Separation of Church and Business…
The ubiquitously mis-interpreted and misquoted separation of church and state (First Amendment to the Contstitution) was simply a statement by the founders that would insure we did not revert to the tyranny of a state-sponsored religion that brought the pilgrims here in the first place. All well and good and proper. Now if only all of those at the top of the political ladder and the high priests of the myriad religious movements understood that…
But that is not what this post is about.
If a business person is a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindi, or any other religion, or none at all, it is fine for them to run their lives and businesses according to the basic principles of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or whatever they choose. And I submit that it really does not matter, because the basic codes of conduct are not that different among the major religions of the world. Even an atheist or agnostic, or someone who never really thought about religion or spirituality at all, should live and conduct business according to such principles. To do otherwise is tantamount to organizational suicide.
Now don’t go off on me with a bunch of god-talk and hell-fire and damnation. I’m simply talking about treating others with respect, the same way you want to be treated. If you can’t deliver, don’t promise. If you promise, then by-whatever-god-or-gods you worhip, deliver. Don’t lie, cheat, steal. Common sense life principles like that. That’s what I’m talking about.
Today I saw one that may have gone a tad over the edge. Oh, how I hate it when I see the good stuff and the camera is at home. At a coffee stop, there was this bigass bright yellow pickup truck. You know the ones, whether Dodge, Chevy, Ford, or … Cadillac, for gawd’s sake. The ones with the tires big enough for a family of four to live in. The ones with the bigass V-8 engines that gen 800 HP while guzzling petrol at about a gallon per mile. Those bigass trucks. This one was plastered with signs front, back, and both sides that read…
Jesus Loves You Siding & Roofing, LLC
That guy wears it on his sleeve. And his front bumper and his tailgate and both of his doors. I wonder if he lives it. Is that just a bit over the edge? Does he understand that before he gets out of his driveway he has alienated a significant share of his potential market? Most people would probably be more impressed by walking the walk than by talking the talk.
Or maybe there is something wrong with me? I think I will rename my business something like…
And On The Seventh Day
He Rested Network Support Group, Inc.
7 Comments so far
Selfe-defeating too, like these I just made up :-
“Star of David Pork and Beans Eathouse”
“Hindu Steakhouse”
“Atheists’ Meeting House”
etc.
The way I figure it, Winston, is that Jesus just loves it when some fool names his bidness “Take Up Thy Bed and Walk Mattress Factory” - it gives all the angels a good laugh.
we are living in quite a time and in my 63 years, I have never seen the like. What really offends me is when I drive into a small western town and one of the motels flaunts the sign– this business is American owned. They might as well add white, Christian and sometimes they do. You always know that nearby is another motel which is run by someone from another country– or look like they were. I don’t know how much business it gains, because I would never stay in a business that had a sign like that because it’s so offensive to me. I am looking for motels that are clean, have good locks on the doors, thick enough walls so I don’t hear the couple making love or fighting in the next room, and no fistfights right outside the door at 2 AM. If theirs can’t guarantee that, I don’t care who they are.
Walk the walk and leave the signs alone. I am certain a loving Christ would be terribly depressed at all that is done in his name these days.
I had the privelage of attending a church Easter Sunday in West Hollywood. Nearly everyone there was Gay or Lesbian and the spiritual feeling of love and acceptance was overwhelming. I wanted every so-called “Good Christian” who turns their church backs to so called sinners to sit through one of these beautiful services. Maybe then they would know the real meaning of becoming Christ-like.
Sorry to use your comment section for my soap-box, but heck, Winston, you inspired me.
I can picture it now…… only in America. Thanks for the description!
Rain, the “American Owned” thing also applies down here, except it’s “Australian Owned”…..same crowd, same hairstyles, same bigotry….. different accent. However somehow Australia maintained an almost disdain as a whole for organised (especially evangelised) religion.
I have yet had any good experiences with any business that plasters their faith every 2 inches. And not anything like my opinion tainted the outcome.
The best example: We had an old AMC Eagle that needed a radiator. We went to Sam’s Radiator because we passed it nearly every day. Sam gets on the phone and calls someone to see if they have the radiator in stock. Meanwhile, the radio is on a Christian station, there’s Jesus paraphernalia all over the place, and, of course, the fish symbol.
Sam comes back to us and says that because the car is an older model, radiators for it are hard to find. He found one but it will cost us $250.
Now, we’re two women but we don’t have IDIOT stamped on our foreheads. We tell him we don’t have it right then but we’d be back in the morning. He said he needed half to hold it for us. They were so hard to find, you know. We didn’t fall for it and left. On a whim, we went to Advance Auto and said we needed a radiator for this car.
“Sure thing. Got one in stock.”
“You got one in stock? Right now?”
“Actually, we have three. It’s gonna run you around $80 before taxes.”
So I tell him what Sam had said. Now, this is a big black man. Country, nice, always treated us with respect. He leaned over and said. “That’s a bad man. A very bad man.”
Needless to say, we never went back to Sam’s and we tell everyone we know to never go there. The guy at the counter was telling the other staff members what had happened as we were leaving.
Now, what if I’d not been a Christian? I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be after that.
Oh this could be fun. My particular bug bear being that Catholic of theologies, the Trinity, Three Gods in the one person, whilst still teaching that there is only one God.
Trinity’s Shoes:
Buy two pairs, get one pair free.
Bring your triplets here for shoes.
Five Loaves and Two Fishes Restaurant:
Bring your family here for Sunday Brunch Buffet.
Only Families with 5 children and more will be seated.
Water Into Wine Petrol/Gas Station:
Lower your Carbon Emission Footprint,
Bring your water, we’ll turn it into Petrol/Gas.
Sundays Half Price.
Oh I could go on…..