What is our role as consumers?
We've talked a lot about being Godly businessmen, but what is our role as consumers? Is it to consume less? Consume some products and not others?
An interesting phenomenon occurred in business two weeks ago and we have OJ Simpson to thank. OJ decided to write a book titled "If I Did It" that provides a hypothetical account of how he would have killed his wife and Ronald Goldman, if he had done it. It's an astonishingly bad idea but I'm not sure we should have the highest expectations of OJ. But what about the company (ReganBooks) that decided to publish the book? What about companies (Amazon.com) that were taking advanced orders of the book? What about the network (Fox) that decided to air a two-part special about the book during the all-important sweeps month? What about the companies that planned to advertise during the two-part special on Fox? Plenty of people create terrible products but those products disappear into obscurity if no one buys it or helps to sell it.
We can complain all we want about these big, bad companies, but what are we doing about it? Putting OJ and even ReganBooks and Fox/News Corp aside, what role do we have as consumers in this whole process?
The phenomenon that I observed two weeks ago was the reaction and subsequent counter-action. When the book was announced, people went crazy. An industry publication called it an "evil sweeps stunt." Bill O'Reilly (a Fox employee) called for a boycott of the book, the TV special, and every sponsor who advertised during the program. Sales of the book reached the top 20 on Amazon.com but by last Monday, had fallen to number 51. And last week, News Corp Chairman (parent company for Fox) Rupert Murdoch cancelled the book and TV special saying, "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project."
So while it was a disgusting product and several businesses participated in selling or promoting it, in the end, the reaction from customers got it pulled. This was an unprecedented move...and I have to wonder where else we might be able to exert our influence if we just thought more about our role as customers in the creation, sale, and consumption of products deemed unGodly.
This season is a time for us to focus on the incredible gift God gave us in Jesus but it often becomes more about the new trinkets we buy or get. So it seems this is as appropriate a time as ever to discuss our role as consumers. Here are some examples:
- Tobacco -- I heard a public service announcement the other day dogging tobacco companies saying tobacco kills 400,000 people a year and then I pulled into a Wal-Mart to get gas and the pump was advertising chewing tobacco. If I should boycott the tobacco companies, should I also boycott retailers that sell their product?
- Speaking of Wal-Mart -- We talked about some of Wal-Mart's business practices a few weeks back (http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33034334&postID=115964340382678546) and I was particularly critical, yet I still shop there regularly. If I am going to be critical of them, do I need to stop shopping there?
- Starbucks -- I heard a quote recently that essentially said we are perpetuating poverty when we buy coffee that is not fair trade and we are fighting poverty when we buy fair trade. Only one of Starbucks' coffees is fair trade...
- Transportation -- If we care about God's creation, do we have a responsibility to choose the fuel efficient car or public transportation when we can?
- Christmas -- I'd say we all think Christmas is a holy day, a day for rest, reflection, and celebration. But often, my family's celebration takes us to a restaurant or a movie theater whereby we indirectly necessitate that some waiters or ticket-takers work on a day we'd say you shouldn't have to work. Should we stop patronizing businesses on days we think others shouldn't have to work? (Disclaimer: this is a question of consistency in profession/action, not a legalistic debate about keeping the Sabbath)
By buying products, we provide the demand side of the economic equation and, in this capitalistic society, business responds with supply to meet our demand. Sometimes business starts with the supply and tests whether we will buy it, but free enterprise always comes down to demand. The question is, should we demand some products/services and not others?
We have to realize that, whether we like it or not, we live in a community; our actions affect other people. Our actions as consumers introduce products and services to the market, Godly or otherwise. Our actions as consumers also encourage businesses (read: people, employees) to respond to meet our demands in ways that we may consider unGodly.
So what is our role over the next 4 weeks of this season? What are other examples of products/businesses that are unGodly? What are conflicts you expect to face as a customer during this Christmas shopping season? What should be our response as consumers? Do we boycott the product? The business altogether? Do we try to organize more public action like writing to Congressmen or staging protests?
posted by Matthew at 10:24 AM
19 Comments:
As far as being "Christian" consumers, I want to move away from thinking we can buy the Kingdom of God into existence. Especially when our surrounding culture is addicted to shopping we need to be subversive and resist the temptation to lose our identities. I am definitely a believer in being wise consumers--knowing where our goods and services come from, knowing who made them, how they were made, local vs. global, etc.--but I think I am more of a believer in a simple lifestyle. I by no means embody this simplicity (as I sit in Starbucks and type this) but believe that before we think about 'buying wisely' we should question whether or not we need to buy what we buy at all.
