I wasn’t planning on writing this post for a while, but after receiving an on-air challenge from John Paul Summers at The Missionary Family (TMF), I felt pretty compelled to dive in. Considering the podcast’s audience of who-knows-how-many Catholics and the fact that he mentioned The Catholic Wife specifically, it’s not really something I can ignore! I welcome charitable insights on this subject because I could never presume my opinion to be the epitome of Developed Catholic Conscience:
Starbucks, Home Depot, JC Penney, The Gap Inc. (Banana, Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta), Target, Johnson & Johnson, World Market. There are a multitude of others. These corporations support either a gay “marriage,” Planned Parenthood, or both.
First: Why can’t a business be just a business? A non-partisan, neutral establishment where issues like this don’t have a place and all people feel welcomed and comfortable. Why can’t a business stay out of politics and controversy, risking alienating a certain demographic while aiming to please another? The fact of the matter is that these corporations are imposing their stance on their customer bases (You either join them in their support or you leave.) as well as their employees whose livelihood depend on their company’s success. Before all this, Starbucks was a just cool joint for a caramel frap.
It’s true that considering the amount of money you spend at any given PP or gay “marriage” supporting establishment, the percentage that actually goes to these movements is very small; but the question is how much of a percentage are you willing to give to them? As a customer at Old Navy, you certainly give some, no matter how small the percentage; but as a shopper at alternative stores that do not support PP, you give 0%. Guaranteed. Now, are you culpable for a company’s business or political decisions? Of course not. Are we as Catholics obligated to boycott? No. Because of the indirect involvement in supporting PP or gay “marriage,” you are not held responsible (it’s called a “remote material cooperation with evil”) and often we have to patronize one company or another in order live.
from dumpstarbucks.com
Just because you don’t have to boycott, however, doesn’t mean you can’t in some areas. Is it really worth it to drink an over-priced cup o’ joe and offer your funds to morally compromising causes? The Gap doesn’t take the cake on hip trends. Starbucks isn’t the only place with a tall decaf cappuccino. Johnson & Johnson doesn’t hold a monopoly on head-to-toe baby wash. Home Depot isn’t the only place with lumber. It is possible to find alternatives, not just for the purpose of hopefully withdrawing financial support from the mentioned companies, but more so for the sake of standing firm in my own Catholic principles.
I heard about The Gap Inc. and its handful of stores first when I was at Benedictine. I kept shopping at Old Navy, but there was something nagging my conscience with every purchase. I don’t want to support morally compromising movements either directly and indirectly, so after some hemming and hawing over it all, I detached. It hasn’t been easy detaching from any of these stores – I shopped at a given place because I enjoyed it – but after a while I stopped missing them because they weren’t part of my retail experience anymore.
I’ve heard people question the effectiveness of boycotting in protest of gay advertising or support of PP. How could we possibly make an impact if we’re so few and the companies keep swimming the mainstream? Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that we’re not effective economically speaking; that these corporations continue with their pro-gay or anti-life agendas unscathed. To that I reiterate that the focus of all this is not to revolutionize a company and dictate how I think it should be run, it’s about standing firm in my beliefs and upholding the truths within Christianity: Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman only and life begins at conception. Shouldn’t our consciences compel us to uphold these truths? Plain and simple, it’s contrary to my values for my money to go to morally compromising movements. This of course is an ideal – there are occasions when I find myself in urgent need of one item or another and the only retail option before me is on my list of places to avoid; but when I have the opportunity and option, I support businesses that choose to remain businesses only and I avoid the ones whose values are against my own.
We are called to be in the world, but not of the world.
Again, I invite charitable insight into this. I seek guidance and suggestions so that my own conscience can be further formed. If you’re aware that certain companies no longer support these movements, let me know!
Well said Katie! I didn’t know about Target. In fact, I thought they had taken some heat for supporting conservative politicians, but maybe I have my retail chains confused.
In general, I agree with your thought that business should do what they do best – sell clothes, coffee, etc. However, I also see the value in corporations putting their money and brand behind efforts that can make the world better whether that’s Toms donating shoes to children in need or Dominoes Pizza founding a university.
The best and worst thing about our country is we can’t tell people or corporations what their opinions should be. A boycott is at least one way to register our opinion and keep our own conscience clear.
We have chosen our primary boycott to be for companies who do business with Senomyx and used human embryos for testing of new flavor combinations. Sometimes, it’s not a struggle at all, but there are times when I have no other option and my kids hear that we do without rather than support companies who hurt babies.
I think boycotts have to be chosen around what you find most important AND what is possible in your family life. We’ve been soul-searching about Target, but my son can only tolerate Target diapers (and cloth are not currently an option), so I buy Target diapers. Where possible, we choose companies who will not support research or social change that is not in line with our beliefs.
Even if we are not effective in making a financial impact, 1) we have the weapon of prayer, 2) God does not call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful, and 3) success or not, can you tolerate giving even a penny to Planned Parenthood, etc.?