Are you more or less likely to patronise a business that advertises an affiliation with Christianity?

I’m a Christian and I’m drawn away from that. It feels like segregating instead of going out into all people. Although- if they are something I need that deals with Christianity, book store/church supplies etc, then I’m fine with it.

I wouldn’t necessarily be drawn or repelled, but if I did happen to patronize such a place I’d have certain “expectations”. I think that a lot of so called Christians fail to realize that they are being scrutinized because of their self attached label and as such are seen as representative. I always find it amusing and a self defeating thing when I see someone with a Christian bumper sticker act a fool on the road.

I’d base my decision more on the quality of the products or services offered.

I think that sort of advertising is silly, but I’m not particularly drawn towards or away from it. At best, I just ignore it. Like I said on the other thread about businesses and their philosophies and advertising: These businesses have the right to espouse just about whatever philosophical viewpoint they like, and I likewise have the right to take my business elsewhere.

For the record, I’m agnostic.

I’m more likely to be turned away from it. I don’t see what need a business has to advertise their religion. Like, what? By advertising their religion it somehow makes them more capable to carry out what I’m paying them to do? I’m agnostic, but I’d be just as likely to be turned away from a business that advertised they were agnostic. It’s unnecessary and unprofessional, in my opinion.

Less.
The fact that someone thinks I would give a shit about their religion while they’re cleaning my gutters or bathing my dog makes me question their sanity and worldview. Also, that kind of advertising has an air of superiority that is a complete turn off for me.

Christian=/= honest, hardworking, or good at their job.

Less. I really can’t stand people who put their religion in your face.

I’d call that one strike.

I couldn’t care less either way ;)

Far less. Touting a religion is off-putting.

Less, but only to balance out the people who would be more inclined to patronize such businesses.

I’ll put it this way: I’d rather starve than eat at Chick-fil-A.

I’m less likely to patronize a business that shows its political or religious leanings. I don’t feel it’s appropriate.
That is for beliefs I disagree with, and for those that I agree with.

Although, honestly, I have seen plenty of the Jesus Fish, or Crucifixes, or some “One Big Ass Mistake, America”/“you keep your change, I’ll keep my guns and bible” stickers on the back of work vehicles. I’ve never see the Evolve amphibian on them, and rarely see pro-democrat.
So I am more annoyed by the former set just because I see it so much.

I’d be drawn away from it. I don’t think Jesus would appreciate being sold out to make more money. I’m sure this isn’t the goal of said businesses, but that’s how it comes across to me.

I would also feel like the business wouldn’t do a decent service if I wasn’t a Christian (if they found out) and they’d be judgmental as many religious groups can be to others not of affiliation.

@silverfly Good point. If someone thinks that their Christianity is a so important to their business that they need to advertise it, will they do a subpar job if they find out I’m an agnostic Jew?

i dont care what religious affiliation a business has but when they try to use Jesus (like @silverfly said) to attract customers then…no thanks i’ll go next door.

It’s marketing with a positive twist.

Can’t hurt. 50/50 either way you look at it.

@ChazMaz: Obviously, it can, since so many people have expressed what a turn-off it is for them.

Neither. It would all depend on how much they charged for the service and then, if I were to employ them (because they were cheaper than the rest), how good a service they gave. I don’t care what religious beliefs they may have providing they get on and do a good job for good value for money.

I find NEW AND IMPROVED. or 50% OFF a turn off.
Being a blatant scam.

More ridiculous then honest people (subjective) using a positive lifestyle to promote their product.

It will still come down to quality of services and price.

I stay away from them. I don’t trust people that try and push their religions like that.

So when Wal-Mart breaks out the cute yellow ball of savings.
You are ok with pushing stupid on people. :-)

At least the Christian folk are showing their true colors. Actually the christian form of marketing is telling it like it is. Even if you prefer not to use their services, you have a clear reason why.

@ChazMaz Yes.

Basically, I’m comfortable with my religion. I don’t go around telling people what religion I am, I don’t go around telling people what my deity of choice would be doing in someone’s situation. It’s a private thing for me.

When people go around shouting, “I’m a Christian!” it makes me nervous and makes me question just how devout they really are. Granted, some things are cultural (Hinduism, Judiasm, and Muslim things) but I’ve never seen a “Jewish” or “Hindu” or “Muslim” bumper sticker.

A yellow ball doesn’t really mean anything to me and I’d be surprised if anyone based a religion around it. Okay, I wouldn’t be all that surprised but I don’t think it’ll happen in the near future.

The yellow ball of savings is part of the religion of marketing.

A creative and covert society always finding an angle to con you out of your money.
In the most subversive and slight of hand way.