Do not hear me say that we do not need to buy anything. I could never say that with integrity. But I will say that most likely we all buy things that we don't need to buy at all. Maybe we could start making a list of things we don't need to buy, then proceed to buy the things we need to buy wisely.
As far as boycotting goes I think it is a good place to begin--but we can't end there. This is where as Christians we not only need to say "no" to some things, but we need to say "yes" to others. In my own personal opinion, we need to say "no" to Wal-Mart, but what will we say "yes" to? Is there an alternative? Looking back to our past conversations, maybe its the small local grocery store down the street that you don't shop at, or perhaps the local hardware store that hasn't been put out of business by Home Depot--but it could be any number of things. Christianity is a life-affirming religion and we need to find traces of life in the world and celebrate and support them.
I believe we have a huge role as a consumer. If you're thinking "What can I do that will make any difference?" Everything you consume and everything you do, no matter how insignificant to you, can bear a message or have a consequence. The authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul illustrate: a man was walking along a star-lit beach and noticed that, due to low tide, thousands of starfishes were now stranded on the beach, gasping their last breaths. Walking toward him was another man who was stopping periodically to pick up starfish and throw them back into the ocean. As they approached each other, the first man said, “What are you doing? You can’t possibly make a difference.” The other man stooped over again, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the sea, and said, “Made a difference to that one.”
We should definitely watch what we consume especially during the frenzy Holiday shopping season. While we spend excessive amounts for our loved ones (close friends and family), do we ever stop and think if our gift really makes a difference? Maybe it makes a difference to your relationships you care about temporarily, but does it make a lasting difference to the poor or unloved ones? What about the unreached and people who don't know and/or despise Jesus? Every year, I see crowds of people at malls shop for only their loved ones. Corporate America takes advantage because it's always an inflation of revenue before the accounting books close for the year-end.
On a side note: Christmas time to me is very special because it provides numerous opportunities for me to defend Jesus. We must counter-attack the absence of CHRIST in Christmas (I find it very offensive and complacent towards Jesus everytime I see "XMAS"), we ought to remind people of the true reason for the season. We have all noticed lately, retailers nation-wide stopped saying "Christmas" and only say "Holiday Trees", "Holiday gifts", etc. mainly because they did not want to leave out the other-than-Christians. Yet, we don't complain and still shop at those places. Recently, Wal-Mart tried to cater to the homosexual movement by actions such as donating funds to a Gay Rights group and providing preferential treatment to Gay and Lesbian Supplier when choosing a supplier for their products if there was one. The American Family Association (AFA), a Christian based organization, received support for a massive boycott in the millions to not shop at Wal-Mart the days after Thanksgiving. The petition was a threat to Wal-Mart's earnings; therefore, Wal-Mart decided "It Will Not Make Corporate Contributions To Support Or Oppose Controversial Issues". AFA cancelled the boycott to support Wal-Mart's new promise. This is evidence that big businesses listen to boycotts, voices of customers, and such.
FYI, Wal-Mart (and others following their lead) will be saying "Merry Christmas" this year and not "Happy Holidays" anymore.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/09/news/companies/walmart_christmas/
What is our response to this?
In response to Thomas, I agree that boycotts make an impact and corporate America 'listens' to the voice of the consumer...but they do it so they can maintain and/or increase revenue, not to appeal to a set of values or ideals. Boycotting seems to deal with only one side of the equation. Transformation of lives, including the transformation of how much useless stuff we think we need, doesn't happen through boycotts. The hidden assumption behind a boycott is that we will eventually go back to shopping once they can meet our demands. But should that really be our goal?
sorry, that link got cut off. here is the full link
http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/09/news/companies/
walmart_christmas/
Love the debate here, Matt. What is our obligation to the employees of large chains such as Wal-Mart? If we boycott these large employers won't that hurt them more than the corporation or the executives themselves? Personally, not a big fan of the boycott concept anywhere. What if I wrote a letter saying, "I spend $X per year with your company, and I appreciate certain things about your store, but I do have the following concerns..." Nah, it's easier to just shop somewhere else and let them guess what my feelings are...
