Earlier today I posted a picture on Facebook and Twitter of my table, at Starbucks. A friend on Facebook commented, asking me if I was aware that Starbucks supports Planned Parenthood.
In this article, I will explain why I no longer boycott businesses. I no longer boycott businesses for the sake of the gospel.
I was Mr. Boycott
There was a time a number of years ago when I was Mr. Boycott. It was also a time in my life when I relished too much what I considered to be a good fight. It was a time when I had forgotten the sage words of one of my seminary professors, Dr. Alex Montoya. He once said to me on the steps of the seminary building, in his unmistakeable Mexican/East L.A. accent and cadence, “Tony, you need to know what hills to die on.” His point: I was all-too-willing to make every hill a hill to die on.
Any business, any organization or celebrity who took a public, ungodly position (such as pro-abortion) or made a direct assault against my Christian faith, faced from me the possibility of a boycott.
A Change of Mind
I came to realize how inconsistent I was in my position. This came about when I started to evaluate just how many secular businesses and organizations openly support ungodly causes and postitions.
For instance, I found a website that lists 200 businesses that support Planned Parenthood. A cursory review of the list reveals that to boycott them all would mean I could no longer make or store PDF files. It would become very difficult to fly, as most of the major airlines support the most monsterous serial killer our nation has ever known–Planned Parenthood.
It can be dangerous for me to go places like Home Depot, since I have the building skills of a three-toed sloth. But from time-to-time, I do go to the big box home improvement store to get a punch in my Man Card and pick up some idiot-proof household items. Sadly, Home Depot supports Planned Parenthood. I guess I could go to Lowes. They used to support Planned Parenthood through a third party, but they no longer do so.
General Motors and Chrysler/Dodge support Planned Parenthood. Whew! I own a Toyota, so no big deal. Oops. Toyota supports Planned Parenthood, too.
The cereals I eat; the office supply stores I patronize (I go through a lot of pens); banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, clothing stores–just about any industry you can think of has businesses that support Planned Parenthood.
Mahria is making chicken nuggets, rice, and carrots for dinner. If I was consistent in boycotting any and all businesses that support Planned Parenthood, then I couldn’t eat the chicken nuggets (Tyson Foods) or the rice (Mars, Inc.). Both companies support Planned Parenthood. I can eat the carrots, as it appears Seneca Foods doesn’t support Planned Parenthood.
I’m Not Being Flippant
Rest assured, I’m not being flippant. I know there are many Christians (some of whom will read this article) that, as a matter of very serious conviction, cannot patronize any business that supports Planned Parenthood or the LGBT community. If this is you, please know you have my support. And I pray this article is not a cause of stumbling for you. The above simply expresses the reality in my own life that in order for me to be consistent with boycotts, I would have to stop patronizing just about every kind of business.
In The World, but Not of the World
You probably expected that this was coming.
The Christian adage that believers are to be “in the world, but not of the world” comes from Jesus’ words in what is known as his High Priestly Prayer (John 17).
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15-16).
This verse can and is abused by some professing Chrsitians to justify participating in the sins of the world. Certainly, that is not at all what Jesus meant. However, Jesus petitioning God His (our) Father to not remove His disciples from the world, but rather to protect them from the evil one makes it clear that the furtherance of the gospel requires Christians to be in the world. Christians need to be in the world in order to engage unbelievers with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This requires being in places where unbelievers are. This requires the Christian to go places and engage in business and commerce with an unbelieving world.
You might be a Christian who can consistently boycott all businesses that support and promote ungodly practices, like the ones mentioned in this article. If you are such a brother or sister in Christ, I praise and thank God for you. And I encourage you to carry on!
A Gospel Focus
IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not believe you are less evangelistic than I am because you choose not to go to some of the places I go to communicate the gospel to lost people.
That being said, one of the reassons I do patronize secular businesses, regardless of their political or social views, is because lost people patronize the same businesses. I go to Starbucks, and other places, with the hope of sharing the gospel. Is this the case every time I go to such places? No. Integrity dictates that I admit not every visit has a gospel focus. Sometimes I just grab a cup of coffee. I don’t share the gospel with every person I sit next to on a plane. I don’t give a “Thank You” gospel tract to every person who serves me. I have a lot of room for growth as a Christian seeking to be obedient to the Great Commission.
Ray Comfort once taught me, among many things, a wonderful evangelistic principle. Ray told me:
“Tony, when I go to the grocery store, I don’t go there to buy milk. I go there to share the gospel, and while I’m there I buy milk. When I go to the post office, I don’t go there to mail a letter. I go there to share the gospel, and while I’m there I mail a letter.”
This is a principle I try to apply to my own life.
Let me say again: if you can/are consistently boycotting all businesses that support or promote ungodly practices and ideologies, I praise and thank God for you.
Let me say again: I do not believe you are less evangelistic than I am because you won’t go to some of the places I go to communicate the gospel to lost people.
All I ask is that you extend grace and patience to those of us who do patronize such businesses, especially to those of us who want to reach people in such places with the gospel.
Thank you.
Michael Coughlin says
Some great points and good food for thought, brother.
Virgil Walker says
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this response.
Adrian Clark says
Beautiful and amen, “It can be dangerous for me to go places like Home Depot, since I have the building skills of a three-toed sloth. But from time-to-time, I do go to the big box home improvement store to get a punch in my Man Card and pick up some idiot-proof household items.”
Steven Paul Sanchez says
Excellent article, Tony. You beat me to it. I was gonna write one called “Boycott Boycotts” a while ago. You are a more holy writer of course…. Thank you!
Bill says
I have been a follower of Christ for years but have never been taught how to witness. Will you send me to a source of training?
Tony Miano says
Bill,
I humbly recommend my book, “Cross Encounters–A Decade of Gospel Conversations” (Link: http://www.solid-ground-books.com/detail_2167.asp). The book chronicles many one-to-one gospel conversations I have had over the years. There are also a number of chapters with practical typs for evangelism.
Tony
Joe says
Bill,
Tony’s book is GREAT! Also I would recommend, “The Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort. Thanks for the article Tony, it is a good reminder.
-Joe