Taking your business elsewhere, etc

[childinthefaith]

Clearly, one customer ceasing to do business with a company matters little to a large company. However, I wonder how many other Catholics here pay attention to the companies with whom they do business, like at the corporate level.

Here is one example from my life - I had an Apple Watch 4 and an iPhone X. To change the watch face, you use an app on the phone. I was in the middle of changing the face one day and I saw a 'pride" flag as a choice, and obviously one I did not desire. I then kept looking to see if Apple had an American flag, or any other flags available. At the time, they did not, and I do not know if they do now because within 3 mos of this occurrence, I sold the watch, changed phones, and took a several hundred dollar loss selling a MacBook Air I’d purchased…I no longer use Apple products.

Same sort of thing happened with Dick’s Sporting Goods, who owns Field & Stream stores. They decided to stop selling AR’s at their stores, and modified their store’s age to buy a long gun from 18 to 21. Since I want to buy from a retailer vs a political entity, I no longer shop there. Plus, if they don’t sell mens guns (AR’s), they don’t deserve, IMO, mens’ business. But THE determining factor with Dick’s was their age change thing that is not in accordance with federal law…

Then we have Nike and the NFL with that player kneeling during the anthem. No more Nike shoes, and tossed a pair that was 3 mos old into the dumpster when I discovered that connection.

Levi Strauss supporting the LGBT stuff - no more Levi’s and used to love them. Switched to jeans from www.tecovas.com btw, which, although expensive, are well made and last. Plus I already had a pair of their boots…

AT&T local to me had some business practices I didn’t like, I now have nothing by them when we used to have every service they offered…plus, I now have a Samsung phone that I bought from Spectrum Mobile…let’s hope they behave.

You see the trend here I’m sure. I jokingly refer to these companies with my wife as being on the “list of my declared enemies” . Not my enemies, but I sure as heck will no longer do business with them, and it is all based on personal moral reasons.

I wonder, how many folks here stop doing business with companies for similar reasons??

Be assured, I have zero company affiliations. I’m a retired military member and disabled veteran, no more than that, AKA I’m nobody important. I therefore have the time and energy to pay attention to what may seem to be silly things like this…then discuss it on a CA forum

Blessings,

 

[StudentMI]

I usually don’t pay a ton of attention to the practices of a company, unless they have a reputation for exploiting or mistreating their employees which makes it into the news. I have OCD and it’s hard enough making decisions lol.

Certainly if there was concerted effort change could come about.

 

[childinthefaith]

I wouldn’t either, but I was doing a LOT of personal business with these and ended up finding out after spending too much money what type of companies they were.
Understand the OCD thing, I know a lady with that and yeh, it’d make it even more tough
Blessings,

 

[Convert3]

These same companies provide employment and good pay to many families. The families often support charity and they pay taxes. While I personally don’t like some things companies do, I can’t see finding many companies that don’t support activities I don’t agree with in some way. Apple makes a good product. I will continue to buy their product.

 

[Pat_Payne]

I don’t often boycott, mostly because unless a business gets really obnoxious about it (for instance Starbucks or Target*) or they’re publicly donating to Planned Parenthood or something I couldn’t care less about their political stances. For the most part they exist to sell me goods and services, and as long as they’re not being self-righteous jerks about their politics or trying to shove it down my throat, what they think is immaterial to me as long as they have the good or service I’m looking for.

I finally gave up Marvel Comics for the most part because of the obnoxious political posturing, and that’s the only real “boycott” I’m in at the moment.

• In fairness, I’m not formally part of the Target boycott over the bathroom issue, but only because I stopped going to Target years earlier after my credit card info got hacked in that big security breach. It doesn’t make any sense to boycott a business I don’t patronize anyway.

