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Boycotting Religious Businesses?
I was wondering how the Atheist community felt about this. I know that a lot of you don't care for Christians, or Christian music/books, etc...
There's an LDS bookstore my mom often goes to. I hate being in there, being seen, and I don't want to buy anything (LDS or otherwise) because I don't want to give them the business. Is this ethical?
Obviously it's a person's choice what they purchase and where, so is it that simple? If you refuse to purchase an item that you would have if the shop was not religious, is that bigotry?
What if the shop isn't affiliated with a religion, but is privately owned and covered in religious paraphernalia? What if it's a gas station playing religious sermons? (I've had that experience...)
What if it's a charity for a cause you believe in-- with religious ties?
There's an LDS bookstore my mom often goes to. I hate being in there, being seen, and I don't want to buy anything (LDS or otherwise) because I don't want to give them the business. Is this ethical?
Obviously it's a person's choice what they purchase and where, so is it that simple? If you refuse to purchase an item that you would have if the shop was not religious, is that bigotry?
What if the shop isn't affiliated with a religion, but is privately owned and covered in religious paraphernalia? What if it's a gas station playing religious sermons? (I've had that experience...)
What if it's a charity for a cause you believe in-- with religious ties?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ross on -
Hobby Lobby is a christian based arts and crafts retailer in the US. They play christian music over the radio on a continuous loop which I find most annoying. Even though I am annoyed with them, they are the only store around that I can buy art supplies at.
While this has nothing to do with the religion of the company... They don't use barcodes and barcode scanners!? I'm not sure how they can stay in business when they have no way to track inventory and you can simply lie about the price of something or say it's on sale and they have to take your word on it.
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Permalink Reply by Jezzy on -
That is a bit off! That's a little of how Oriental Trading is, except it's a catalog so, no music, and I'm sure they're more professional. I've never seen a Hobby Lobby though, I suppose they haven't caught on in Utah.
At least they trust customers, I suppose? I found it funny that they had to put locks on the lockers in the temples here. How could any self-proclaimed believer with a temple recommend steal? That's obviously rhetorical, but I couldn't do anything like that, and I'm a Godless heathen. I'm the one who isn't supposed to have morals!
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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on -
My wife goes to Hobby Lobby for only one thing - their sale on picture frames. As she is an artist and uses a lot of frames the savings are huge. For any other art supplies we go to a local art supply store or an alternative arts and crafts store.
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Permalink Reply by Tarquin St John Sh'gn'sty on -
DO I boycott religious businesses? No. It's not in my best interest to do so.
I have never been to a Gloria Jean's nor a Starbucks;I avoid food franchises and chains if humanly possible. I HAVE bought the odd packet of Gloria Jeans' overpriced coffee when it's been on special at the supermarket. Still overpriced with 30% off.
A diabetic,there are very few breakfast cereals recommended. (most are high in sugar and have a high glycemic index) One of the two I eat is made by a company called 'Sanitarium' which is owned by The Seventh Day Adventists. A good product,so I buy it.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Spicer on -
It would be pretty much impossible to be a consumer in a religious society without supporting businesses owned and operated by religious people. And it's not like religious people are necessarily evil. If they don't make a big deal of their faith in their workplace, then neither will I.
On the other hand, it bugs me when businesses put the Jebus fish on their vehicles and advertising. They're basically saying, "We're Christians, so you can trust us to do business with you honestly." Well, horseshit. I tend to avoid businesses and charities that are overtly religious. Fortunately, most religious people are realistic enough to understand that atheist money is the same color as everybody else's money, so they don't go overboard.
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey S. on -
It isn't wrong to abstain from buying something from a place you don't wish to give business to. I refuse to support Deseret Book because it is directly owned by the LDS church, which is actively using their money to support causes I disagree with. Just shopping at an overtly religious place is sort of a turn off for me anyway, but as long as they are not using their money for causes that I don't want to support, then I don't see any reason to go out of my way to avoid them. (religious people have to make a living too)
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Permalink Reply by Jezzy on
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This is basically how I feel, and Deseret Book is exactly what I'm talking about! I feel uncomfortable even being there, let alone supporting them and their agenda. A little bitter, yeah, but I'm trapped here, surrounded by this every day...
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey S. on
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I figured it was probably Deseret. It's the most LDS bookstore in Utah! (which is really saying something). And yeah, it feels very uncomftorable being in there. I've always wondered what would happen if I walked up to the counter and asked them if they stocked "The Joys of Gay Sex". I bet the reaction would be hilarious, I just wish I had the courage to actually do it.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Moore on -
Our economy is an open market, so you're free to spend your money where and how you like. So, in a sense, yes, it really is that simple. We have no obligation to shop at one place rather than another.
However, the question of whether or not your choice is ethical or bigoted can only be determined on the reasons for the choice. If the only reason for not shopping there was simply because it was owned and operated by a member of the LDS, then that would be bigotry. However, if the store were owned by the Church of LDS, meaning that the profits went to the Church, and you have an objection to supporting the Church because of certain practices of the Church, that is not bigotry and entirely ethical.
It is not acts in and of themselves that are moral, immoral, or morally neutral, but the reasons behind the acts. It's the 'why' and the 'how', not the 'what', that matters.
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Permalink Reply by Jan Hochbruck on -
There's a (small) bakery chain here in Germany that makes the best bread ever. They are a bunch of christo-communist apocalyptic whackos, but with little evangelistic effort; I buy the bread because its tasty and keeps fresh for a month.
If the chain were a little bit bigger, a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more successful in evangelisation, I'd probably boycott them, because I finde religion in general disgusting, and the nausea would keep me away from the bread.
In general, I like it when keepers of small shops have something behind their counters that tells me about them, whether it's an Icon, a picture of the Kaaba, the President or Che Guevara. It helps me to get in touch with the shopkeeper. Of course I'd like to see more Turkish Fast Food Shops with a picture of Dawkins or Hitchens, but if the shopkeeper is a likable fellow, I don't give a damn.
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Permalink Reply by lOS`AMIGOS on -
"I buy the bread because its tasty and keeps fresh for a month."
They use Holy water ? :)
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Permalink Reply by Aggiememenon on
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Some of my friends are more into this than others, but I for one also love Chick-Fil-A, which I first visited in the local mall in Columbia, SC in the 1970s when I was a kid (back before they had stand alone restaurants like today). I like it so much it annoys me they're not open on Sundays, but that's their choice.
Whataburger is a Texas-based burger chain that I love, very much, but they do put big obnoxious signs in their windows that say "God Bless America". Meh, whatever. Still love their cheeseburgers. And they're open 24/7, including Sunday...so they're *not* as religious as Chick-Fil-A.
Hobby Lobby is similar to Michaels...it's an artsy/craftsy kind of place, they sell all sorts of knick-nacks, clocks, fabrics, etc, and they go all out for Xmas. I have shopped there in the past, but try not to. If you're married you'll probably find yourself going there more often than if you're single.
I agree w/ others here about businesses that use the "fish" symbol as a marketing tool, as if to say "trust us, we're Christian". I usually steer clear.
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