The only way it would be turn off is if they were constantly preaching at me, and their menu’s had Christian messages all over it and on and on and on. That would annoy me enough so that I wouldn’t go there. However, I would not avoid a place simply because it was on a list of “Christian businesses.”

@mrentropy I hear ya. And those that go around yelling about how Christian they are usually tend to be the most hypocritical, self-righteous, attention mongering people. Real Christians, like Mother Teresa, don’t shout it out on a bull horn. They live it.

The promotion doesn’t attract me, but neither does it overtly repel. Their proselytizing while I’m patronizing the shop (there’s a tongue-twister) would definitely drive me off.

I enter business relationships expecting “square dealing all around” all the time, so I have neither heightened or lessened expectations of the level or quality of service I’d receive.

I don’t usually pay attention to such things. Like, I know Chik-Fil-A is Catholic or whatever, because they don’t open on Sundays. But, I still enjoy the food..if they started handing out pamphlets and preaching..then I’d never go back.

@casheroo, Chick-Fil-A is run by fundamentalist Christians who donate a large chunk of the company’s profits to Focus on the Family and similar organizations.

I don’t care as long as they get the job done. If I were to patronize them for their beliefs and whatever vile intent I may perceive behind the advertising since we all know Christianity is evil then I’d have to do the same with any business, since it’s a fairly common belief among many that running a business means ripping off people and being an assbutt.

Not my opinion, but an observation on the issue, rather.

I’ll agree I find the advertising retarded, but no less than what a lot of non Christian businesses use for advertising. Most especially whatever comes through radio adds.

Doesn’t matter to me. Like I said on another thread, as long as they keep their Jesus juice out of my delicious lemonade, I don’t give a nugget.

Oh, I’d be patronising to them, all right.

I am much less likely to support such a business. I see such an unnecessary declaration as implied enmity against those of other faiths or of no faith. I associate it with support of xenophobic, intolerant and regressive organizations supported by the extreme religious right wing. I would not intentionally support a business that intentionally communicates its support for so much that I oppose.

They have every right to advertise their affiliation and I have every right to do business elsewhere.

I am less likely to shop there, particularly if they are playing Creed or some other Christian music in the store. I find it very annoying, as though I’m being judged, when I’m in those places. Further, someone who owns a business and overtly advertises how Christian they are is likely to be the most annoying sort of Christian possible, like an evangelical or some other such kook. While I know this isn’t a hard-fast rule, it is just my opinion.

Another stay away from. I’d be more likely to go with the atheist but saying you’re atheist would probably kill a business.

@Qingu Bingo. If Chick-fil-A was just your average Christian bunch, I wouldn’t have such an issue. Wanna close on Sundays? That’s cool, some other company can benefit from the business of church-goers on their way home from brainwashing worship. But their support of Focus on the Family (which is about an inch away from being little more than a hate group) makes me sick and, to be perfectly frank, I can’t help judging people who know they support it and still eat there.

:( You guys are ruining it for me. not your fault, it’s theirs.

It wouldn’t matter to me

I tend not to use those businesses. Usually, if they feel the need to put it out there so much, they are pretty likely to act superior without necessarily offering a superior product or service, as well as buy into other “Christian” values such as homophobia and hatred of other religions. Being a gay Buddhist, I’m generally not on the list of people born-again Christians love. Plus, I find proselytizing to be massively annoying. My money is just as green as the next guys, no more, no less.

@MacBean Me too, but that’s because I do not find chicken tasty.

Generally if I see the sign of the cross, or the Christian fish symbol, I avoid doing business there.

Can’t help but wonder why some folks just can’t resist the urge to insult Christianity and everyone who is a Christian, every chance they get. I haven’t seen one single insult thrown out at the atheists, yet insults to the Christians abound. It seems terribly hypocritical, rude and intolerant. I suppose some could consider it a form of brain washing, ie: “If you believe in God you will be branded an idiot, teased and insulted,” and having that preached to you over and over again, on a daily basis. How is that any different than “You must believe in God or you will suffer torment!”, and having that preached to you over and over again?

I don’t appreciate the right wing intolerant religious types myself, but I haven’t seen any here. So can’t we just give it a break?

“I haven’t seen one single insult thrown out at the atheists,”

You can’t “insult” nothing.

If there is a plate of strawberries. You can say they are sweet or bitter or you just might not like strawberries.
A plate with nothing on it is just a plate. Not undermining that plate. It being a vessel of usefulness.
You cant make a connection (insult) between strawberries and an empty plate.

