Part-Time Work and Planned Parenthood

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CleansedByMercy

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I am looking for some guidance… I recently read something on these forums about Starbucks making matching donations to Planned Parenthood but am now really struggling because I realize that MANY companies support, make donations or in some way contribute to companies like PP (as I am sure they also support Pro-Life organizations). My question is, how do I reconcile this with my consumerism? I am looking for part-time work and there are positions open where I am looking at Starbucks but I am also looking at Whole Foods Market (great benefits) and other places.

The real problem is that I am noticing that if I am to never again go to Starbucks then should I never go to these other stores? Should I not work for them? I mean, I am not the one donating to PP or any other pro-choice organizations…

Just talking it out (typing), I guess I cannot control what anyone else does with their money and so if this is the attitude I was to take would it not be dangerous? As in, would I not essentially be confining myself to only companies, and people, that support my beliefs? Am I responsible for what someone else does with the money that is given to them if I pay for his or her good?

Oh man, yes I have suffered from serious scrupulosity and yes I am completely Pro-Life. I am just looking for guidance to prudence. I would ask my local priest (who I already know the answer from, which would be to shop at any of these stores since I am not directly supporting abortion or any other malpractice) but I am just looking for reassurance I suppose.

God bless,
One with a scrupulous tendency
 
I no longer buy anything that has a pink Komen Cancer for the Cure symbol on it.
 
I will wait until I get back to school and speak to my priest. Thank you all anyways. God bless!
 
CleansedByMercy said:
I am looking for some guidance… I recently read something on these forums about Starbucks making matching donations to Planned Parenthood but am now really struggling because I realize that MANY companies support, make donations or in some way contribute to companies like PP (as I am sure they also support Pro-Life organizations). My question is, how do I reconcile this with my consumerism? I am looking for part-time work and there are positions open where I am looking at Starbucks but I am also looking at Whole Foods Market (great benefits) and other places.

The real problem is that I am noticing that if I am to never again go to Starbucks then should I never go to these other stores? Should I not work for them? I mean, I am not the one donating to PP or any other pro-choice organizations…

Just talking it out (typing), I guess I cannot control what anyone else does with their money and so if this is the attitude I was to take would it not be dangerous? As in, would I not essentially be confining myself to only companies, and people, that support my beliefs? Am I responsible for what someone else does with the money that is given to them if I pay for his or her good?

Oh man, yes I have suffered from serious scrupulosity and yes I am completely Pro-Life. I am just looking for guidance to prudence. I would ask my local priest (who I already know the answer from, which would be to shop at any of these stores since I am not directly supporting abortion or any other malpractice) but I am just looking for reassurance I suppose.

God bless,
One with a scrupulous tendency
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Because you say you are scrupulous, I would speak to a priest about this.

But I’ll give you an example, my OB is a pro-life doctor. He does not refer for abortions, does not prescribe contraceptives. He’s affiliated with a county hospital. I’m not aware of the hospital peforming abortions but I do beleive they offer contraceptives.

Another example is my DS was born almost 3 months premature. We were brought to a county hospital that had an excellent NICU. The same hospital has an outpatient “clinic”. The nurses that worked with my baby were excellent dedicated nurses, who worked to save lives. They were not involved in the “clinic”.

Again speak to a priest. Ask about direct vs indirect participation in sin, and if working in any of those places would even be an indirect participation with sin.
 
CleansedByMercy said:
I am looking for some guidance… I recently read something on these forums about Starbucks making matching donations to Planned Parenthood but am now really struggling because I realize that MANY companies support, make donations or in some way contribute to companies like PP (as I am sure they also support Pro-Life organizations). My question is, how do I reconcile this with my consumerism? I am looking for part-time work and there are positions open where I am looking at Starbucks but I am also looking at Whole Foods Market (great benefits) and other places.

The real problem is that I am noticing that if I am to never again go to Starbucks then should I never go to these other stores? Should I not work for them? I mean, I am not the one donating to PP or any other pro-choice organizations…

Just talking it out (typing), I guess I cannot control what anyone else does with their money and so if this is the attitude I was to take would it not be dangerous? As in, would I not essentially be confining myself to only companies, and people, that support my beliefs? Am I responsible for what someone else does with the money that is given to them if I pay for his or her good?