I love it...
I think there are a number of issues here: effective agents of change, simplicity, personal money management, obedience, etc., etc. Maybe we'll spend the next few weeks hitting each of those, but to follow up on the recent comments about boycotts and retailers responding I want to highlight two things in particular:
1) Change of heart vs. change of action: we can stop buying products, write letters, call in to radio stations, etc., etc. to make our voices heard, but what will really change? The Dude nailed it: retailers respond to customer opinions "so they can maintain and/or increase revenue, not to appeal to a set of values or ideals." Listen to the Wal-Mart spokesman's comments in their decision to use "Merry Christmas" after outrage last year: "We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year." It's a reactive environment in which actions/tactics change but the goal remains the same: profit. I think it's safe to assume Wal-Mart would say "Happy Hannukah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" or even "Happy Fesitvus" if their respective adherents comprised a majority of the retailer's customer base. The reason other companies genericize Christmas is to avoid the risk/cost associated with discrimination allegations. Wal-Mart chooses revenue, others choose cost, but the goal is the same: profit.
2) Obedience: this can be next week's topic, but I would argue that it's not a boycott (at least in the traditional sense) to refuse to purchase a product like clothing manufactured in a sweatshop; it's obedience. I am called to love my neighbor and buying a shirt knit via child labor seems contrary to that call; it is putting my wallet ahead of concern for my brother.
Each of these warrant additional discussion...
One of my goals for this blog is for super-practicality to come from a commitment to thoughtfulness. We can make Wal-Mart the poster-child for all things bad with business but what does that accomplish? What are we going to do about it?
This is Robby Grabow and for those who don't know me I graduated from UT with Smith and some others on this board. I am currently a JD/MBA student at SMU who has been following the comments but has not yet actively participated. I am also passionately seeking to glorify Christ until I meet Him in heaven.
I wish I had more time to develop my thought sufficiently, but this in between class response to one angle will have to pass for now.
Do I think Christians have a duty to be wise stewards of God's money? Absolutely. But, I would proceed with caution when attempting to oversimplify which actors are evil and when we should be willing to "die on the hill piety" and refuse to engage in commerce with a firm. There will always be obvious examples such as the O.J. book Matt brought up, but I think the Wal-Mart example is far more ambiguous than the treatment it has been given within this blog. Sure, Wal-Mart has exerted their market power to crowd out small mom and pop shops and to some extent maliciously thwarted the profit of suppliers and actors in the stream of supply to sale. But, stop to consider the fact that this market power now created (whether or not through scrupulous means) can now be wielded to produce amenable results beyond creating more lower wage employment.
Take the recent entry of Wal-Mart into the prescription medicine sector. Democrats, Republicans and Christians within both parties will likely agree in the ethical station of taking care of the elderly and providing the necessary medical treatment to honor those who have come before us. But all parties will agree that the current quagmire Medicare is befuddled within cannot continue without stark repercussions toward our future as tax revenue is a scarce resource and over funding one sector must come at the expense of another (unless you espouse more deficit spending which is largely an untenable position when viewed in light of scripture or at least weak). PBM's have been amassing a huge fortune acting as the "middleman" between HMO's, pharmacies and the government and the collusion which has evolved within the situation has rendered our system of Medicare and medicade extremely inefficient. The democratic party is demonstrating economic ignorance in submitting that we should entrust this role of the middleman to the government and allow it to fix a fair value (a tremendous failure in almost every instance it has been invoked ... see generally communism). The republicans are attempting to incubate higher deductible health insurance to give Americans an incentive to not take on superfluous medical procedures, but this begs the obvious problem for chronically unhealthy individuals who will find it hard to obtain work with healthcare provided and if they gain healthcare, they will pay the lion's share for their infirmity.
Here's where Wal-Mart’s actions can and already are having positive externalities. Wal-Mart can utilize its market power to reduce prescription costs without any middleman in the equation and this can thwart the collusion in the industry.
