D
Dwyer
Guest
This sounds like the* Moral Principle of the Double-Effect *comes into play here.
I don’t know if I can keep up with this Thread.
Basically, the idea of the Double-Effect, which can be applied to shopping, is that a Catholic should avoid patronizing businesses that promote (e.g., selling immoral products, and yes, businesses that promote immorality by using the good will and clout of their recognizable business name to support immoral and sinful acts) immorality.
My understanding is that, as a Catholic, avoiding businesses that sell or support immorality is something that **you should do **as a Catholic.
However, I am of the opinion that if the product could cause death, such as the abortion Plan B Pill, then one cannot patronize that store unless there is an emergency that involves life or death, or no other stores existed within a reasonable distance from one’s home.
I think, in my opinion, that McDonald’s is applying the full weight of its corporate good will and status as a company that most Americans admire by sponsoring and supporting this McDonald’s corporate officer’s decision to sit on this Gay and Lesbian board to promote the acceptance of Gay and Lesbian lifestyles in the U.S., which may include gay marriage, depending on what these Gay and Lesbian businesses are and also any statements this McDonald’s corporate officer may make while serving this board.
Based on the story I read and the quotations, I would, in my opinion, that you can reasonably conclude that McDonald’s, which has an almost omnipresent presence in the United States, and probably worldwide, seeks to promote acceptance of Gay and Lesbian sexuality in the United States.
I’m not saying it is a mortal sin to buy a greasy hamurger and Freedom fries from a McDonald’s, but based on everything I’ve read, a Catholic should, if possible, not spend their money at businesses that support immorality (and, of course, there are degrees of that, in my opinion, Target and Wal-Mart are the worst because they sell the abortion pill at their pharmacies).
You know, you can make a difference; though it may seem small, it will be multiplied with others following suit, by not purchasing you food and taking your family to a fast food restaurant that has one of its high ranking corporate officers sitting on a Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce board.
I’ve avoided, in the past Hardy’s (for its immoral commercials) and also Burger King (for its advertisement on MTV) for years.
Now, I wasn’t seeking to bankrupt these companies, but I sure wasn’t going to spend my money there, and I could personally care less if anyone else was boycotting them too (although I think that would be a good thing).
And it is easy to do so too, because most cities zone these fast food restaurants to a certain section of a street, and they are all located next to or across the street from each other, so it is easy, most of the time, to cross the street and say “I’M GOING TO WENDY’S.”
Plus, in my opinion, Wendy’s builds a better burger.
Now, if you ask me any questions, **you must read **this Catholic Answer’s thread where I discussed this Double-Effect moral principle in the context of the abortion pill.
I had all sorts of questions from others about income taxes, nuclear weapons, and how much do I have to research the places where I buy things.
And I’m not going to accept the argument “well, there’s just ain’t no place I can shop anymore.”
As I said, at least in this Hamburger context, in my opinion, there is at least one other place, and in my opinion it is Wendy’s.
I’m sure there are many other places where you can buy a hamburger, though perhaps not in a fast food setting:
(I used a lot of smilies in this Thread; I wasn’t trying to be facetious; CA in the Forum Guidelines, I think, said we should use those to show people we don’t mean to be offensive while responding to others, though, I think it may be possible that someone could use them in an annoying manner).
Discussion of “Double-Effect and Going To The Store”:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=207378
I still stand by my opinion in this Thread regarding the sinfulness of shopping Target and Wal-Mart and other places that sell the abortion pill.
Avoiding stores that promote immorality is something as a Catholic you should do; I think it will make you a better person.
I don’t think it is a mortal sin, but I never really got a satisfactory answer (unfortunately, the Thread was closed before at least I felt I got a decent answer to the question).
But I don’t know if it is a venial sin either?
Catholic Answers Apologist Jimmy Akin wrote this article in the November, 2005 “This Rock” CA’s magazine about Moral Investing.
Although the article focuses on investing money, he does talk about shopping and how you should spend your money.
I found this article, personally, very helpful; here’s the link:
catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0511bt.asp