Oh man, yes I have suffered from serious scrupulosity and yes I am completely Pro-Life. I am just looking for guidance to prudence. I would ask my local priest (who I already know the answer from, which would be to shop at any of these stores since I am not directly supporting abortion or any other malpractice) but I am just looking for reassurance I suppose.

God bless,
One with a scrupulous tendency
Click to expand...
The church forbids material support of immorality. Personally donating to Planned Parenthood would be gravely problematic. However, purchasing a legitimate product at retail is not immoral.

If the seller then uses his personal funds derived from the sale to donate to an immoral cause, it is still a sinful donation, but it is not the customers sin.

Similarly, an employee who is paid a just wage to sell a legitimate product or service is not moral responsible for the personal immorality of his employer.

One could refuse to do business with a company that makes immoral donations, however one does so out of personal piety, not moral necessity.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
Because you say you are scrupulous, I would speak to a priest about this.

But I’ll give you an example, my OB is a pro-life doctor. He does not refer for abortions, does not prescribe contraceptives. He’s affiliated with a county hospital. I’m not aware of the hospital peforming abortions but I do beleive they offer contraceptives.

Another example is my DS was born almost 3 months premature. We were brought to a county hospital that had an excellent NICU. The same hospital has an outpatient “clinic”. The nurses that worked with my baby were excellent dedicated nurses, who worked to save lives. They were not involved in the “clinic”.

Again speak to a priest. Ask about direct vs indirect participation in sin, and if working in any of those places would even be an indirect participation with sin.
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Thank you very much for your response. This is what I am struggling the most with… The indirect support of sin. Otherwise, I am coming to a point where I am feeling as if I need to box myself in and investigate every single company I ever come into contact with. As of this moment, i do not have a problem purchasing coffee from Starbucks (actually I do not care for it but my friends sincerely love it) or anything else… I read through the forums on here regarding Starbucks and the most I can come to is I have to boycott and avoid all companies with any questionable practices at all (which includes many companies that even my Catholic school supports) or simply use prudence and know that I do not support what someone else may support, only that I enjoy his or her provided goods. I do know that one priest back on campus takes the men who are discerning their vocations to the priesthood to the local Starbucks…
 
runningdude said:
The church forbids material support of immorality. Personally donating to Planned Parenthood would be gravely problematic. However, purchasing a legitimate product at retail is not immoral.

If the seller then uses his personal funds derived from the sale to donate to an immoral cause, it is still a sinful donation, but it is not the customers sin.

Similarly, an employee who is paid a just wage to sell a legitimate product or service is not moral responsible for the personal immorality of his employer.

One could refuse to do business with a company that makes immoral donations, however one does so out of personal piety, not moral necessity.
Click to expand...
I skipped over this post while I was reading through here and I believe this is what I was looking for… Ha last time I went into Confession I received a blessing instead of absolution (talked through everything and the priest deemed there were no serious sins…haha). Anyways, this is what I knew the answer to be but I could not come to put into a rational thought in my mind. Thank you very much.
 
Monicad said:
It is my understanding that we should try and avoid patronizing businesses that support immoral activity, with emphasis on the word TRY. In this day and age (in my opinion) that is nearly impossible sad to say. It seems nearly every large business supports gay-pride-parades, sells pornographic materials, sells contraception, sells abortion pills, supports planned parenthood, takes advantage of overseas labor that treats workers poorly or employs child labor. As someone said even if they don’t support organizations they probably sell condoms, or movies or books that contain very questionable material.

I beleive as long as you are not shopping at a business in order to support them, and it is simply to purchase a product, then you are okay from the Catholic churches standpoint. If you have an opportunity to support a business that does not support immoral activity then I would, however as I said I think that is nearly impossible. If you speak with your priest and discover that I am totally off-base kindly post again and let me know if I am wrong I would like to know. God bless.
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I think I will try and call him tomorrow… Yes, scrupulosity and his kindness have landed his cell phone number in my phone. I also agree with you about the near-impossibility, plus I am a college student and am tight on money to even have a choice in who I support. I also have some three or four years in espresso (barista / manager) and there are quite a few positions available at Starbucks for me… Given the opportunity, because I read something along the lines that the donations they make are matching donations and employees have opportunities to donate to whichever company they like? I do not know, this world is getting my mind all up in tangles.
 
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