Large organizations will remain legal fictions which are comprised of individual officers who can either accomplish good or evil. But, oftentimes as society merges and technology demands that sociologically things change, I believe that Christians can effectuate change by working through the system created and finding ways to accomplish the ultimate good. (see generally the way Paul utilized his dual citizenship as a Roman and Jew to preach the gospel to an audience he would never ordinarily have gained a voice and to provide protection in times of turmoil until God deemed it time for him to enter heaven).
As I am five minutes late to class I will quickly summarize. I think we as Christians want to take modern examples of change and ascribe an unequivocal label of good or bad and I am submitting that it's not that simple or rarely is. That's where prayer and the Holy Spirit enters into the equation to know when a situation demands action in the form of a boycott. I would submit that more often we can effectuate change through working with the entities that are empowered and wielding them in a direction to produce good.
I think the OJ example is an extreme case based on the man's profile, but in the grand scheme of things, just an example of what goes on every day. Turn on your TV at any hour and watch the "garbage" (Desperate Housewives, The Bachelor, any soap opera, Sex and the City, the list is endless) that crosses your screen daily. You can even blame ESPN for its coverage of poker, making it out to be the common man's answer to all financial troubles. The consumer has no power. If you want to boycott every advertiser that advocates unGodly beliefs/morals, then you will find yourself with no tv/radio, on a farm raising livestock and brushing your teeth with horsehair and chalk. It's the sad truth.
Look, the consumer did not play much of a role with the cancellation of the OJ release. This was a gamble made by upper management to gauge how huge of a PR nightmare it would be. In the end, it would be Rupert's time and effort to answer/interview/deal with all the press coverage for months, and he realized the cost of that would not be worth it to him (and his company). He will be just fine without another hundred million in his pocket. Don't be fooled by the spin...do you honestly think it took him that much time to come to the conclusion that it was an "ill-considered project?" We are talking about one of the most successful media moguls in the world...a 5-year old could tell you that the project was ill-considered, and to him OJ is just a boxed drink. Leaked copies of this book were selling for over $10,000 on eBay (probably someone trying to make copies and sell more to the public). I don't think the consumer won any battle there.
I think we need to veer away from trying to deem products as unGodly. There would be only a handful of items that would remain. Most businesses are inherently unGodly, so even if the products weren't, we would be supporting the entity that sells them. Bananas are not unGodly, but is HEB...considering they sell fruits picked by underpaid South American farm workers and children?
It is not our job to target specific companies and drive them out of business because we label them as unGodly. Leave that up to supply and demand. 99% of businesses are unGodly in many ways, they like humans, have many faults. We have to understand that every unGodly business is comprised of many Godly people. One Christian may see Walmart as unGodly because they choose to advertise tobacco products at the gas pump, but another might work on the tobacco fields and find it a non-issue (it is the help of those ads that pay his salary and in turn pay for his gas). Both may be very contributing Christians within their own communities. Let’s not try to tell other people what places to support/boycott or what to buy/not buy. We can make those decisions for ourselves...hopefully we are trying to live comfortably and modestly (but I may need a 52" plasma TV to be comfortable because my vision is horrible and you may not, a petty issue to argue in my opinion).
We live in the free-market capital of the world, where Exxon CEO's retire with $750 million dollars, a minimum-wage worker cannot pay for a Starbuck's coffee after one hour of work, billions of dollars go towards the creation of missiles and bombs used to kill innocent people, and an online company that allows you to search the internet is worth $150 billion (I am pretty sure there are at least 100 countries with a lower GDP). Whether we like it or not, we contribute to all of these causes. The dynamics of our economy will always win. There are few, if any, ways of being a truly "Christian" consumer in this type of society (you can choose to move to a 3rd world country where you may not have to deal with it). If ideally we resorted to buying only things we need, putting aside all the gadgets and trinkets we only desire for fun...the economy would falter, the stock market would crash, your retirement savings would be flushed down the toilet, you would lose your job, there would be increased crime/poverty due to lack of funding across the board, there will be little incentive to create innovative technology (which is not "needed" most of the time), the education system would fail, insurance premiums would skyrocket, you would have no healthcare benefits, and Walmart would still rule the world. You get my drift.
