What Won’t You Boycott?
Should Christians boycott businesses which promote sins like homosexuality?
Conscientous Christians are always concerned about their affiliations and the causes they support (Prov. 4:14-15; 1 Thess. 5:22; etc.) We all want to avoid giving evil the upper hand. In our society, this means we are often faced with questions of which businesses we ought to support as consumers.
Where does boycotting stop?
First of all, it must be said that we must never do anything to violate our own consciences (Rom. 14:23). Yet, it must also be pointed out that God authorized Christians to do business in markets which sold meat that was offered to idols, even though eating meat offered to idols is sinful (1 Cor. 10:25-31; cf. Acts 15:28-29). Thus, God allows us to purchase products or services from a business that sells things which contribute to the sins of others.
God also commands us not to research everyone through whom we purchase products or services to determine if they’re good (1 Cor. 10:25, 27). This is because of another fact we must no longer overlook. Boycotting breeds inconsistent hypocrisy, something God wishes Christians to overcome (Rom. 2:1, 17-24).
In recent years Disney, Ford Motor Company, McDonald’s, Sears, Wal-Mart, NBC, IBM, Subaru of America, Volvo, Chase Bank, Baby Magazine, Procter & Gamble, and more have all to some degree sponsored or promoted pro-homosexual organizations or causes.
If you boycott them all, what about businesses which hire and support liars, alcoholics, and the unscripturally divorced? What about the businesses which sell alcohol and immodest clothing? What about utility companies which serve businesses that sell or offer sinful services and products?
Every gas station I’ve ever seen sells alcohol, porn, lottery tickets, and tobacco products…so don’t worry about boycotting Ford, Volvo, or Subaru for supporting homosexual causes, because you won’t be able to buy a car to begin with!
If you boycott Procter & Gamble because they sponsor homosexual causes, forget about buying Duracell batteries, Febreze, Charmin, Ivory, Olay, Zest, Cover Girl, Max Factor, Crest, Scope, Gillette, Folgers, Always, Pringles, and a host of other products which they produce.
Friends, can you name even one business which is completely free from some association with sin? Are we going to boycott them all for consistencies’ sake? It can’t be done.
This is why we who hate to think we’re supporting sin need to remember how the New Testament says that purchasing a product or service which is innocent in itself is not a vote for that company or business’s immoral policies.
Don’t violate your conscience if it demands you boycott a business (Rom. 14:23), but also follow Romans 14:22 by not advertising your boycotting to others. By doing so you will avoid advertising your inconsistency also.
Instead, let’s boycott sin itself!