In our recent trip to visit friends and family in the United States, we found ourselves neck-deep in a heated conversation about whether Christians should patronize businesses that support equal rights for gays and lesbians in the marketplace. Particular emphasis was placed on Wal-Mart’s decision to join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce several years ago. My friends also refuse to purchase automobiles from Ford Motor Company and gasoline from Texaco because those companies have adopted policies that certain right-wing Christian organizations have deemed a threat to traditional Judeo-Christian family values. They receive irregular “Action Alerts” from the American Family Association (AFA), giving them advice on who to boycott and how to bring economic pressures to get such companies to change their ways. Continue reading →