Who is to say we shouldn't buy clothes from sweatshops? How unGodly would it be to put that starving kid in Bangladesh out of work? If we were to stop supporting sweatshop workers, our $100 Nike Airs would now cost $200 and the neighbor who can now work the same job for $5/hr would need to stitch the swoosh on 3x as fast. Otherwise, he will be soon unemployed and/or replaced by a $50 million robot.
It's all a vicious cycle...we are all a part of it, we all contribute to it, and there is very little we can do to change it from a "consumer" standpoint.
One last thing...I think we have bigger fish to fry than worrying about the wording of this time of year...Christmas, X-Mas, Holidays...does it really matter? Not to me...until I hear someone wish me a "Merry X-Mas."
What can we do?
Educate- doesn't mean you have to be a teacher...as long as we can play a role in educating others, giving them the power to think critically about such issues and creating a domino effect of sorts, we will make a difference over time.
Donate- there was a time you "needed" certain things...when you no longer do...give them to someone who can use them. If you have an extra $20 in your pocket, buy some canned goods for the local food drive.
Protest- not against corporate America, but against lobbying powers (the fuel behind it all), against war (hundreds of billions could have been used to feed the world, for education, for more Godly causes),
Hope/pray- that our generation of CEO's will only be half as greedy, that the next wave of politicians will not take bribes, that education will be the priority/most important policy in the future
Conserve- energy, water, etc...
Support public transpiration initiatives
Protect our wildlife
When you become a CEO...don't make your employees work on Christmas day
That's my $0.02 worth,
Wall Street
I could really go for a 52' plasma - good point!
Wall Street,
I want to respond to a couple of points you made:
1) "It is not our job to target specific companies and drive them out of business because we label them as unGodly" -- I am not suggesting we "punish" unGodly companies by refusing to buy their products. And I'm not suggesting that we go down the list and label every product or company "Godly" or "unGodly." However, as consumers, we are the demand in supply and demand. We have a responsibility to think about what we're demanding.
2) "Let's not try to tell other people what places to support/boycott or what to buy/not buy" -- I agree. But let's make sure to walk the line between tolerance and Truth. When we see perversion of Truth, we have to address it in a grace-filled way, realizing that each of us is utterly sinful through and through.
3) "Hopefully we are trying to live comfortably and modestly" -- I don't think we are called to live comfortably. I certainly seek to be comfortable so I'm not one to talk, but my friend Josh is on staff at a church for runaways, outcasts, and the homeless. My friends Nick and Caroline just moved to China to be missionaries. They live in a concrete house with 8 other people. Not sure there is any circumstance in which you could convince them a 52" plasma is a good idea.
4) "The dynamics of our economy will always win" -- our God is infinitely more powerful than the American economy. If we sought to be truly obedient in all aspects of our lives, there would be no need for retirement savings or insurance -- we would be living in a community that provides to "anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:42-47). We have created a society that requires those things because someone can profit off of them.
5) There seems to be irony in an argument that we can't be "Christian" consumers because it would cost us money.
6) People lived for thousands of years without a stock market.
7) Instead of buying $100 Nikes from a sweatshop so you can support a starving kid (who might get a few cents of that $100), how about buying $20 and giving the rest to your church so they can send missionaries to Bangladesh feed the poor and create a business that will enable the starving kids to work their way out of poverty.
As long as we define what is possible by our surroundings we neuter the imagination necessary for real change. If concerned ourselves with knowing Jesus and making Him known, even as consumers, crazy things would be possible.
Good words, Matt.
Some added comments:
1)"We have a responsibility to think about what we're demanding." -- I am not advocating the demand of unGodly products. Of course, I think that cigarettes are awful and that no one should "demand" them...but every time I buy a magazine (pretty much any one I find interesting), I am indirectly supporting some advertising campaign for Philip Morris...so in essence, "my responsibility to think about what I demand" plays no role in the big picture (I still contribute)...just the reality of it.
2)"When we see perversion of Truth, we have to address it in a grace-filled way, realizing that each of us is utterly sinful through and through." -- I am sure I have a much different definition/thought of the actual "perversion" or perceived deviation from the Truth. Could take hours to break that down.
