I ask is that several local firms in my Midwest U.S. hometown have Christian mottos on their storefronts and delivery trucks. Would it be wrong of me to avoid them and/or encourage their boycott by atheists/agnostics/freethinkers?
2007-01-01 02:58:49 · 37 answers · asked by Brendan G 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That's what is so great about our country. YOU have the right to do business anywhere YOU desire. Personally, I would have no problem doing business with an atheist who sold good products in a fair and professional manner. God bless the USA!
2007-01-01 03:03:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is a thought-provoking question. I think that other factors would have a greater significance for me in choosing where I would do business than the proclamation of religious belief. Are the prices fair, is the service good, is the owner (or staff) welcoming? If I could answer 'yes' to those questions, then, yes, I would do business there, and this is true for me regardless of the religious belief proclaimed on the storefront.
However, if I choose to do business there and discovered that my presence was an excuse to proselytize then I would feel uncomfortable and probably not return.
I think it may feel a little unwelcoming to be greeted with such signs for any belief system: I would wonder, if I saw one for a religion that I was unfamiliar with, whether I would be welcome there or if the sign was indeed telling me that I did not belong. On the other hand, as a Christian a sign proclaming Christian beliefs tells me that the owners operate under a belief system that holds high standards of honesty and fairness, which is a good thing for shoppers. I am there to do business, not to worship.
Such a sign or proclamation also warns me, if I do not share their beliefs (and although I am a Christian I may not share their exact theology), that I might not want to engage in a discussion of those beliefs while in that establishment. We can agree to disagree by not engaging in the debate.
As to the second part of your question, whether it would be wrong to avoid them, I think that is a personal choice and you should follow your heart. I would not encourage a boycott by others, however, but would rather let others make their own personal choices.
Good luck in making your decision!
2007-01-01 03:38:33 · answer #2 · answered by TimeDweller 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless there was good reason to consider their beliefs, I'd do business simply on the basis of quality and service.
I tend to give out the treatment to people that they render me. If they ignore my own differences and decide that I'm just another human being, I do the same. Now poor service, bad manners, poor quality are real reasons to avoid a business. Or definite proof that a business supported organised crime or similar.
Religion has become an illusionary bigger issue than it has the right to become. We see it on Yahoo in a fairly concentrated way because there is this open forum to discuss it on. The reality is, religion shouldn't have the right to interfere with lives, cause pain/war/hate or law. Religion should be a blessing, a comfort and a private deep personal matter. Sadly this is not always the case. Hence there is some relevency in this question.
2007-01-01 03:20:21 · answer #3 · answered by karnautrahl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The people using Christian mottos are first of all, located in a big Christian area, and second, probably trying to portray the message that they follow Christian beliefes (like being honest) so people will trust their business. I don't think it would be right or wrong to avoid/boycott them. I would probably check with Better Business Bureau or ask previous customers what they thought of their service instead. The same applies to any Atheist who displayed their belief in their advertising. If I'm spending money for a product or service, I'm far more concerned with a quality product and good business practices/ethics, than with the owners' beliefs.
2007-01-01 03:06:57 · answer #4 · answered by KS 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Christian symbols they display are there to create business. They are using their membership in an organization to increase their profits. A fairly common business practice but as the city grows the symbols can start losing business as people depend less on religious memberships than on doing quality work.
I avoid people who use religion for business purposes as it tells me that they don't think their business can survive without the help of church members. That the quality of their work is not that good. That they are looking for charity. That is no way to run a business in my opinion.
Since I live in Central Florida, there are a lot of business that do display the "fish". They are not my first choice to get the work done.
I would do the same if atheists also displayed a symbol for their business. It is just a cheap shot.
2007-01-01 03:10:31 · answer #5 · answered by Alan Turing 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As an agnostic I think anyone should purchase from whomever you choose. However if any of us choose to not purchase from stores run by believers of any religion, we're not going to have many places to shop.
I LOVE Chick-fil-A sandwiches, but they are closed on Sunday for religious reasons. It's plain that company is run by believers and although I disagree with them on that count, they have the best chicken sandwich I've ever tasted and I will continue to patronize them unless they take a stand on some issue that I find morally reprehensible.
I know many xians who would refuse to buy from a shopkeeper that announced their non-belief on their storefront though. They would feel they were buying from someone who was in the 'devil's control' or something equally foolish.
2007-01-01 03:04:57 · answer #6 · answered by . 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As an atheist, I wouldn't avoid a business because they had a Christian motto. I would avoid a business if it were owned by a religious organisation and as such received tax benefits.
If I were to avoid a store because they had a Christian motto, it wouldn't be because the owner was a Christian. It would be because they're using their religion to get customers, which I consider to be a pretty unethical business practice.
2007-01-01 03:04:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian and I would not boycott your business. The greatness of the God I serve is his willingness to let us choose what to believe and what to do. I don't have to believe what you believe to be your friend, co-worker or anything else. Example: My husband is Pentecostal, I am Baptist and I love him with every fiber of my being. My Best Friend has never been to church or mass and we have never had religious conversations but she is a great person and I respect her beliefs just as she respects mine. I work in a doctor's office where all the physicians are Jewish and one of my closest friends there is an atheist. If we (people) just start respecting each other as individuals and in that knowing that everyone will never think the same, this world will begin to be more peaceful. My job as a christian is to walk as upright as my maturity in the lord allows and to teach those who are interested. I plant the seed of the word in my walk and in my talk. I can't push my belief to you and vice versa. I don't believe you are wrong or lost or going to hell. I believe that one day the truth will be revealed to us all.
Hope I touched on your question with respect.
2007-01-01 03:11:55 · answer #8 · answered by goodgrleason 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's makes no difference unless they are not good business people to buy from in the first place. I would take it , as a Christian, as an opportunity to be a witness to an Atheist.
Jesus, when He was here, did not avoid an opportunity to witness to people. Even when He knew they were disagreeable to Him in the first place. Sometimes, a little kindness, with the Truth of God, along with your willingness to be used by God is the best way for evangelizing those who are against God in the first place.
Such was all of us Christians before we were a part of the family. Our previous state of not being a believer,in itself was an abomination to God. But He paid for our sins anyway. God Bless YOU.
2007-01-01 03:12:24 · answer #9 · answered by hello T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would still buy from them.....
I think that it is sad that some Christians think that they are some how better then others. I think that people like that kinda missed the point of what Jesus did on earth.
I would have to say that if some one put a sing saying Satan worshiper then I wouldn't enter..seeming as I wouldn't want to work for Satan's cause..but if the owner was out side else where and needed help I would help him. I just wouldn't willingly subject my self to Satan.
2007-01-01 03:05:50 · answer #10 · answered by mrs.mom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