12/14/2006 - WAKE UP WALMART - THE FREAKS ARE ON THE LOOSE!
Oh wow. Just when I think I've run out of good things to post on my blog, I turn on my radio and hear some egg-head religious leader advising me not to shop at Walmart because "Jesus would not shop at Walmart." Apparently, there is a union-led movement calling for evangelicals and anyone else to boycott Walmart because of alleged and supposed injustices by Walmart upon our society. Though I normally would not direct any traffic to raving lunatics, you can click here to read more of what these idiots are up to.
For one, I don't picture Jesus as a consumer. And for another, WHO CARES?!!!
The major problem with the Islamic nations in the Middle East is that there is no separation of church and state. All decisions, politically or otherwise, are made and evaluated through religion-tainted glasses. Everything is based on their religion and there is no escaping it (outside of the obvious escape - brutal death).
Are we to follow in their footsteps and devolve our society to their level? Am I to begin making consumer choices based on what I think Jesus would do? If that were the case, I would begin spending money (okay, you got me - I meant to say that I would spend MORE money) at leper colonies and whore houses. Jesus, to his credit, hung with these folk.
And I've seen them at Walmart. So, by that logic, Jesus probably would shop at Walmart. I rest my case.
I stress in all my postings that I make a hard and fast distinction between spirituality and the trappings of religion. And this "Would Jesus shop at Walmart" is just another example of the lunacy and danger of whacked out religion in our society. The best charitable donor is the anonymous one and the most powerful prayer is said in a dark room - not blurted out from a pulpit or a television by someone with bad hair.
Comments
I heard about this on the Patriot channel on Sirius, and I could not help but think of the fact that Walmart's business strategy has increased the purchasing power of lower income people far, far more than it has the same of high income folks (though it has helped all).
What would Jesus do? Comfort the poor, right?
What has Walmart done?
Carved hundreds of thousands of jobs out of the hide of retailers who were happy to sit on fat margins with relatively fewer employees, meanwhile putting numerous goods within reach of those who could not previously access them. They created amazing efficiency where it did not previously exist, lifting the fortunes of employee and customer alike.
So the question answers itself: Jesus would shop at Walmart.
Of that minister, then, what is there to say? Perhaps he believes what the unions have told him of Walmart? (The unions stand to gain $300 million anually by unionizing Walmart - for the benefit of whom exactly?) He can be excused is he does not realize the economics behind this. Has he been bought off despite having a personal understanding different than the message? Or does he not care because the pay off is large enough?
Is this guy a money changer in the temple?
The man who voiced this terrible commercial, and the 130 or so clergy who signed on to it, are inconsequential. They don't have to be listened to, and if they do realize the contradiction they have involved themselves in, then hopefully they'll be turned out like the charlatans that they are.
Posted by: Paul E. Zimmerman | December 15, 2006 12:34 AM