 

[Irishmom2]

Same sort of thing happened with Dick’s Sporting Goods, who owns Field & Stream stores. They decided to stop selling AR’s at their stores, and modified their store’s age to buy a long gun from 18 to 21. Since I want to buy from a retailer vs a political entity, I no longer shop there. Plus, if they don’t sell mens guns (AR’s), they don’t deserve, IMO, mens’ business. But THE determining factor with Dick’s was their age change thing that is not in accordance with federal law…

My husband won’t shop there either for the same reason.
Won’t join AARP, left the AMA.
Won’t give business to any store if he runs into a problem with them.

Do they care or are they affected by one person? Who knows. Maybe a bunch of other people stopped giving them business too. But mostly, it makes him feel better. And that is as good of a reason as anything.

 

[StudentMI]

I do remember a couple of liberals I used to listen to came to the defense of Chick Fil-A. They said all they’re buying from them is a sandwich, and that you don’t know what other companies really stand for.

 

[JMMJ]

I wouldn’t boycott a company unless I knew they were treating their employees poorly or were outrageous in the negative effect they were having, ecologically.

On the other hand, I have been known to specifically give a company my business if I know they promote LGBTQ rights or other causes I like to support.

 

[whatistrue]

Obviously you are well within your rights to do business or decline to do business with any company you wish for any reason or none. My only question is, what do you do when you run out of companies to do business with?

 

[childinthefaith]

Obviously you are well within your rights to do business or decline to do business with any company you wish for any reason or none. My only question is, what do you do when you run out of companies to do business with?

Choose the one I can best tolerate I reckon LoL.

I did not start this topic to urge a boycott. The companies listed were all simply personal experience examples, not a call to boycott.

Now, were it simply me, no family, and I really wanted to take it that far, I’d be perfectly ok living off the grid. But it isn’t just me and I do not wish to take it that far, so I make these little choices as I go…as stated, clearly 1 person doesn’t make a difference to a large company.

On the other hand, I have been known to specifically give a company my business if I know they promote LGBTQ rights or other causes I like to support

I’ll have to assume you’re not a Catholic? Alternatively, you’re a Catholic who doesn’t care about the Teaching Authority of the Church? LGBTQ rights stuff as a cause to support is clearly opposed to that Teaching is y I ask. Further, I am the father of a daughter who claims she “identifies as” male, had a voluntary double mastectomy, etc., so I have a dog in that fight. I oppose everything about that cause. The people are human and I love them. What they do is gravely disordered and I detest that lifestyle. And, as a war vet, I fought for their right to detest me as well, so there we have it, equality at its finest legal point.
However, the intention of my question in the OP was to find out how many practicing Catholics, in full communion, take issue with companies in the same manner as I. NOT to discuss the why’s - the answer to that is, “If it contradicts Catholic Teaching then…”

Blessings,

 

[whatistrue]

Choose the one I can best tolerate I reckon LoL.

Fair and obviously honest. I like that. I figure that pretty much any company you can name has skeletons in its closet, if not front and center, so you could probably find a reason not to patronize any of them depending on what your standards and limits of tolerance are.

 

[JMMJ]

My point was that I use my energy to seek out companies I can feel good about supporting, as opposed to boycotting those that may not handle everything the way I would like them to.

The way I see it, either approach is fine. There is no right or wrong with regard to what one decides. It is interesting to hear about different approaches.

I am what most here would refer to as a “cafeteria” Catholic. Still a Catholic, though.

Also, thank you for your service. We can’t say that enough.

 

[childinthefaith]

My point was that I use my energy to seek out companies I can feel good about supporting, as opposed to boycotting those that may not handle everything the way I would like them to.

The way I see it, either approach is fine. There is no right or wrong with regard to what one decides. It is interesting to hear about different approaches.

I am what most here would refer to as a “cafeteria” Catholic. Still a Catholic, though.

Also, thank you for your service. We can’t say that enough.

Serving was my pleasure - thx for the support and acknowledgement

It seems I am finding myself seeking a gunsmith and armorer rather than going to big box shops, so looks like I am doing essentially the same, but was prodded into it by first becoming frustrated with corporations doing things I oppose…

I’ve heard “cafeteria Catholic” in multiple places and contexts. Apparently a term cradle Catholics typically use to say they are not “practicing” Catholics. CAUTION, this is NOT a personal judgment against you. I have zero clue about what you do or do not do, and it is none of my business really. This cradle Catholic thing I’m speaking about from MY personal experience ONLY.