@ChazMaz Sure you can! You could say all kinds of things, and it all makes about as much sense as insulting Christians, or slamming Obama with nonsensical accusations, rumor and innuendo. One could call them ‘foolish,’ ‘blind,’ ‘arrogant,’ ‘egotistical’...whatever (not that I think they are. Rarebear is my favorite atheist, and he is none of those things. He just doesn’t know algebra too good!) I’ve moved in Christian circles and I’ve heard all kinds of name calling about the non-believers. But I don’t see that happening among the Christians here, not even in PM. But I do see subtle and not-so-subtle insulting of Christians all the time And I can’t help but wonder, “What’s the point? What are you trying to prove?” I wonder why some feel so compelled to say things like ”.....brainwashing church services….”

My beliefs are mine, and there’s are there’s and live and let live, whether I think they’re on the wrong track or not. It’s called “mutual respect,” which I think everyone would agree is a good thing, Christianity or Atheism aside.

@Val123

This question and this thread are not insulting Christianity at all. It is questioning the motives of people who use their religion as an advertising ploy for their non-Church-related business. I would have added other religions, but frankly, I haven’t seen any, unless you count the menorah icon on the label of the Ba-Tempte Kosher Dill Pickles my husband so much adores.

And I don’t think you can find a single atheist on the planet that hasn’t been insulted for not believing in supernatural overlords.

@Val123 There is very little bashing of Atheists, because the Fluther crowd generally is a more Atheist-leaning crowd. And if not, they tend to be the very open-minded philosophically Christians. I wish I could find the thread, but I remember someone asking a question like “As a Christian, how do you account for all of the other faiths and the followers believing those are true?” and the responses were overwhelmingly ones like “Specific faiths are vehicles you take. Doesn’t matter if you drive a truck, a van, or a camaro, you’re still driving to your destination”. Rather than being responses like ”They were poisoned by the Devil”.
So the former kind of believer doesn’t even bother bashing other religions. You need to stop hanging around with the latter kind.

Why is there Christian-bashing here? Well, us Atheists are jerks, poisoned by the devil.

@Seek_Kolinahr and “you don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s rye bread.” Or maybe that was before your time.

Definitely before my time.

I do understand certain religious advertising. I wouldn’t expect a canned Gifelte fish company to pretend they’re not Jewish-affiliated. Who else eats that stuff? I consider it religion related.

However, unless Father O’Malley has an edict demanding he christen my hot water heater, I think the company can leave Jesus on their dashboard, instead of on the business card.

You know, I just remembered I love Hebrew National hot dogs.

@cockswain Hebrew NATIONAL —not particulrly religious. [nor was Levy’s rye bred]

i was in my early 20s before i learned “kosher” didn’t mean “good” or “tasty”

@cockswain or on the up-and-up—that’s what I thought it meant

@Val123 I’m insulting church-goers, not Christians. Organized religion disturbs me deeply. I’ve been told by church leaders, “God doesn’t want you to think for yourself; that’s what I’m here for.” And church, rather than religion, has thoroughly brainwashed my sister. So, yes, I speak very bitterly of it. Especially when you throw the subject of Focus on the Family in there, which espouses some of the most ridiculously intolerant and UNChristian ideals in the world, all in the name of Jay-zuss.

@Seek_Kolinahr It was a small incident in this thread, but small incidents add up and add up and they are just not necessary.

@Sarcasm I don’t think some people insult other people because they are Christian or Atheist. I think some people just have to insult anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their own beliefs. I think it’s just a personality thing.

@MacBean OK, I understand you have personal issues with the churches. But why must you throw the little jabs at everyone who goes to church, for no reason that pertains to them? Not every church is like the ones you’ve described (and I’m sorry for your experiences) and there is no reason to assume that they are. It’s insulting to every Christian. I attend church, albeit not as much as I used to, and I haven’t been brainwashed! I do tend to step in deep poo poo though when I start questioning certain statements that are thrown out as a fact that can be so easily challenged! They don’t like that at all! But, that’s a different story… If a group of people DO go to a church and don’t think for themselves (allow themselves to be ‘brainwashed’) how would NOT going to church change them? It wouldn’t. Some people are sheep, and if it isn’t church, then they’ll find SOME group to tell them how to think, even if that group is an Atheist organization. I guess if people have to be sheep I’d rather have them in church settings, for the most part, rather than, say, with the White Supremacists (who consider themselves Christian, BTW.) You can not force anyone to think for themselves.

@Val123

So, basically you decided to take offense at something not even directed at you, and derail my entire thread because of it?

This question pertains to business advertising, and business/religion relations. Let’s stay on that.

Sorry.

It depends on the form of Christianity.

I wouldn’t care one way or the other Unless they asked me to join in singing “Amazing Grace” while they repaired the roof. In that case, I’d never use them again.

@MacBean Chik-Fil-A is Christian? Had no idea. I’ve never eaten there, but now I have a reason to actively boycott.

@MacBean Yes, it’s run by Christians. Those “awful” people sell fantastic carrot-raisin salad I could eat all day long. Their chicken salad is very good, too.