I am about to describe a hypothetical situation. I've based it (loosely) on something happening in one of the many hobby communities found on Reddit. Which one isn't relevant, and neither are the people involved. Something similar could happen to those of us involved in almost any hobby. I suspect that something similar has already happened to some of us, and I know it has for me.
Imagine that there is a business and that you have bought items from them several times over the years. It could be a local shop or an online storefront. It is not a massive corporation but a small family-run business. What they sell isn't relevant, and neither is what you've bought. What matters is that you have been content to spend some of your money there. You have been happy with their prices and their service.
One day, you find out that the owners of this business are Christian. They are not proselytizing at work, but they have noted that they are Christian. Would that lead you to take your business elsewhere? It would not lead me to do any such thing. Based on where I live, I'd estimate that over 95% of the stores that see me are Christian-owned. I can't say that this has been a problem for me, as long as nobody is hitting me over the head with it when I walk in. When that happens, I don't return.
Now we'll change things up a bit. You've always known that the owners were Christian, and you've never had any issue with that. Now you learn that they are active in an evangelical fundamentalist Christian church. Not only are they active as members, but they are active as leaders. They are working hard to expand the church and its proselytizing reach. Does this change anything for you? Would it bother you to think that some of the money you've spent may have gone to this church? This would get my attention. I don't know that it would be enough for me to stop shopping there. I could see myself looking into the church, though.
Suppose you felt the same way and decided to look into this church. Their website was easy to find, and what you find repulses you. Not only are they all about proselytizing, but their site is full of anti-gay bigotry. They oppose reproductive rights and same-sex marriage. They are working hard to take away the rights of people you care about. In short, you find the worst of what many associate with fundamentalist Christianity.
To be clear, you've never heard anything like this from the owners of the business you have supported. If that was the case, you would have ended your relationship long ago. But now that you've learned that this is what their church teaches, are you wondering if you should return? I would be.
It is possible for someone to attend a church while disagreeing with some of the teachings. But that doesn't sound like what's happening here. The owners of this business are far more involved in this church than that. It sounds like they are being smart by keeping some of what they believe out of their day-to-day work. It wouldn't appeal to many of their customers. Does it matter that they are supporting a church that spreads hate on the side? Should it matter?
It is not my intention to give the impression that there is a correct answer here. We'll each need to find the answer that works for us. My answer might not work for you and vice-versa.
I don't shop at the local Hobby Lobby. This might seem trivial, but I haven't always found it to be. It used to be challenging because they carried items I liked and wasn't able to find elsewhere. The rise of online shopping has helped, but there are still times when I have to remind myself why I don't shop there. Unlike what I described above, they use their business to proselytize and spread hate. But how much worse is that than what I described above?
Every one of us has the power to use our consumerism to promote change. I've long thought that this is a power we don't appreciate enough. We can support businesses we like and avoid those we don't like. We can do so for any reason, and we don't need to explain those reasons to anyone else unless we want to. It can be our own personal thing, or we can air our grievances and encourage others to join us.
In my local community, I go out of my way to support Black-owned businesses, as well as those owned by Veterans. I'm happy to say that both have been easier to find in recent years. When I shop online, I like to support small businesses. Given the kinds of things I often shop for, women own many of these businesses.
And yes, there is a flip side to this too. I try to steer clear of businesses that promote bigotry and hate. These are not values I want to support. I don't always know the values of various businesses I support. But when I do know, I try to act on that knowledge by using my power as a consumer.
