Christians only need apply

[Indenturedebtor]

Just had to get you folk's feel on this after reading this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3307673

Do you think that advertising a company as a religious business (when said business has nothing to do with religion) is discriminatory in nature? If we consider religious affiliation to be a "cultural/ethnic group", then can it not be argued that to advertise your support and preference for that group is discriminatory?

I personally would never apply to a Christian Company. I've seen many want ads that advertise "We are a Christian Company". It seems that they're telling me to not even bother. Like a threat almost "We will discriminate against you."

Seems an awful lot like a "Whites Only" sign.

[LisaM]

1. Well, it's apparently true when running for President.....

Otherwise why would Clinton and Obama have fallen all over themselves at the "compassion" forum?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I would neither work for nor patronize such a company. You would think it would be discriminatory. I

would be very offended if I went into a job interview and was asked what my religious affiliation was.

[Warpy]

3. It's certainly how I feel when I read it.

Nobody seems to know what to do with a Buddhist under the best of circumstances and such signs tell me not to bother trying.

It's a badge of intolerance as far as I'm concerned.

[Indenturedebtor]

4. But Buddha is just like Jesus!

Sorry couldn't resist :sarcasm:

That's one of my favorite "here's your sign" lines you hear every now and again.

[uppityperson]

5. Is it ok to discriminate based on color, creed, age, sex, etc?

Is it ok to advertise with advertising based on any of those?

Hmmm, I will have to think on this. Seems that a business can advertise as they wish, so long as they don't break the law, but advertising for a particular category is discriminatory. "Christians only" "whites only" "no gays allowed" "men only need apply". Hmm.

You have given me something to think about.

[Mountainman]

6. I see fish symbols in the phone book. I don't think that they do not want money from

non Christians. I think they are using the symbol to attract people who give a shit about a business owner's religion is. I don't know why all the Christian symbols on cars either. Just a way of identifying each other I guess. It could be elitism but that doesn't bother me.

I heard that the fish symbol was a secret symbol used in Rome to identify Christians to each other back in the days of throwing them to the lions. I don't think it would work though if the Romans learned of the meaning they could find more Christians that way.

Which reminds me of a joke.

In the senate of ancient Rome one senator asked another what were the results of the sports games over the weekend. The other senator replies, "Same old score, lions 10 Christians nothing."

[Ytzak]

7. It is marketing aimed at a Demographic.

It is no more discriminatory than aiming commercials at 18-24 year old white males who like fast cars, explosions, and women dressed in bikini's.

It is no more discriminatory than aiming commercials at 24-35 black middle-class Americans who like to dress in name brand cloths and take vacations to Mexico.

The answer here is, yes it is discriminatory, but entirely legal. All modern marketing is discriminatory in nature. You have to focus your message for the demographic market that you think will buy your product.

All these stores and business that put up the "I'm a Christian" signs are letting the Christian demographic know that they share values.

[Indenturedebtor]

9. I don't think it's discriminatory to advertise bus affiliation for sales

Extremely distasteful perhaps. But to do so in a job-ad is, I would argue, discriminatory.

[Ytzak]

26. If the company disqualifed an applicant becasue of religion that would be discriminatory...

But just to say they are a Christian company in their add is not proof of discrimination.

[Fleshdancer]

8. It makes me uncomfortable

However, if I really needed the job I would apply but I wouldn't lie about who I am or what I believe in confronted.

[Indenturedebtor]

10. Well with a "berg" or "stein" or "obama" in your name...

I wonder if they would even call you. It seems likely that they wouldn't right?

I mean seriously, how is this any different than saying in a want ad "We are a White Company"? :shrug:

[Fleshdancer]

15. you make an excellent point....

with a last name of Smith, it's easy for me to forget the obvious sometimes when it comes to judging people based on their name.

[varkam]

11. I don't feel that's discriminatory, I think it's just pandering.

They're just trying to communicate to the market that they are "good" people, which often means that they're not. I choose not to do business with such establishments for precisely the reason that if you have to tell people that you're moral, then you're probably not. Also, it has been my experience that such "faith-based" businesses tend to dick you over a little more often than secular ones do. To paraphrase a great quote, if you're in a business relationship with a bible-beater, make sure to keep one hand on your wallet at all times.

[Indenturedebtor]

12. Hah probably true

But what about in a help wanted ad? Does that make it different?

[uppityperson]

13. Don't know the law, but some help wanted & housing ads can't do that.

Perhaps some can? Not sure.

[alfredo]

14. Too often they are using the Christian label to cover for deceptive

business practices. I had a boss that got burned several times by trusting customers and vendors that wore their Christianity on their sleeves.

[Indenturedebtor]

18. Yeah I worked with a car salesman who bible bashed

Out of probably 300 people i saw come and go (some stayed while I floated between stores), he was by FAR the shadiest. Saw him keep a person's rebate. Kept his bible on his negotiating table and would ramble on about how gawd brought people to him.

Hated that guy. He would steal your customers if you didn't watch him as well.

How's the saying go? "Methinks thou dost protest too much".... It's like wearing a T-Shirt "Trust me please" and on the back it says "So I can screw you"

[alfredo]

32. People use any device to get over. You just have to be wary.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. "fish" companies

Around here they use the fish sign to show they are a Christian company. As my husband says, that's a cue for me to hide my wallet and pass onby.

[squawk7700]

17. Every time I've done business with a "christian" company

I got fucked. Took a bunch of fuckings before I finally learned not to trust the assholes.

