Is it a SIN to purchase products that contribute to abortion?

[Stylus]

I’ve been trying to find a definite answer to this for so long! I hope I’ll get help here. My mom feels very strong about boycotting soda, snack, or cell phone companies that sponsor abortion. Now I feel like if I buy a soda I’m contributing to the murder of innocent children!
Please help me and my conscience out here. Thanks

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Stylus:

I’ve been trying to find a definite answer to this for so long! I hope I’ll get help here. My mom feels very strong about boycotting soda, snack, or cell phone companies that sponsor abortion. Now I feel like if I buy a soda I’m contributing to the murder of innocent children!
Please help me and my conscience out here. Thanks

Sorry, I’m quite sure there is no definitive answer.

Against:

Realistically, nearly all large companies support politicians on both sides of the aisle, and offer benefits to gay partners and all kinds of stuff. Those who don’t use those who do as subcontractors. You would have to live in a cave and kill your own food to get away from them. If you buy goods from worldly industry, you will be supporting industries that support abortion. Taken to the next level, you are giving business to employees who go vote pro-abort. Therefore there is no way to follow this opinion absolutely.

For:

In this case, many people find that water is more spiritually uplifting, healthier and cheaper than soda anyway, so it could be an overall win if you developed a taste for alternatives.

If a company is particularly blatant about it, then why not send them a message? Maybe you won’t be effective, but you just may be. If they have any competition then they do need to be concerned about people going elsewhere for their business. You never know; there may be good people inside the company who are just waiting for the word from a customer to justify their concerns to management – that way they can pretend to be just a messenger when they really are an advocate. You just never know. If you feel strongly enough don’t buy it.

All that said, if you don’t support her cause, then she must not lay guilt trips on you. You might want to keep from doing it in front of her, though, since you know she finds it offensive.

Alan

 

[1ke]

Stylus:

I’ve been trying to find a definite answer to this for so long! I hope I’ll get help here. My mom feels very strong about boycotting soda, snack, or cell phone companies that sponsor abortion. Now I feel like if I buy a soda I’m contributing to the murder of innocent children!
Please help me and my conscience out here. Thanks

You would practically have to weave your own clothes and grow your own food to avoid purchases from companies that contribute to causes that conflict with our faith.

My approach is to try to avoid the more heinous and to choose alternatives where I can.

Many times you don’t even know all the causes a company gives to.

I have written to companies to encourage them to give money to causes that are not controversial. I have avoided certain stores and brands because of their giving practices. Boycotts DO work. So, I believe we should support them when and where we can.

However, it’s not sinful if you don’t. If you were directly contributing to abortion causes, supporting & promoting abortion, etc, you would be committing gravely wrong acts.

 

[Sgt_Sweaters]

I think a sinful attitude might be, “Nuts to the babies, I want my candies and soda!”

In other words, I don’t think we should say “it’s too hard, and too inconvenient.” Boycott what you can. Boycott the products that you’d like to have but don’t really need.
As an end note, however, I’m sure if we all really examined our options, we could get rid of a lot more than we originally thought…

God bless.

+Joel

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Stylus-

I’ve been trying to find a definite answer to this for so long! I hope I’ll get help here. My mom feels very strong about boycotting soda, snack, or cell phone companies that sponsor abortion.

Is there a specific company that is openly supporting this stuff that she is concerned with? Because as most have already said, its hard to find a company that is not doing something that a Catholic should not be part of.

Now I feel like if I buy a soda I’m contributing to the murder of innocent children!
Please help me and my conscience out here.

You shouldnt feel like that. There are things out of your hands that God wont consider you responsible for. I guess you could limit your usage of soda snack and cell which would also save you cash, but other than that its out of your hands.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

AlanFromWichita:

In this case, many people find that water is more spiritually uplifting, healthier and cheaper than soda anyway, so it could be an overall win if you developed a taste for alternatives.

Yes, but if you buy bottled water, it’s probably owned by some soda company anyway. Unless you’re proposing that we all drink tap water all the time.

Oh, and they sell Maxim at gas station or convenience store too. Not to mention all of the places condoms are sold…

So do I go in, check out the store, and then decide whether to purchase their gas? Even if my tank is on empty? Do I stop going anywhere that condoms are sold?

I don’t think we’re expected to walk to the next gas station or never leave our homes. It’s all about doing what you can reasonably do and not feeling guilty about the rest.

 

[KCT]

You’re free to spend money on any legitimate product or service. What the seller does with the money is not your responsibility.

Should you choose to boycott, fine. You are not obligated to.
—KT