Maggie: Just google “Christian Boycott” and you’ll discover dozens of Christian activist groups. I wouldn’t accuse all groups of intentionally publishing “untrue allegations” as you put it, but they do spend a great deal of time pushing boycotts, calling Christians to action on the basis of their own research, and raising money to fund these religio-political crusades. And I’m questioning whether we should put the reputation of Christ and the Church on the line for second-hand information that (a) may be an exaggeration or misinterpretation of the facts, or (b) could be an isolated incident or mistake that these corporations (like Starbucks) are trying very hard to correct.

One example of the eco-nonsense being pushed is the introduction of RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) in regard to the manufacture of electronic equipment. Leaded solder has been banned from all new electronic devices with certain exemptions being granted e.g. for military use due to reliability concerns. It is questionable whether leaded solder going into landfill is harmful in the first place but that aside, the use of lead-free solder is making and will continue to make our electronics less reliable because lead-free solder is more brittle and is also susceptible to the spontaneous growth of tin whiskers which can cause microscopic short circuits. The end result is that the environment is worse off because the less reliable equipment will have to be replaced more often creating more waste for landfill as despite any recycling efforts a good amount of electronics waste still goes into landfill. Most consumer electronics these days is so cheap to buy due to cheap labour manufacturing in the far east that it is not economical to have repaired so instead it is discarded when it fails.

I absolutely agree that we please God when we make right choices in what we purchase etc. When we listen a preacher we should read the Word for ourselves to ensure that what is preached is biblically correct. In the same manner, when we are told that we ought not buy a certain manufacturer’s product because it is not ethically produced we should be encouraged to investigate for ourselves so that we can make a personal decision according to our God given conscience rather than doing so because we are told to by the powers that be (whether that is the church or the government).

Unfortunately, there are numerous “Christian” agencies around the world that focus their entire “ministry” on targeting these sorts of abuses and we’re just supposed to take their word for it? Starbucks has been on these sorts of “hit lists” for years, yet no one asks about the impact it would have on coffee growers if Starbucks suddenly went out of business. And no one ever seems to read Starbucks’ annual Corporate Social Responsibility reports outlining their commitment to make a positive impact in the coffee-growing communities around the world. They belong to such agencies as Conservation International, Save the Children, Earthwatch, African Wildlife Foundation, and MercyCorps: sounds like they take these things seriously.

The same thing goes for environmental issues. Everyone in the West (who have all sorts of money to spend on alternative energy sources) wants to make it illegal for developing countries to burn coal, which many of these countries have in abundance, simply because of the “supposed” contribution to greenhouse gases and human-induced climate change—a theory, at best, that may soon collapse as more and more scientists question the validity of the underlying assumptions. How can global restrictions on CO2 emissions bless the poorest nations and reflect the kindness/love/justice of God when they can’t flip a light switch unless we allow them to generate electricity with coal-powered plants?

So I worry that Christians are being led to “bear false witness” in these sorts of discussions about where to shop, what to buy, etcetera. Surely that’s a form of injustice and oppression that we should avoid as well.

Then again, this is a good window for the Church to be a place of welcome and diversity. That is, if we don’t fall in line with the mainstream lest we offend someone.

Welcome to my blog, Tim! Glad to have you weighing in, too.

Let’s remember that our main thing as Christians is to fulfil the Great Commission which involves seeing souls saved not saving the planet! I think many Christians who are caught up on the eco bandwagon have forgotten about the song ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands’.