3)"I don't think we are called to live comfortably." -- I don't think I am called to live uncomfortably. I commend all of your friends for the work they do and hope they find comfort in their lives. The 52" plasma is just an example to show that everything is relative...thirty years ago, they felt the same way about a 20" TV. We all have one now. I'm not saying that the mindset was right 30 years ago, or that it is right today...just that certain products will inevitably find their way into our lives (however ridiculous/unGodly/extravagant they may be at the time). I don't choose to acquire these products to defy God.
4)"If we sought to be truly obedient in all aspects of our lives, there would be no need for retirement savings or insurance -- we would be living in a community that provides to "anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:42-47). -- This statement is just too ideological for me. What is your take on communism/socialism?
"We have created a society that requires those things because someone can profit off of them." -- Indeed we have. We are all a part of it, we cannot reverse this process nor should we sit and dwell on it...let's try to make the best of it and positively change all that we can.
6)"People lived for thousands of years without a stock market." -- Yes, they did, and they also lived thousands without electricity and purified water [and shoes]...what's your point?
7)"Instead of buying $100 Nikes from a sweatshop so you can support a starving kid (who might get a few cents of that $100), how about buying $20 and giving the rest to your church so they can send missionaries to Bangladesh feed the poor and create a business that will enable the starving kids to work their way out of poverty." -- It's not that simple. Whether we buy $100 shoes or $20 shoes, we are still supporting an underpaid factory worker. If we put Nike out of business because we all buy the $20 K-Mart brand (assuming they both have comprable quality and durability and we are paying a true premium for the Nikes)...K-Mart will turn and start selling their shoes for $100. Again, the economics will always win out (under our current model). The only way to halt/beat the cycle (and many similar to this that pertain to the discussion from a "consumer" standpoint) is to stop wearing shoes completely and/or manufacture our own from the leaves off palm trees (Miami Dade county will become the new Walmart with the sale of its palm tree leaves). Sorry, it's not the ONLY way...but I am not sure how to convince Nike, K-Mart, and the rest of the world to disregard the value of goods and become completely subservient workers.
As to donating money to churches...again, not so simple. I have found that many leaders in the church feel that they are being called to live VERY comfortably and NOT modestly at all. See: influx of the so called "mega-churches." I donated money to a church only to see it be used for a multi-million dollar compound on prime real estate with a production effort that rivals only American Idol's. I don't get it. It's sad that we have to become "smart-shoppers" even now - when it comes to finding a church we want to support.
I am convinced my money is best served in savings for now...until I can create my own legit organization, with less vested interests, and serve the demands of the people that truly need it (or to go out on the frontlines and work/see the money at work). I have no clue where my money is really going when I give the Red Cross a donation. I spot homeless people a meal fairly often...I at least know where the money is going then.
Not trying to hate...appreciate the varying views/opinions/discussion.
Goodnight,
Wall Street
The "hopes" of this thread are asinine. You people need to quit trying to pretend like you are in a position to identify and solve some sort of upper-class, religiously related ethical problems.
The best thing I've read so far is the first reply by "the dude." Simply written, it is an honest and logical response.
The Americanization of your Church has is evidence that your religion is failing. Maybe everybody should stop trying to buy the right kind of Christmas and try to express your love and concern for the people you care about in other ways.
Merry Xmas
Wall Street,
First of all, I really appreciate the fact that you clearly think through the full consequences of your actions. We may come to different conclusions, but I don't think any change is possible so long as we choose to remain ignorant about the fact that our actions as businessmen and consumers affect people around us…in good and bad ways.
I'm not sure we would get anywhere if we continue to debate specific points because there are countless expressions of good/bad/neutral business transactions. I hope that instead of getting lost in specific examples and hypotheticals, we get straight to the heart, to motivation. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus is my Lord which makes everything in my life under His reign and care. Nothing is secular. Everything is spiritual. If that is true, my actions must change.
If we live together with this common goal of knowing Jesus and making Him known, the resulting community would be remarkably different than the world we know today. The success of churches would be measured not by attendance or budget but by their ability to teach Truth unapologetically, extend grace unconditionally, and encourage other-focused community that brings accountability, missions, and sacrificial generosity. This is not something that will magically appear tomorrow. But it is something we can begin today by taking personal responsibility.
