Supporting secular stores that openly support whatever, whenever, is better? Supporting “Anything goes” is better?

What Carrie is trying to say is that supporting or not supporting a store that presents itself as Christian is NOT a saving act. Just like sending our children to public school is not bad or choosing to send them to Christian schools is not in and of itself a saving ordinance. ONLY JESUS through the HOLY SPIRIT saves.
People have come to Christ by reading and being exposed to horrendous things in their lives. And people have come to Christ coming from a deeply changed Christian household. As Christians and parents we have a responsiblity not to become ignorant of this world, lest we become ineffective tools for Him to use. We are instructed to not become OF the world. We are told to use discernment.
Shopping at secular stores or “christian” stores doesn’t save.

I repeat…I DO NOT LIKE the idea of stores taking on some of the ideals of Christianity without supporting the full mantle of Christ. Letting people assume what they would like by saying things like, we are closed on Sundays to let our employees practice their faith without directly linking Christ to their motivation lets people assume that all faiths are acceptable to God, our Father. Having content that’s misleading only helps futher along that assumption. I do think some of it is disgusting. But I think television is disgusting these days. I think politics is disgusting these days. Are we supposed to withdraw from all of it?
We must always ask ourselves as Christians, Are we fishers of men or keepers of our own personal aquarium?
I just keep telling myself, it has to get bad for King Jesus to come back.

Of course you are done with this thread. It is a common response by those who replace God’s Word with human logic and excuses for poor behavior. Instead of godly living according to the book of CarrieZ, let’s go to the bible and see what the Word of God says instead. I do not believe that you need to tolerate error or feed on trash to understand or empathize with the world.

I don’t believe you have to teach your children to become like the world to reach the world. When it comes to right and wrong, good and evil, here is what I read.

Proverbs 4:14-15 – 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on.

I think a store that sells many false Gospels is pretty wicked. A company that sells a Gospel that does not save in my mind is pretty wicked. A company that perverts the Word of God and his Holy Statutes is pretty wicked in my mind. So, I choose to obey and not enter the path of the wicked, to not proceed in their way. I will obey and not pass by it and I will turn away from it and pass on.

Blessings,

Ken

1) I do frequently purchase items from Christian retailers.

2)If it’s someplace like Hobby Lobby, it’s simply because it’s a competitively priced art supply store. I’ve never seen books at Hobby Lobby, but I’ve never looked for them there. Lifeway, I’m looking for a bible study or music. Usually I select a bible study by recommendation and not “general” browsing. I like supporting stores that encourage some Christian “ideals”, like closed Sunday or the fact that they are willing to place the words of our Lord in their mission statement or on display for others who might not be saved to see. We never Know, as Christians, what small act might be used by the Holy Spirit to prick someone’s soul.

3)N/A

4)I do not like “cashing in” on Jesus. If you are going to espouse Christian ideals like being closed on Sunday but be ambiguous about what faith that is, (ie. we are closed on Sunday to encourage our employees to spend time with their families and their faith….Uh what faith would that be…is it Christian?) I get exhausted by companies trying to use Christianity to gain a Christian retail client base, but they won’t be absolute about what faith it is that they think is correct. That’s ugly and for gain. They don’t claim Christianity as the absolute truth because some PR company said, “you’ll lose some customers if you are absolute and don’t include the rest of the world”. If you want to be closed on Sundays, fine, close on Sundays. But if you’re not willing to proclaim THE TRUTH, then don’t put it out there that you’re closed for faith purposes. And that sentiment follows with the content carried in the store. As our minister said last night when he was speaking about how to develop your devotional life, you don’t need another book. It’s not that you lack a stategy for bible study. You lack motivation and obedience.
Stop carrying content that is ambiguous at best.
Stop using the intent of the Lord for purposes of gain if your not willing to declare the Gospel as Absolute Truth.

Of course they’re not doing a perfect job. No one this side of heaven can. They do, however, offer more appropriate options than a secular bookstore does. They tend to emphasize Christ at Christmas and at Easter, which is more than I can say for the rest of the establishments in general.

I could opt to do business ONLY online with those very few selective places, but then how is that supporting getting anything better here? I am the child of a small business owner, and the grandchild of small business owners, and I can understand the need to support small local businesses (even if they’re part of a chain, they’re employing local people who need jobs and benefits) and I support them when and if I can.

