Somehow, I think we knew that. 
Personally, I don’t mind at all. It wouldn’t necessarily prompt me to support that business, as there are a good number of religious groups that I disagree with. (Remember, religion is not some monolithic entity, so let’s put the broad brushes away.)
A pro-life message, on the other hand, would quite likely prompt me to patronize that establishment.
Well, they wouldn’t appear to be asking for business because they are black. On the other hand, there is a Black Muslim Bakery in Oakland (not affiliated with the Nation of Islam.) Someone connected with this highly religious organization just killed a reporter looking into its finances, and pretty much everyone involved has been arrested on suspicion of two other murders and lots of other nastiness. But I suppose we should have believed in their virtue.
And this has nothing to do with religion, just how some people exploit religion for their own ends.
Like the code of ethics Jerry Falwell subscribes to, not to mention a passel of other good Christians? Reverend Ted?
Anyone can put the fish on the ad. It means nothing. Saying your business is approved by an independent licensing or consumer agency counts, but only sucker would think a business is good because it puts a fish on its ad. I’ve never had a bad experience with one since I never have used one, but you seem to ignore the many people who have had bad experiences.
And your assertion about what they are thinking means nothing at all.
I’ve seen a “LOTTERY TICKETS ARE HERE GOD BLESS AMERICA” sign at a gas station in the Raleigh/Wake Forest area. It’s just on a standard gas station sign though.
So, how has that poverty thing been working out for you? Pat Robertson went to meet his maker with nothing. The Catholic Church did convince monks and nuns to give up everything, but I stayed in the residence of the Archbishop of San Francisco, now converted to a hotel, which is slightly above cell and straw bed level. Do you not see how little Christians follow the teachings of Christ? Didn’t Gandhi say that Christianity was a wonderful religion, and that people should try following it some time?
Once again, where does it say “SHOP HERE IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN”?
In the end, if the business owner isn’t really a Christian and exploits the religion, then yes, its intrinsically bad, however there in such a minority of people like that.
Theres a bakery in the “trendy” bit of town here in Ottawa with a rainbow flag in the window, they support the Gay Rights movement, however, they themselves are not gay.
What about election signs? You’re simply advertising something you believe in to show your support for it and to allow others to identify you and what your believe in. I’m sorry if you think otherwise.
I wonder how many shops with Christian displays and/or advertising are upset that they aren’t befitting from the huge pagan & atheist demographic?
Seems to me they want to do business with a certain group of people - I’m not in that group, so avoiding them is common courtesy. They are advertising that they disagree with me and my lifestyle, and I thank them for making it easier to decide with whom to do business. If they wanted to welcome anyone with money to spend, they’d keep their religion to themselves and instead advertise their services.
Theres a difference between a Monk/Nun and a Priest. You should probably think before you make these generalizations that because you belong to a religious order, everything should be given up.
A Priest is there to guide the congregation through mass and spirituality whereas a Monk has devoted his life to God and needs only God.
Pat Robertson is dead? Not the last time I checked.
The trucks with the anti-abortion ads make my brain boil. It takes everything I have sometimes not to write down the number on the truck and call the head office to complain. What good would it do?
However, unless the owner of a business that makes an effort to proclaim their religion far and wide does something to piss me off, I could care less if they were Xtian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddist, whatever. Believe what you want, just don’t shove it down my throat.
Do you have to be dead to meet Dr. Frankenstein?
I don’t think there is a good comparison between, on the one hand, organizations that choose their members and have some oversight concerning their continuing membership, and on the other, an affiliation that I can claim simply by, well, claiming it. If I put the symbol of a business organization on my advertisement but fail to live up to the standards of that organization, they can and should take action against me. Here in healthcare, for example, you can’t just slap the JCAHO symbol wherever you want it. But if I am a crook, and I put a religious symbol on my ads, I am accountable to no one (at least on earth). There is no religious accrediting body that is going to back up my claim.
If someone put the words “I am an ethical and honest person” on their ad, I’d also feel a little skittish. To paraphase Thatcher, “Being honest is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
Can you be a Christian by following this code of ethics but not believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ, etc.? (I think the answer to this is “no,” but correct me if I’m wrong.)
Can you be a Christian by believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ, etc., but following a code of ethics that differs from other people calling themselves Christian? (I think the answer to this is “yes,” but I expect this is going to be a subject of debate.)