No insurance and retirement savings too ideological? Not for me. Between the small group I meet with every week and my handful of truly deep friendships, if something happened to me, I have no doubt my wife, Erica, would be taken care of. My trust is in God and community, not a financial product. I hope I only continue to go deeper and deeper with these men such that we have a powerful community that sells their stuff to give to those in need (Acts 2).
Let's imagine what would be possible if we invested ourselves entirely as disciples of Christ -- studying, praying, seeking -- and let that change our actions -- teaching, giving, spending, selling. The result would begin locally in each of our individual communities, but the potential to change the world is just as real today as it was with the first disciples.
In general, I don't think this post goes far enough. While I don't want to downplay the 'made a difference to that one' approach which Thomas mentions in the comments, I don't want to be overly excited by it either. Here are some suggestion in relation to some of the questions:
Speaking of Wal-Mart -- We talked about some of Wal-Mart's business practices a few weeks back and I was particularly critical, yet I still shop there regularly. If I am going to be critical of them, do I need to stop shopping there?
Yes, you need to stop shopping there. Period. But, this, of course, is not enough. Wal-Mart (***or any other large retailer for that matter***) doesn't need you, so your refusal to shop there might save your soul, but still allows the community you live in to be served by the whims of a multi-national corporation. Individual shop owners will still not be able to compete and once out of work will end up working for Wal-Mart where they have little to no say in the daily schedule or ways of doing business. So, beyond not shopping there, you should also be about the task of social organizing to lobby the local government to set the grounds on which your locality will allow Wal-Mart to do business. Politics should never be reduced to voting once every couple years.
Transportation -- If we care about God's creation, do we have a responsibility to choose the fuel efficient car or public transportation when we can?
Yes. But also, what kind of fuel does the bus run on? Can Christians be at the forefront of social carpooling?
Christmas -- I'd say we all think Christmas is a holy day, a day for rest, reflection, and celebration. But often, my family's celebration takes us to a restaurant or a movie theater whereby we indirectly necessitate that some waiters or ticket-takers work on a day we'd say you shouldn't have to work. Should we stop patronizing businesses on days we think others shouldn't have to work?
Yes, but you may also want to ask questions about what a day being holy or set apart might mean. Do we want to give gifts on Christmas? And if so, what kind? Or do we want to struggle to consume less throughout the year, so that Christmas can be a celebration and not just more of the same? What does it mean to turn to entertainment, which asks nothing of you, on a day celebrating the birth of Jesus, which asks everything of you? How can this sort of nothingness and sacrifice happily reside together?
Here's another line of thoughts: What would it look like to go through local government to limit what might be open? Or to begin to talk about not the 'yes/no' of consumerism, but the 'how' we consume and how that determines our lives? Should you start setting up workshops in your community to talk about such things? Again, politics is not a once a year involvement.
People often say they don't have time for Christian political involvement of the order for which I'm calling. However, if we consumed less, we'd also need less money, and would have more time. It's all interconnected.
Matthew says, "we can stop buying products, write letters, call in to radio stations, etc., etc. to make our voices heard, but what will really change?"
Well, that's why we need coalitions between congregations, associations, and neighborhoods, because you can pass laws that prohibit retailers of a certain size. You can pass laws to set up zoning so as to allow protesting on property outside of retailers. With Matthew we should reject throwing up ones hands and pretending as if nothing can change, this is simply not true and is the easy way out. Getting to know the organizations and people around oneself is getting to know the power necessary to change. Our isolation will in the end kill us. How well do we know our neighbors? If the answer isn't 'well,' we have political/Christian work to do.
A friend of mine who is getting married next month hired a potter to make six place settings as an alternative to store bought. Often you learn you can find better quality, more unique and sometimes cheaper priced goods...and best of all it is sustainable, and keeps sustainable skills in communities instead of exporting them.
Thanks Dan. It is those simple things we can do that need to be the first things we do.
