There is a real estate company (the name fails me) that is ending it’s commercials with “We are a Christian owned company”. Years ago Heilemans advirtised Old Style beer saying it was made in “God’s Country”. Do ads like this offend anyone? Would you purposely not buy a product simply because it’s ad campaign included comments or slogans insisting there was a God?
No, I’m not offended. But, I wouldn’t go out of my way to frequent those businesses.
I’m not offended either. The “Christian company” thing is deserving of an eye roll. What does it mean, exactly? They aren’t going to rip me off because they are Christian? :rolleyes:
The expression “God’s country” doesn’t bother me at all. It is used often enough that when I hear it I usually don’t consider the literal meaning.
I’m more properly described as agnostic than aetheist. I wouldn’t find this offensive at all. I would rather support someone who takes a stand about something than has a “whatever” attitude.
I’m not exactly offended by these campaigns, but I DO try to avoid products which use religion as a selling point. For instance, one laxative company (which I can’t remember the name of unless I see it) states that “all God’s creatures” get constipated. I purposely don’t buy that product. There’s a dry cleaner’s and a pizza shop that are very convenient to me, but I won’t patronize them, as they’ve always got a Bible verse on their signboards.
I guess the companies figure that the lost atheist sales will be more than made up with the increased religious sales.
Given a choice, I’d rather not patronize one of these businesses. But, I don’t feel that strongly about it.
I’m not offended, but I’d go out of my way to avoid patronizing them.
A group in the town where my parents live has published a directory of Christian businesses; that is, businesses owned and run by Christians (or at least by people who are open about it).
It’s an interesting concept. I don’t honestly know whether it would decide me one way or the other in terms of choosing my grocery store, filling station, or insurance company.
I personally think it’s inappropriate in business to call attention to your religion unless it is somehow directly relevant to the business or profession you are in (for example, a teacher in a parochial school or a clergyman).
I patronize businesses, or don’t, based on the kind of service I get.
I don’t find them offensive, but like others who have already posted, I wouldn’t go out of the way to give them my business either.
Unless they’re selling something particularly relevant to a relgion (eg. Christian books or prayer beads, kocher meat for Jews) then I don’t really see the need to advertise the religion of the owners in order to somehow elevate them above their competition.
It’s been my humble experience that the business folks who are most vocal, the most eager to make sure everyone knows that they are a “Christian” (usually used in the narrow sense to mean a born-again fundamentalist) are the ones who find it perfectly acceptable to use underhanded business tactics, particularly against those who are not also loud fundamentalists.
Strikes my as hypocracy of the worst sort. But it’s not only my observation - folks like John D. MacDonald and Robert Heinlein have also observed the contradiction.
Okay. But what about those businesses that advertise as “black owned”. Is that inappropriate? what is the difference between the businessman who advertises he’s a christian and the businesses man who advertises he is black?
Also, I’d like to ask why some of you would purposely not shop at a business that was blatently christian & advertised as such.
If I avoid a store because the owner is black, and includes that fact in his ads, I’m called a racist, a bigot. If you avoid a business only because the owner is christian, and includes that fact in his ads, does this not make you a bigot?
Just out of curiosity, which country is God’s? Either way, I don’t give a shit whether a company is Christian-owned, or if it’s made in God’s country (unless they are trying to claim that France or some other pissant little nation is God’s country, or something like that).
Yes, I think that that’s inappropriate as well, unless it is directly relevant to the business itself.
I don’t care as long as I get good service.
I don’t see a difference between a fellow who advertises that he is Christian and one who advertises that he is black. They both obviously feel strongly enough about their religion and race respectively to make a point of including it in their advertising.
I think that your business, and how you run it, should speak for itself. Again, that is ultimately what brings me back as a customer.
New Zealand! 
Well… it is nicknamed Godzone. (God Zone/God’s Own) Ehh… local joke.
Last year I was in Iowa were there was a local homecrafts store that had a sign that said they were closed on the Sabbath to allow their employee’s time for worship and with their families – which I found kinda cute and inoffensive…
and a local furniture company who advertised on TV, who said that they were open every day except Sunday, because that was the Lord’s day (spokesman shows framed picture of Christ)… which I thought was amusing and bit over the top… and probably noted it just because I’ve never seen or heard any spiel like it here.
(We are obviously all godless heathens). 
When people make it a point to mention that a business is Christian owned and operated, or for that matter black owned and operated, I’ve always translated that as “Only Christians [or blacks] welcome here.” I don’t even know why, thinking about it - that’s just my automatic assumption. But I always accept it as their preference and avoid patronizing the store when possible.
Reading this thread, I thought for the first time that hey, maybe it doesn’t mean that. But, I dunno, it just makes instinctive sense to me. Why would they make a big deal out of it unless they wanted to let everyone know who wasn’t supposed to come?
Speaking as an atheist, I don’t find those ads offensive because if i wish, I can simply choose not to give such companies my business. However, any time I’m approached by someone collecting for a non-profit group, a charity, or selling chocolate or raffle tickets to raise money, my 1st question to them is “Who are you raising money for?”. If it’s a religious group I refuse to donate or purchase.
To me, the difference between a business (in the US) advertising itself as “Black Owned” and one promoting itself as “Christian Owned” is a matter of power. Black Americans have historically gotten the short end of the economic stick. While I hope the day is coming that “Black Owned!” will make about as much sense as “Owned By A Left-Hander!”, that day isn’t here yet and I can understand that African-Americans may see patronizing black-owned businesses as a useful way to fight discrimination and gain economic power.
Christians, on the other hand, have not faced the same discrimination in the US.
Also, speaking as an atheist here… when I go into a business that prides itself on being black-owned, I don’t expect that the owner thinks I’m going to Hell because I’m white, or believes that he/she must convert me to blackness. When I go into a business with “Jesus Saves!” on the signboard, however…
Are you avoiding the store because of the person or because of the ad? There’s a big difference between avoiding a store because the owner is black and avoiding a store because you think it’s inappropriate to use race as a selling point.
I’m white and Daoist. If another white Daoist starts a business and makes a big deal of it in his advertising, I’m probably not going to patronize his shop. Not because I don’t like whites or Daoists, but because I don’t like him using race or religion for commercial purposes. I’m not avoiding him because of his race or religion, but for his methods of advertising that I consider to be in poor taste.
–sublight.
My take on this? That being black is not a choice, and (IMO ) religious belief is a choice. I would not patronize a business that used race (ANY race) as an advertising tool, unless it was relevant to the product. (I’d go to an Ethiopian restaurant that advertsied they had Ethiopian chefs, for instance.)
I would not go out of my way to patronize a place that touted their religion, but I wouldn’t try to avoid it either. I try to stay away from stereotyping. I’m not going to assume that every Christian is an intolerant Southern Baptist type just by virtue of being a Christian.
Sheesh. England of course. I thought everyone knew that.
I’d find that sort of thing a little strange, I can’t remember seeing such a sign over here.
Don’t think I’d be offended, but I would go elsewhere if it was handy.
The question is whether they’re saying: “Buy here because we’re Xian just like you”, or “Buy here because we’re Xian and inherently better than others”. The former would seem odd, both because I’m not, and because I can’t see anyone not going there because of their religion. The latter is of course irritating.