Should I do this?

[fakename]

I was wondering, and I don’t think this question was answered, that since I am buying something from a company should I email or otherwise discover, whether the owner is a bad sinner (occultist, adulterer) so as not to contribute to him?

I don’t think the more general question was answered but the answer to this one would be pretty useful too, thanks.

 

[PrayHarder]

Should you? Probably not. I don’t think you have to be a detective and inquire about someone’s personal life in order to do business with him. However, if you do learn something about the person’s life that you do not agree with then you are under no obligation to do busines with him. In other words, it’s not your place to dig into someone’s personal life. But if you do learn something then let your conscience be your guide.

 

[kbwall]

I fail to see what he chooses to do in his personal life has anything to do with doing business with him. Sin or not.

 

[PrayHarder]

I fail to see what he chooses to do in his personal life has anything to do with doing business with him. Sin or not.

Here’s an example. If I know that my money would go towards funding someone’s stripper and prostitute habit then I would try to take my business elsewhere. Or, if a large corporation contributes to causes that I do not like, then I’ll take my business elsewhere. People boycott companies all the time, not because of bad service or products, but because of their personal behavior or political beliefs.

But like I said in my earlier post, it’s not your place to go digging around someone’s personal life. But if the information is publicly available and you see giving a person or company your money would fund activities that are morally wrong then you shouldn’t give them your business in my opinion.

 

[Suspicious_Mind]

Do you have some reason to believe he’s an occultist or what not?

 

[Patrick_Cox]

I fail to see what he chooses to do in his personal life has anything to do with doing business with him. Sin or not.

By way of comparison:
If he were a politician who was pro-choice (ie in favour of abortion), would you vote for him? Of course the Church considers it a mortal sin to knowingly vote for someone who is pro-choice. So voting for him / supporting him would be very wrong.

I would suggest that this could act as a guide… if given a choice, and as far as we are aware when it comes to our knowledge of other people, rather do business with a morally upright person than a morally corrupt person. That is my take on it anyway.

 

[nodito]

I was wondering, and I don’t think this question was answered, that since I am buying something from a company should I email or otherwise discover, whether the owner is a bad sinner (occultist, adulterer) so as not to contribute to him?

Well, this sort of presumes that there are some of us who aren’t bad sinners, and that these holy people are also running similar businesses and offering similar products.

My take on this is that if the company itself is corrupt or questionable (for example, if they distributes pornography or sell contraceptives, or they publically fund planned parenthood or host gay pride parades) then it makes sense not to do business with them if you can afford to do so and there are legitimate alternatives. But doing business with a morally neutral company does not make you party to the evil that employees or owners do with the income they receive from that business. Even adulterers and occultists need to earn legitimate income to support their families and meet their other responsibilities. You are not responsible for the evil that they do with the money that they earn honestly.

 

[kbwall]

By way of comparison:
If he were a politician who was pro-choice (ie in favour of abortion), would you vote for him? Of course the Church considers it a mortal sin to knowingly vote for someone who is pro-choice. So voting for him / supporting him would be very wrong.

I would suggest that this could act as a guide… if given a choice, and as far as we are aware when it comes to our knowledge of other people, rather do business with a morally upright person than a morally corrupt person. That is my take on it anyway.

That’s different. Him being pro-choice actually affects his decision as politician, as he will vote to support abortion.

A proper comparison would be if he was pro-choice, and he wanted to sell me a car that I wanted. His views on abortion are irrelevant with respect to the car.

After all, we are all sinners. Refusing to do business with a sinner is to not do business at all.

 

[puzzleannie]

I was wondering, and I don’t think this question was answered, that since I am buying something from a company should I email or otherwise discover, whether the owner is a bad sinner (occultist, adulterer) so as not to contribute to him?

.

is this a trick question?
you do know most businesses are corporations with thousands of shareholders who are the owners. Do you plan to investigate the moral life of every one of them?

You would actually consider asking any business owner to divulge to you matter that belongs in confession? Are you a priest? then what right have you to even ask such questions?

 

[FightingFat]

I suppose this is actually about the sources of morality.

• the object chosen;
• the end in view or the intention;
• the circumstances of the action.

The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the “sources,” or constitutive elements, of the morality of human acts.

(CCC 1750)

The morality of any act is based in the chosen object. If you buy something from someone, their moral object does not somehow jump to you.