[knitter4democracy]

19. Usually, they don't consider me a real Christian, either.

They mean only their kind of Christian, so no Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, or even different kinds of evangelicals or whatever, depending on the business owner.

Right out of college (evangelical Christian, but we were in the process of converting to the Orthodox Church), I applied to a Baptist high school to teach English. I knew it was a long shot, but there was nothing in the publics, so I was left with private schools. The principal interviewed me, said he wanted to hire me, but he needed the dept. head to approve of me. So, the department head interviewed me (I was shocked at the curriculum and the book room--horrid!!), and she said she wanted to hire me. They agreed that the pastor of the parent church had to interview both me and my husband (he being the head of our home, you see). He interviewed us and asked a million questions about why we were converting, etc., and whether I'd try to convert any of the students. He decided I should be hired, but then it had to go to the Deacon Board, and they decided to interview me. After an hour of very uncomfortable questioning about our marriage, my faith-walk, my former church's theology, my new church's theology, and whether or not I'd try to convert their students, they said no. I didn't get the job. In the long run, it was a good thing, but it sure opened my eyes.

[Sanctified]

20. Don't apply, I honestly don't see a problem.

It's better than you getting the job and showing up on Monday to a morning prayer and thinking wtf this was not in the job description. I work for a private company and we pray before each weekly meeting, Bibles and everything. We do not advertise that we are a Christian company so it can be a shock for some new employees the first time they attend a meeting.

[Dorian Gray]

21. I can't imagine discriminating against a person

because of his or her religion/faith/lack of faith. I think it's really a disturbing trend to see people who so willingly will do so.

[ellie]

22. I approach it like my father used to

He used to say whenever someone said he was religious, my dad would check to make sure he still had his wallet.

[High Plains]

23. There is the Christian Auto Body shop on US 395 north of Spokane.

I always wanted to open up Satanic Mechanics across the highway.

[BigBluenoser]

24. Not sure...

For example, the Chik-fil-A near my place closes on Sundays for religious reasons. Now I think that is a grand old thing even if I do not like the genesis of their reasoning for it. In the retail world with the move towards 24/7/365 service it puts a lot of strain on employees. A company that shuts down on "the lords day" at least gives their employees a break. Bad rationale, good result.

Now I'm an Athiest, who eats fast food about once a year (Type 1 Diabetic lol), but if I had to choose between the Chik-fil-A and the 24 hour McDicks across the street, I'd head for Chik-fil-A every time because of that day of rest they give their employees.

On the other hand, as someone who is doing his PhD in Organizational Theory, I find the wide-spread adoption of religiosity and spirituality as management tools quite horrifying. People are looking for "meaning in work" and organizations are trying to fill that void as well as they can as constrained by their limited worldviews.

[lolly]

27. Chik-Fil-A

Kinda funny commercials, but I've heard they're a major contributor to right-wing causes.

[BigBluenoser]

30. From their commitment to religion....

I would expect nothing else. However, I don't expect McDonald's, BK, DQ, Sonic etc. are donating to liberals (unless its a pork-barrel thing, bribery, or lobbying) so I'm not overly concerned.

Honestly, I still feel that the micro-reality for that one Chick-fil-A employee who knows she can take her/his family to the park/game/playground every Sunday tends to outweigh the macro level effects.

[City of Mills]

25. Guaranteed. Overnight. Delivery.

[squawk7700]

28. Or Grotesquely Odd Dickheads

YMMV

[Jed Dilligan]

29. Probably shysters

Almost all "Christian" businesses are. My dad hired some Christian electricians and the result was the wall socket literally exploding when I turned on the TV. The inspection demonstrated that it was absolutely the result of these fish-wavers' shortcuts.

You are lucky that they would probably not hire you--I'm sure they use religion to manipulate their religious employees into taking it hard, fast, and deep.

[Dukkha]

31. I go to the Christian porn store

They always got some really hardcore shit!

[timtom]

33. It's a gross misuse of one's faith to advertise it in cheap symbols and slogans.

I am opposed to the wearing of religious jewelry, bumper stickers, etc.

One's faith should be evident in one's life. It should resound as the substrate in every word uttered and every deed done.

This is NOT the same as uttering religious catchwords and phrases all the time.

[noonwitch]

34. It depends on the business, what I need, and recommendations

I had a mechanic once who had the fish symbol in the window, on his receipts, and so on. He was a nice guy who never ripped me off-I found him by accident, as he also owned the towing company.

I would understand that if you have no reason to shop in Family Bookstores, than you wouldn't shop there. Most christians don't have any need to shop in a new age bookstore. But, if you want to buy a Bible for a gift and get it engraved with someone's name, you are probably going to have to go to a christian bookstore, because whereas Borders sells Bibles, they don't engrave them. I guess if you were totally christophobic, you could buy a Bible at Border's and maybe get Things Remembered to engrave it for you, but that is just so complicated when you could just go to the christian bookstore and have them take care of it for you.

Which is kind of my point-I shop at the businesses that are going to meet the need I have, I don't really care about the religious leanings of their owners, unless it is some cult or something. I do boycott Dominos Pizza, not because of the religious leanings of the owner (more the way he tries to force his religion on others), but also because 1. he fired Ernie Harwell when he owned the Tigers and 2. Domino's Pizza sucks.

I just don't see the need to avoid christians that I don't necessarily agree with about doctrine or politics. I don't care if they think I'm really a christian or not, their opinions are not the ones that matter in the long run, anyways.