Religiously Speaking

Well I am very happy to see you raising this point Valerie.

Personally i am with Doug Coone on this one when he says "With very few exceptions, I cringe and typically stay away from any business that advertises their religious affiliation" and also wish to give a big round of applause to Mike Popp as well.

I actually produce angels and nativities but I still do not believe that anyone marketing on the internet or anywhere else should use their personal religious beliefs to imply that they ar

Where Do You Come Up With This Stuff?

This was the last place I thought i would find religion coming into play so quickly?

I am a member of a big community that is fast becoming a "cult" of sort. I have no problem with religion or what people believe, but using religious promo for material gain is just bad spirituality - if you are not selling religion.

I had a recent rush for scam mail from people who use religion as their angle, and I have never seen so many con artists in all my d

Mick,

Exactly what I was trying to say, but you said it better!

Lateef,

So many truths in your statement.

~Barbara

Religions, I have realized, are an artificial creation to instil fear and order in people. Nothing is really bad about this intention. However, God has nothing to do with religion. He only requires pure spiritualism of us. This requirement has never changed, unlike the religions and their denominations, which have multiplied to confuse us. Beware of religious pretenders; they are out to use religion for ulteror motives of power, wealth and racial hegemony.

It may be important to make a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual".
I view religions as being "training wheels" for spirituality. They can be helpful until one advances to finding their own path, but in many cases people tend to get addicted to their "training wheels", and then, like many addicts, they tend to end up as "drug pushers".

Spirituality can actually elevate the business process from a competitive "win-lose" model to a more cooperative "win-win" model.

Religion, however,

ditto

Mick, I just don’t think it could have been said better. Actions speak louder than words.

I think religion is a state of mind, some inner peace of some sort. Whatever makes you happy and gives you a sense of purpose and being. Religion is comfort zone for people, a sense of well being. People get those feelings from other resources and religions. I'm not anit religous, I don't mind the occassional God bless and the end of an email. I used to go to church. It doesn't interest me. If I go to church, I'm there for someone else, not myself. I don't get the inner peace from religio

Our faith molds the person that we are and is a reflection of how we will conduct our business.

Genuine faith however, demands that we be true, honest and fair to everyone regardless of race, color, sex, RELIGION, or status. It not good to make it a selling point in business and profit from it financially.

Here's what religion can do:

Be Fishers of MEN

Here's business can do:

Be SELLERS of fishes.

I take your point Pam. I admit to being guilty of allowing my previous experiences to colour my attitude towards businesses who promote their Christianity. I'm not talking about having a Icthus symbol discretely placed on their advertising, but stuff more 'in your face' than that (stop it Graham, your bias is showing through again.

I'd like to pick up Mick's point regarding the terms we are using here.
For me religion is the formalised expression of a set of doctrines. (as in 'religio

Wear your religion in your actions and the way you do business. Don't use your religion as a selling point for your business.

Your religion is your life and your belief system. It should be apparent in the things you do in business and in the way you treat the people you deal with in business as well as in your daily life. However, using religion as a promotional tool to sell more product and to make more money demeans its purpose, which is the raising of man to eternal glorification.

Live you

Interesting discussion. I tend to cut through the "hype" in most things I deal with. Actions speak louder than words so my decisions on any business dealings are based on how a person conducts themselves and their business and not on the words they choose to use.

As for judging a person for using religion in their advertising, wouldn't you need to know the person better before deciding if it is hype or a true expression of their belief?

Pam

That is part of my point Argie, keeping an open mind. I am more than happy to discuss spirituality with anyone There is a Buddhist concept which goes something like

I have a truth
You have a truth
Together we can discover a greater truth.

I am not for one moment saying people do not have a right to their beliefs and the right to express them in appropriate ways. My experience, however, is that many people who use the label Christian in their business often come from the standpoint of

I agree with you Jonathan.

As for me and my household, we will serve God and proclaim his greatness always.

Being in business does not necessarily prohibit one from disclosing his faith. It shows the kind of business person you are dealing with. And it is not fair to judge one for his intentions. He is not answerable to anyone for his proclaimed faith.

I suggest we all keep an open mind ....and soul and spirit.

"Flow with whatever may happen, and let your mind be free."

Just remember, in

Whew. You've touch a nerve yet agatin Val. It's amazing how you can raise subjects that get people responding in droves.
My five cents worth (we no longer have 1 or 2 cent coins in Australia)
Like Doug I too am a former minister. The realisation of ministry did not come anywhere near my anticipation. As a result I had two emotional crises (I hesitate to use the word breakdown) and was shunned and ostracized because of my apparent 'lack of faith' That happened ten years ago and I know f

I would have to agree with Mr. PTRCoone on this (sorry, don't know your name).

Call me a cynic. But, too many have used the name of religion, mainly Christianity, as a marketing ploy. "I'm a good Christian. So buy from me".

When I see someone's site on a traffic exchange that is a sales page for an affilite program, but they have individualized it with religious symbols and quotes, I tend to just click off. I'm here to buy and sell ... not be witnessed to or preached at.

This is only m

First off, let me say, Jonathon, you are a man of wisdom and very well spoken, I could not have said it better myself.
Second, as a former pastor, my eyebrows always raise a little when I come across this type of discussion. I left the pastorate because of the wide spread hypocrisy I experinced. Now, please don't get me wrong, I am not judging anyone except myself. I found myself becoming as hypocritical as those I was supposed to be shepherding.
With very few exceptions, I cringe and typic

Funny how religion has the power to hit one so deeply, that is the concern when people choose to exploit that.

I humble apologize to the readers of this articel. I'm guilty of not reading, correctly, the topic of this discussion and my remark was "totally" not about the subject. Please forgive me!

Tom

I agree with what Jay said. “You’ll build better relationships by being yourself.” So when someone closes with thanking deity I don’t mind.

Just like I don’t mind when someone thanks there lucky stars, I don’t believe in luck but I don’t fault the person for it.

Valerie