Morality of jobs and what am I supposed to DO for the rest of my days on this earth?

[drafdog]

Don’t even think about entering a religious order. They will ask why you think you have a vocation and you’ll go into the song and dance about the immorality of paid labor in the marketplace and they won’t even let you in the door. Running from your own responsibility is not the basis for a vocation.
It is indeed that simple: you go out and get a job. If the lingerie pictures in the store’s on-line catalogue give some guy the hots, that’s not your problem, not your sin. Get a job and deal honestly with your employer and his clients. Remember that if he will not work, let him not eat.

Matthew
PS. Member of the work force for over 40 years. None of my employers wanted to lose my services.

 

[Magicsilence]

Don’t even think about entering a religious order. They will ask why you think you have a vocation and you’ll go into the song and dance about the immorality of paid labor in the marketplace and they won’t even let you in the door. Running from your own responsibility is not the basis for a vocation.

Do you have previous experience in this area?

 

[rlg94086]

I don’t know what the profit model is for Chimay, but the prices are not low. I’m sure they have salesmen who sell their products, though they may not be monks…maybe lay oblates though. They may maximize their profit in order to turn around and give a lot to charities.

For purely informational reasons (), I purchased a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve Ale ($9.99/750ml bottle!..$2-3 more than my Canadian alternative!). On the back, it says:

The registered trademark “TRAPPIST” certifies that this ale was brewed within the walls of an existing trappist monastery under the control of the trappist community. A major part of the [evil RG] sales revenue is used by the monks to support charitable works.

…as I suspected. And, the importer they do business with in the US is based in Texas…probably a Halliburton-owned company.

 

[Magicsilence]

For purely informational reasons (), I purchased a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve Ale ($9.99/750ml bottle!..$2-3 more than my Canadian alternative!). On the back, it says:

…as I suspected. And, the importer they do business with in the US is based in Texas…probably a Halliburton-owned company.

Last summer, I was in Wales, and went to Caldey Island. (Cistercians)

The monks there make and sell chocolate. My family debated the morality of selling unhealthy food, but, we were probably over-thinking it too

 

[jmcrae]

Last summer, I was in Wales, and went to Caldey Island. (Cistercians)

The monks there make and sell chocolate. My family debated the morality of selling unhealthy food, but, we were probably over-thinking it too

Unhealthy food is what you have to sell, if you don’t know how to sell.

(Or as a friend of mine used to say, “If you can’t sell junk food, then you’d better get out of sales.”

 

[rlg94086]

Last summer, I was in Wales, and went to Caldey Island. (Cistercians)

The monks there make and sell chocolate. My family debated the morality of selling unhealthy food, but, we were probably over-thinking it too

It’s only unhealthy if you eat (drink) too much of it.

Remember, mental health is important too.

I’ll drink to that! (glass of Chimay in hand…I’ll be back to my *Unibroue Maudite or La Fin du Monde *next go around, because I am cheap.)

 

[Al_Masetti]

Probably selling organic brussels sprouts … wouldn’t generate much in revenue.

 

[rlg94086]

Probably selling organic brussels sprouts … wouldn’t generate much in revenue.

Although…we were at dinner last week at a great restaurant near our home, and our dinner guest (who recommended the restaurant) said that they are so good that they had brussel sprouts as the vegetable one time, and he loved them. It could happen…I guess.

 

[Magicsilence]

Probably selling organic brussels sprouts … wouldn’t generate much in revenue.

Here in the U.K, its broccoli that is flying off the shelves.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Here in the U.K, its broccoli that is flying off the shelves.

You’ll want to wear your helmet in the supermarket, then.

 

[ROBIN97]

This is indeed the position I started out from, but being a truck driver may involve being asked to go from A-B in 20 mins, when it is only possible by breaking the speed limit. What do you do? Not do it? Get fired.

Ha! This is exactly like the job I had about a hundred years ago. I had a family, I needed a Job and I was glad to get it.

Every day - 9 hours a day - I sped throught traffic delivering and picking up auto parts for a brake service. I drove At Least 5 miles an hour over the speed limit all day! If I would have slowed down an ounce, I would have lost my job - and I needed that job. My four kids and wife depended on my keeping it. I drove as cautiously as I could and never had an accident - or caused one. I asked the Good Lord to help me. I must have had a guardian angel sitting in the passenger seat. So that is life. Get over it. Do the best you can. Get a job.
Robin of the Wichita hood

 

[jmcrae]

Magicsilence;3047493:

This is indeed the position I started out from, but being a truck driver may involve being asked to go from A-B in 20 mins, when it is only possible by breaking the speed limit. What do you do? Not do it? Get fired.

Ha! This is exactly like the job I had about a hundred years ago. I had a family, I needed a Job and I was glad to get it.

Every day - 9 hours a day - I sped throught traffic delivering and picking up auto parts for a brake service. I drove At Least 5 miles an hour over the speed limit all day! If I would have slowed down an ounce, I would have lost my job - and I needed that job. My four kids and wife depended on my keeping it. I drove as cautiously as I could and never had an accident - or caused one. I asked the Good Lord to help me. I must have had a guardian angel sitting in the passenger seat. So that is life. Get over it. Do the best you can. Get a job.
Robin of the Wichita hood

I had a similar job at one time. Over time, you figure out the short-cuts, as well. Sometimes it’s faster to park half a block over, and run, especially at certain times of the day.

 

[Contarini]

In the sunny old U.S of A, perhaps this is possible, along with physical land space to do it with. In central London, its not quite so easy.

Why do you have to live in central London? You could move to the island of Fetlar–I was there this past summer, and they’re begging for people to move there (it used to be quite densely populated, but I believe there were 57 people living there as of last summer).

And then on the boat trip back from Aberdeen two nice Geordie gentlemen tried to interest me in buying a farm in Northumberland. Not quite as remote as Fetlar. . . .

That being said, vern humphrey is wrong–it’s not necessarily a sin to buy if it’s a sin to sell. The analogy with prostitution doesn’t work, because in prostitution it’s what is being sold that makes the act immoral. That is true for some other things as well, but you are raising the question of how things are sold. There is nothing immoral about buying something that may be represented to you dishonestly, although of course if you become aware of it you should try to patronize businesses that behave honestly.

Edwin

 

[rlg94086]

Why do you have to live in central London? You could move to the island of Fetlar–I was there this past summer, and they’re begging for people to move there (it used to be quite densely populated, but I believe there were 57 people living there as of last summer).

And then on the boat trip back from Aberdeen two nice Geordie gentlemen tried to interest me in buying a farm in Northumberland. Not quite as remote as Fetlar. . . .

That being said, vern humphrey is wrong–it’s not necessarily a sin to buy if it’s a sin to sell. The analogy with prostitution doesn’t work, because in prostitution it’s what is being sold that makes the act immoral. That is true for some other things as well, but you are raising the question of how things are sold. There is nothing immoral about buying something that may be represented to you dishonestly, although of course if you become aware of it you should try to patronize businesses that behave honestly.

Edwin

Well, there you go. Become a buyer for a large, multinational corporation.

 

[vern_humphrey]

That being said, vern humphrey is wrong–it’s not necessarily a sin to buy if it’s a sin to sell. The analogy with prostitution doesn’t work, because in prostitution it’s what is being sold that makes the act immoral. That is true for some other things as well, but you are raising the question of how things are sold. There is nothing immoral about buying something that may be represented to you dishonestly, although of course if you become aware of it you should try to patronize businesses that behave honestly.

Edwin

Ah, but that doesn’t hold for a buyer who knows selling is a sin! If I know you sin by selling, then I am assisting you to sin by buying from you, aren’t I?