I think you're right that, "your refusal to shop there [Wal-Mart] might save your soul, but still allows the community you live in to be served by the whims of a multi-national corporation." This is much bigger than just the refusal to shop somewhere and we should never just think of it as that. We need to transform our communities, and if that involves political action, then that is where we need to be involved.
Do you know of any examples where Christians have gotten involved in the political process to work against corporations that want to exploit land, people, etc? I do know of certain cities (San Diego, Chicago) that won't allow "big-box" businesses to build within the city limits. Is there anything else like that?
I agree with KC. Great comments Dan. I would really like to see this post continue in the direction of providing real life examples of ways we can pursue other means of consuming goods that would provide for a more local community. Examples such as your friend using a local potter for their wedding is a great (and easy way) to support the local community as well as set an example. Imagine the ramifications of that single decision. So many people will eat off those custom place settings and will enevitably ask where they got them. Which will in turn bring up the idea of using a local potter instead of a Crate and Barrel (not to claim anything is necesarrily wrong with Crate and Barrel; I am not educated in the ethical or manufacturing policies within their culture).
Essentially, I think the key to all of the ideas posted thus far can be summarized through educated consumption. Making a distinct effort to understand what you are purchasing and why takes discipline but it has to be the first step. As KC alluded to in his first post, our culture has grown so dependent on buying that we can't even discern what we "need" anymore. I think our country needs to realize that we truly have buying power and that we should utilize it by being selective and deliberate in what we purchase.
"The 52" plasma is just an example to show that everything is relative...thirty years ago, they felt the same way about a 20" TV. We all have one now. I'm not saying that the mindset was right 30 years ago, or that it is right today...just that certain products will inevitably find their way into our lives"
Businesses tell us we need a 52" TV. My great grandmother has terrible vision so she doesn't own a tv at all. She's still getting by at 95 though. I know what you mean Wall Street about things finding their way into our lives. What we are suggesting is bringing to realization that these products don't have to "inevitably find their way" and that there are other options.
Wall Street - I am sorry that you feel that concepts in the bible are too idealogical. I am not attacking you in anyway, i just think a majority of people can't conceive the idea of their life without certain things because we have allowed ourselves to get to this state of consumption dependency.
I do, however totally agree with this and think this is what everyone on here is trying to get at.
"Educate- doesn't mean you have to be a teacher...as long as we can play a role in educating others, giving them the power to think critically about such issues and creating a domino effect of sorts, we will make a difference over time."
In some ways, I want to resist the notion of consumption, or 'consuming wisely' - though that might be a place to start, and try to think outside of it. Consumption, or the claims which belong to late capitalism, is such a totalizing concept that you notice that even our charity is often tied to consumption. "10% of your purchase price..." If you want a really theoretical and technical account of this, read Philip Goodchild's essay in Theology and the Political.
What if we ask "What does justice look like?," or "How deeply are our notions of people tied to their ability to produce?" Or at least, "where am I getting my messages of what I need or want?" After asking myself this last question, I got rid of my TV. Maybe these kind of questions are a direction to head in.
In the meantime, perhaps we could challenge the notion that ease or comfort should be our guiding mentalities. Jesus' didn't come to make our lives easy, but part of the Kingdom of God, which is to say just and peaceful - Christ's yoke which may require sacrifice but is light and easiest on us.
How does this flesh out? Well, instead of purchase price or what will require the least amount of work being the deciding factors in purchasing. Perhaps we could ask: What will empower the voiceless? What will require the least waste? How can I support the local economy?
Packaged food, for example, generally is less healthy, more expensive, less locally governed, and, yes...the selling point...less work.
The question could be: Is efficiency a Christian virtue?
By this I do not mean to imply that inefficiency is a good, but perhaps we should be looking first through the lenses of faith, hope and love, rather than efficiency.
Here's a good article.
There are a lot of examples of communities supporting sustainable local economies, especially in the Northwest, where national chains have a much smaller footprint.
I'd also check out if there is an IAF affiliate in your area and become involved in community grassroots organizing.
If you want something you can do right now, cook a meal and invite others to share it with you. Table fellowship and hospitality might be a good way to start. It's cost effective, spreads the labor out, and helps get us outside of our isolated existence that allow us to think primarily about ourselves.
Post a Comment
<< Home