Are there people who follow “good ethics” who do not subscribe to Christianity? (Again, I think the answer is “yes.”)
So you’re taking a set A (Christian), that intersects with a set B (ethical), and set B also intersects with a set C (non-Christian), and you’re using language that basically equates sets A and B. It’s not bigotry to object to this.
And how does displaying a fish in the Yellow Pages coincide statistically with sincere ethicalness? Is that something we non-Christians should accept on faith?
In essence, the fish tells the consumer nothing except, “I identify as a Christian.”
And these are perfect examples. If I see a rainbow flag in the window of a bakery, it is reasonable, I think, to read the message “I support gay rights, and if you don’t, then you’re welcome not to do business here.”
Same with the political sign. If there’s a “Kerry-Edwards” sign in the window of a business, it’s perfectly reasonable to conclude that they intend to send the message "We don’t want the business of “Bush-Cheney” supporters. Exactly the same thing with religious signs. If you are displaying a message to your potential customers that is not directly related to your service or goods, then it reasonable to take it as a message about what kind of customers you want.
I remember reading that churches are now hotbeds of scams. The reasoning is that there seems to be a blanket acceptance of those who are in your church. So Joe Scammer joins the local church, hooks a bunch of suckers and just stops attending. They are also rife with MLM type thingies because MLM’s tell them to join community things such as churches as a good way to extend their circle. So you got 50 Amway folks all joining a church for the same reason.
I kind of see churches as a modern “good ol’ boy” network. As an atheist female, I find both ways of doing business offensive.
My cite? Google “MLM Church” and you’ll find a treasure trove. It wasn’t just the big bad wolf that wears Grandma’s clothes. Or have we forgotten that fable?
This is the same as a book that primarily sells Bibles calling itself a “Christian Book Store.” It’s perfectly logical and reasonable. The African Students Association is interested primarily in attracting those who are interested in the interests of African students, as a primary operational motive for the organization. The Christian Book Store is interested primarily in attracting those who are interested in reading Christian books.
I can see where that is relevant to advertising a Bible study group or a religious discussion group, but how is that of interest to someone looking in Yellow Pages under “plumbers”?
To those who said they refuse to give their business, they can’t honestly tell me they don’t know someone who has a cross, fish, or any religious symbol somewhere on them or their property and refuse to associate with that person. As a Christian, a Catholic to be precise, I have a rosary hanging from my rearview mirror for personal reasons. I don’t have it there to tell people that I hate them or I believe this or that and laugh at people who think I do.
I hope that in the event of a disaster you all turn away the aid of religious organizations too, after all, everyone knows the Red Cross is only there to convert you and eat your brains :rolleyes:
I worked in disaster relief for the Red Cross for 3 1/2 years. It is most certainly not a religious organization.
Why? It’s freedom of speech. If the trucks had a pro-choice message instead, would your brain still boil? Since I am pro-life, should a pro-choice message make MY brain boil?
In my circle of very close friends:
A: Is a Catholic enough to challenge the Pope on stuff.
B: Has “Have a Jesus filled day.” on her voice mail message
C: Child attends Christian school, works Sundays, but def is on the side of religious.
D: Tries to get me to go to church with her occasionally.
My 4 closest friends. All religious nutjobs. Not one of them has ever used religion in their place of work (to my knowledge). I don’t think there is a Jesus fish on any of their cars. All of them are exemplary examples of religious folks.
The nasty cheating, stealing bastard I work with, who will screw his fellow employees, his boss and his customers to his own benefit? Yeah, he’s real religious.
Actions speak louder than words.
As an aside, I recently found out that Samuel Adams makes pretty good beer. You see, I grew up hearing everyone talking about what great products they have. I figured he was as full of crap as everyone else. Except it turns out, he isn’t. So here’s a guy who makes a damn good product, says he does, but no one believes him because every crappy brewery in the world says the same thing he says. The difference is in the actions. If words meant anything, then maybe someone putting religious crap in their advertising might mean something, but in the end, words don’t mean much. If the words (or picture) has lost their meaning, perhaps maybe, they should try something else. Like making a better product, giving a better service, compete in the few areas not many people want to compete in, the market of quality.
Do you invite the public to enter your car to do business? Do you use the rosary to entice people to sample your wares?
Or is it that your car is a purely personal space and is not related to the provision of goods and services to members of the public for whom your religious beliefs are irrelevant?