Wow. I was perusing the responsibleshopper.com site, just to see what all was on there and to find out for myself how balaced and fair their reporting seemed. I checked out the "compare companies" feature, which is really cool, and checked out the first thing on their list: alcohol producers. Four companies came up. Three of them had very neutral/good reports. Then there was Phillip Morris (rather, Altria, formerly called P.M.). I didn't take the time to read through the list of complaints against the company (the complaints are usually made by consumers and consumer groups) because I was flabberghasted by the incredible number of product brands and companies that P.M./Altria owns. Astounding. There were at least 50 companies. Tons of products. Kraft, Nabisco, Post, Miller, just to name a few recognizable ones.
I forget that giants like this exist. No wonder they can afford to pay for those anti-smoking ads: they make half the crap we buy! Disney had a really bad rep too: I was comparing restaurants earlier. Maybe I'll check out Proctor & Gamble tomorrow.
You should check out the site, if you haven't already. Not that it's the best thing ever, but it is more knowledge than I've had in awhile concerning the behind-the-scenes of the products we buy. And it mentions good things ("praises") about companies too, when they deserve them. For example, Taco Bell is taking initiatives to raise the wage of tomato harvesters in Florida quite substantially. And KFC is coming around to putting pressure on its chicken producers to stop cruelly abusing the animals (after consumer and PETA pressure on KFC). And it reports charitable giving too.
6 comments:
I often confused Phillip Morris with the William Morris Talent Agency. Perhaps Phillip Morris owns a few talent agencies...
So this will be an unpopular comment. It will seem very uncaring...maybe even seem unchristian to some...
So I wonder how much we will be held accountable for these things before God. There are a lot of comments about justice and use of money, etc. of which I am a very guilty of talking about and worrying about. And I guess we should. How possible is it to know all we are to know in an information saturated, global culture. Jesus would never have had to deal with any of this. (At least on the same level). I know it doesn't sound very "socially aware" I'm just being real.
An interesting comment, because I wonder if we will be held accountable at *all*, as followers of Christ. This is a question that perhaps someone more versed in theology is better equipped to answer.
But when I think of the issues that deeply concern me, I can find no justification for judgement by me from a consumer standpoint.
My stance on vegetarianism, for example: Because I am free in Christ to eat meat, or not, I choose not as a sign to fellow human beings about the way we treat animals destined for consumption. While I personally don't believe animal consumption was God's original intent for humanity (another theological debate), I am not qualified to condemn those who choose to eat meat.
I've really been struggling recently with the concept of judgement and judging others. I'll try to post my thoughts on this on my blog sometime.
What really gets me on this topic are those entities/people whose sin promotes suffering... I do understand the need to confront, rather than to accept, evil, but am still wrestling with what this looks like outside of prayer.
I do not think that we will be held accountable for where we shop in ignorance, nor do I think that we are obligated to be familiar with the dirty laundry of every company.
I'm not an expert on any of this, and I certainly don't want to sound like I am...even though I often mouth off like I am. That said, I also do not think that it is wholesome to live in such a way that we only do those things on earth for which we believe we will be held accountable after earth. ( : ) And we'll probably be held accountable for that kind of attitude anyway! : ) ) Maybe that wasn't what you were suggesting, paul, but it sounded like it. In Jesus' day the powers were religious and political, and he certainly had things to say about those entities. In our day, aren't the powers corporate and political?
But I'm not really talking about personal anything. I'm interested in social change. I'm suggesting that if we were more intentional with where we demonstrated our power (read: put our money) then maybe we could change a sizable chunk of the world even from our ergonomic, double-stuffed, easy chairs. The premise is: people run for the green stuff, and will do whatever we tell them to do in order to get our green stuff. Most of the time, they are telling us what to do with our green.
Capice?
chris says:
I do not think that knowledge and ignorance are good excuses for shopping unjustly or supporting unjust companies/political factions. Also, the difficulty of spending our money justly is not a factor because "better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice" (prov. 16:8). We are guilty of getting sucked into the american decadence culture.
I don't think that shopping at wal-mart is a sin, but I do think that ignoring the injustice of the wal-mart machine is. There are things we can do with our money and education that are very important. It's hard to pretend to be ignorant of injustice when all our clothes are made in countries that don't protect human rights.
I dont' know. It's better to buy sweatshop made clothes for the poor than to not, right? And you can certainly buy a whole lot more clothes than if they were made justly. What a connundrum. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to point fingers. I am very guilty of these things, whether we will be held accountable or not.
In the spirit of “whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God,” I would like to tell everyone what I think about eating and drinking, etc. :)
If you are craving a double cheeseburger, which is where I find myself the majority of the day, recite these verses in your head (for full ease of conscience, be sure NOT to consider context):
“As one in the Lord, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.” Ro 14:14
“He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God.” Ro 14:6a
“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’” 1Co 10:25-26
and finally,
“If I take part in a meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?” 1 Co 10:30
If you are feeling especially puffed by knowledge of corporate wrongdoing, and also willing to abstain from such pleasures as trans fats and cheap plastic bargains, (this is where I find myself the rest of the time) remember these verses:
“For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many.” 1Co 33b
“Everything is permissible, but not every thing is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 1 Co 10:23-24
“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Ro 14:12
“Do not exploit the poor because they are poor, and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.” Pro 22:22-23
That was a bit sassy, but it’s also a bit true for me. I find myself bouncing between arguments, and the more I study, the more conflicted I become. There is no consistency, and I think the Lord WANTS us to be fully convicted one way or the other (I read something about that somewhere). I’m also pretty sure he wants us to do whatever we feel will a) glorify him, b) build the church and lead others to him, c) NOT cause any of our brothers to freak out or stumble, and c)...He wants us to be sure to thank him for whatever we finally decide to eat/purchase/etc.
Honestly, I’m afraid I am one of those whom God has convicted about what I eat and buy, but I am always looking for a good verse or two to dodge these convictions (see above.) I am praying for clarity either way. Also, it seems that anyone who has convictions about these sorts of thing in the Bible is the “weak-minded” person of faith. What’s up with that?
Regardless, I think it’s very clear that he gave us all different convictions. I say stick to yours and be fully confident of them. Keep it somewhat between you and God and treat each meal/abstinence from meal/purchase/abstinence from purchase as an act of worship. Most importantly, as sarah said, do not judge someone else based on their convictions. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own Master he stands or falls. If you’ve read this whole thing, I want you to tell me why I’m wrong. Also, Patrick, I think you do a very good job of initiating thoughtful conversation. Thanks for bringing it up. Keep up the good work. And you are right. They will do what we tell them to get our green. Look at Blockbuster – no more late fees! Look at Cingular Wireless – Now our network family consists of millions. Maybe with prayer and petition, one day we could Consider Wal-Mart – They no longer suck at everything.
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