Should Christians Participate in Boycotts?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 6

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--should-christians-participate-in-boycotts
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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my brief answer this is this is a matter of Christian Liberty under Romans 14 some Christians will feel one way other Christians will feel another way and I think each one can decide according to his or her conscience but not condemn another Christian that has a different perspective so let me try to to go a little bit further so how would you evaluate well if a company is directly supporting something you violently disagree with it's their reason for existence it's their main business you know it's what they're promoting then that would be a strong case to avoid it so companies that that um you know their their product is cigarettes or tobac tobacco or uh alcohol or gambling or prostitution or we can or abortion we might say that's their business I'm not going to support that whatsoever on the other hand you have many corporations that or even um you know mutual funds that might invest in some things as a sideline or indirect they might be supportive as part of the overall economy well as the connection gets further and further I think there's a less um emphasis that we would feel directly responsible and I think that even goes back to scripture because scripture for example the New Testament says to pay our taxes well if you study what the US government for example uh spends its money on some of the things that we strongly disapprove of the government support so should we withdraw withhold our taxes and so I think what the New Testament is saying no you're not accountable for the subsequent decisions of a government to spend money in ways that you wouldn't approve of you're only responsible for supporting the lawful government with its lawful taxes so I think you can make a similar argument that if I'm buying a product from a company I'm not supporting other things that company does I'm paying for that particular product now if I'm buying a sinful product maybe I'm guilty but if I'm buying a neutral or positive product it's not my responsibility or my fault that they might use some of that profits for something else I don't like I mean if you take that logic you know anybody that you you hire they might go out and spend your money to get drunk so well I'm not going to hire them because they're going to use the money that I gave them but that's their responsibility so I think a reasonable case can be made both ways if you feel like a you're supporting of a company is directly supporting an evil product you might say I'm going to abstain especially if you feel like our Collective action might help that company change but are you guilty of what that company does are you HonorBound not to support or buy products from any such company well I don't think so because you can make the counterargument what I'm buying is something useful beneficial neutral I'm not responsible for what what other things that company does with their profit or with the collective money and so I and I think this is pragmatic because in 1 Corinthians chapters 8-10 it's kind of a similar argument uh what if someone offers food to Idols can you eat it and Paul says well if you go to a feast and you don't know where the food comes from just eat it it don't ask questions or if you go to the market uh maybe some food was offered to Idols offered to the temple the temple ends up selling it back on the market it's actually food offered to Idols you don't know that well just just buy it you can't just avoid all Commerce but if you go to your neighbor's house and your neighbor says oh by the way I offered this to an idol come participate then Paul says don't do it because not for your sake but for the weer brother's sake that you know a a new convert looking at that might say oh you're supporting idolatry so in essence Paul's making a similar pragmatic argument you're if you eat the food you're not meaning whatever else they use the food for you're not responsible but if it's brought to your attention in such a way it looks like you're supporting that idolatry then you don't do it so I think we can make a similar argument or similar rationale um of we can segregate the immediate use from maybe the extended use several steps down the road that we're not responsible for or accountable for so I think that kind of analysis can come here and some people will choose one or the other so is it is it okay to join a bar boycott if you really feel it's more this issue is morally objectionable and you really feel like the boycott can make a difference well then yes it's okay okay is it required for you to boycott then I think no the answer is no if you're not directly responsible then I don't think it would be wrong to participate in the economy as another example in 1 Corinthians 6 Paul talks about don't have fellowship with idolaters and adulterers and so forth and he says wait a minute I'm not saying don't have fellowship with people in the world who are guilty of these sins because then you would have to you couldn't live in the world but he says I'm talking about a Believer if someone who's in the church claims to be a fellow Christian and they're living in open unrepented sin such as adultery or drunkenness or idolatry well you can't have fellowship with them because now you're condoning their sin and now you're bringing a reproach on the church so again looking at this issue of boycotts um should you try to abstain from all Commerce that has been affected by evil well actually you probably can't live in the world if you take if you study every single Corporation everything they do but so I think we restrict it if my participation is going to look like to maybe new converts or to unbelievers that I'm trying to win if my participation is going to look like I'm supporting sin that I shouldn't do it but if my participation is just a a part of being part of the larger economy then uh then I'm not accountable for what happens and therefore I have a choice So my answer is U Christians should think about this pray about this and this decide how they wish to participate in our modern economy