I understand what you’re saying–in an ideal world, Christian bookstores would not compromise one iota about any point of faith whatsoever.

However, keep in mind that Christians are sort of varied as well. I know some that are accepting of The Message. I know some that believe that the KJV is the only valid version. Some Christian churches legitimize things that I do not support, but still consider themselves Christian (even if I don’t).

How are the Christian bookstores to reconcile all of these ideas, employ people, and still remain in business? Short of having the Southern Baptist store, and the Catholic store, and the Methodist store….?

If those of us who have more rigid principles just totally boycott the stores, then how are they to know what the problems are? Are they’re getting is silence. What about if we patronize the stores, but are selective about what we purchase? If they have 9000 copies of The Shack, but none of them sell while Calvin is selling like mad, I think it would make a pretty strong point.

I think some really interesting theological discussion could come into play from The Shack, A Purpose-Driven Life, and yes, even The DaVinci Code. Part of our job as Christians is to interpret (and teach our children to interpret) the events, literature, and culture of the world around us through the lens of the Holy Spirit. And keep in mind that you will likely be meeting people who have read such, and it might not be a bad idea to know what conflicts there are. I’m not encouraging you to read such things, but it is a point that should be made. If I read them, I do it through the library so that the authors and booksellers are not gaining one penny from my having done so. And I don’t waste the shelf space.

I’m done with this thread. Goodnight. I’m putting my little ones to bed now and relaxing with my hubby.

I am not suggesting what you call “enlightenment” is something to be sought after in a (nor obtained from a) retail outlet. Rather than argue this, I will just tell you what I am suggesting. I am suggesting these establishments represent another “c” word . . . not Christianity but “Consumerism.” I am suggesting that those who stock and run these establishments at best lack spiritual discernment and at worst care more about another “g” word . . . not God, not the Gospel but “Greed.”

Christians are called to a faith that is much different than what is sold in these establishments. An establishment that brokers books, trinkets, videos and music that abominates the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is not a place that I think my Lord and Savior wants me to be (much less young children). Do I have a strong opinion? Perhaps. That should not be the focal point though. What should is, does my opinion have any Scriptural basis?

2 Corinthians 6:16-17 – Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God , and they shall be my people.

“Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.

It’s clear that you have strong opinions. Thanks for sharing.

I try to seek my deeper spiritual experiences through worship, church attendance, prayer, homeschooling my children, learning from oh-so-many life experiences, and many other things. Trying to get enlightened while trying to chase two children around a bookstore, while basing all of my judgements off of the back of paperback or the flyleaf of a hardback, just isn’t for me. And as I mentioned, we’re short on shelving, so buying a bunch of books wouldn’t be fiscally or otherwise responsible for me to do.

For me, I get a ton out of reading a lot of really interesting authors online and exploring a lot of books (and reviews). Then I pick ‘em all up at the library. That allows me to do my research before I’m on the spot.

And FWIW, I’ve read The Shack…didn’t like it. I’ve read Purpose-Driven Life….eh. I think Chronicles of Narnia is a knock-your-socks-off allegory that allowed a ton of really good Christian-based conversation with my 6yo, and that’s what matters to me.

And yes, in my opinion, it does take some guts to close on Sundays, particularly when Hobby Lobby was OPEN on Sundays in the past. Making the change was making a statement. I didn’t say that they were running church services in the parking lot. I wasn’t suggesting that they should be listed in voices of the martyrs either.

Carrie

A: The “Dollar Store’s” missions statement can be found it it’s name.

There is no Mardel near me, so I will speak only in generalities. I just don’t go in Christian bookstores (other than church campus specific stores, such as The Bookshack at Grace Community Church). I find that the chain Christian bookstores that I have visited in the past 2-3 years have no more real meat in them than my local secular bookseller. Even the Christian music I prefer (and it is contemporary) is hard to find in the chains. As a result, I find my Christian shopping needs are best met online. And even then, I try to stick with the online stores that focus on books that are strong theologically, only going to the broad providers such as CBD when necessary.

With that said, I must tell you that my teenaged daughter and I are extremely excited as we watch a new Hobby Lobby being built 10 minutes from our home!

And if your friends at Family Christian and Lifeway (formerly the Baptist Bookstore, if anyone remembers) care to eavesdrop on our little conversation here, I’m sure no one would mind.