Also, of course you have a valid point regarding how you expend your energy vs how I expend mine in looking for companies to support. As I said, my firearms purchases went from retail store to custom shop is how that went. I’d have been better off doing it that way regardless of the cause. Also convenient that a family member owns such a shop.

Blessings,

 

[JMMJ]

For me, the term means I pick and choose the teachings of the Church I am able to follow. I have a well-formed conscience and am well-educated on Church teachings. There are some things I just can’t go along with, though.

I guess it may have different meanings to different people though.

 

[Poet]

Yes, there are companies I will not do business with. Those I know support Planned Parenthood are on the list. Target has lost many tens of thousands of dollars of my business over the years. I won’t buy from Burger King because I found their ‘pride’ wrapper/virtue signaling obnoxious, arrogant, self-righteous, and nauseating I go to a fast food restaurant (or any restaurant) for food, no to be moralized to and preached at

To me, the term cafeteria Catholic means ‘I know better than all the popes, great saints, great minds, and great Catholic theologians of the past 2,000 years’

I was raised as a cafeteria Catholic and the more I learned on my own, the more I understood how much there is to know, how deep and profound these subjects are, and how little we can really know in one lifetime I figured I had personally not prayed anywhere near as much as those great saints and doctors of the Church and therefore, if all those voices said something was right or wrong or true or false, I might want to practice a little humility and trust them until I had prayed significantly more – hours a day as they usually did Until I do so, I am in no position to tell these thousands of great minds, saints, and thinkers that I am smarter and better informed than they were and are

 

[childinthefaith]

I was raised as a cafeteria Catholic and the more I learned on my own, the more I understood how much there is to know, how deep and profound these subjects are, and how little we can really know in one lifetime I figured I had personally not prayed anywhere near as much as those great saints and doctors of the Church and therefore, if all those voices said something was right or wrong or true or false, I might want to practice a little humility and trust them until I had prayed significantly more – hours a day as they usually did Until I do so, I am in no position to tell these thousands of great minds, saints, and thinkers that I am smarter and better informed than they were and are

Well said IMO.

In my case, as a convert, I take the Teachings extremely seriously, and wouldn’t dare try to select which ones I agreed with or not. I accept the Authority of the Church, period. Had I not, I would still be a sola scriptura + sola fide Protestant.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Some people have a sort of religion/politics where this stuff is a big deal. Corporations are only doing what makes $$ for their shareholders.

 

[JoeShlabotnik]

You should have no declared enemies. Jesus teaches us to love all.

 

[childinthefaith]

You should have no declared enemies. Jesus teaches us to love all.

See OP, I said JOKINGLY.
Also note, I’m a soldier and that is simply how I phrase things at times. There is no actual list. I simply know some companies (OP) with whom I no longer do business. So, if I come across some more silliness that makes me decide I don’t want to do business with someone, I tell her, in the privacy of our home, without malice, “I’m gonna have to add them to the list of declared enemies.”

Now, since THAT is out of the way, let’s address what you said, Jesus teaches us to love all. Yep, sure does, and the same Jesus teaches us to love our Enemies. Point being, best I can tell, is that we should pray for those who are our enemies, and behave in such a manner as to create no more enemies. Further, He was speaking on a personal level, not national there. So, if my country declares war against another, they become my enemies until that war is settled.

Therefore, in summary, I do not desire enemies, and yes Jesus teaches us to love even our enemies, but He does NOT indicate anywhere the absurd idea that any of us will not have an enemy, or that we can control that.

Blessings,

 

[childinthefaith]

Over a “pride” flag? Seriously?

Over it being there in the app yet there being zero other flags, esp. the American flag, from which to choose. If they wish to grant equality, I’d like some of it as well. Sick of companies being solicitous of minorities to the extent they are ludicrously offensive to the majority.