3 Reasons Christians Should NOT Boycott Target

Chances are, if you're a reader in my social circles who was already talking or posting on Facebook about a good ol' Target boycott, your guard is up as you clicked this link. I've learned to try and be more provocative with my blog titles so as to grab interest. I'm not taking a position here that's so cemented that I'll look down on anyone whose opinion opposes mine. 

That being said, I do feel strongly opposed to the phenomenon I see some Christians live out when things take place like Target's transgender policy about bathrooms. I'm talking about the following:

Meet Casey Christian (going with a nice, gender neutral name, so nobody thinks this is specifically about him or her). Casey is a lot like you and I can be, when it comes to faith. Casey goes to church almost every Sunday, and usually not out of a sense of obligation. Casey tries to avoid cussing in public, doesn't chime in with the ugly gossip or dirty sexual jokes in the workplace, and genuinely tries to instill Godly principles into the kids in Casey's family. Casey believes that Jesus Christ died to remove the guilt of the sins of all the world, including, most importantly, Casey's. Casey is truly a Christian. 

But Casey also enjoys a certain level of comfort with being acceptable in the eyes of society, with friends, with coworkers, and with relatives who aren't "hard core" about the faith thing. In fact, Casey can be a little wary of situations where putting faith out on the sleeve or speaking up about God is uncomfortable. It's not that Casey is ashamed of Jesus. It's just easier to pick the battles. 

Then Casey learns of a social development that causes a stir in the conservative and religious community. XYZ Company or Politician has decided to publicly endorse homosexuality, Planned Parenthood, etc. and now Casey feels like there's a chance to show some righteous indignation. Even though Casey hasn't spoken face to face with an unbeliever about faith in Jesus Christ in a very long time, NOW is a chance to make a Christian stand! Casey rallies as many people as possible to talk about a boycott or a picketing rally, and sure enough, within 24 hours, at least 15 people on Casey's Facebook feed have commented their agreement, or reacted with a "like"...or maybe even an angry face. 

Meet Casey. Casey is actively living out the Christian faith.

NO. Casey's not. Casey's reaction to boycott isn't the perfect response to a situation like this. Casey Christian is someone I've been in the past a few times. Maybe you've been Casey Christian too. But this is not what God has called us to do to be living a life that follows and honors him, and spreads the message of his love. 

Consider my 3 reasons why NOT to boycott Target's policy of allowing transgenders to enter and use the bathroom of their choice on Target premises:

1. Firstly, it just usually doesn't work. Folks seem to get it in their heads that when something strikes them as boycott-worthy, it'll somehow turn out like what resulted from the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Without getting into the nitty gritties of why, politically and economically, that was able to work for the colonials, suffice it to say that was NOT the same situation as a - let's face it - small percentage of Christian or political activists boycotting one of the biggest retailers in the world. As John Wesley Reid pointed out in his blog Should Christians Boycott Target, if you recall what happened with Chick-Fil-A when their COO announced his support of only traditional marraige, the response from the offended liberals only barely slowed their sales. In fact, ultimately the supporters created so much added revenue for Chick-Fil-A that the boycotting party was completely undone. There's no reason to expect any different outcome here, folks. Any dent you and I make in Target's pocketbook by not going there for our shopping needs is bound to be more than made up for by the thrilled support of transgenders and liberally minded people in general. So, unless your motive is to morally take a stand merely for conscience's sake, you'll be wasting your time. Which brings me to my next point...

2. Boycotting Target over something that's a moral stand for you, as a Christian, sets a precedent that's probably impossible for you to uphold. Think about it. If you boycott Target because you're offended by and can't agree with an ethical position held by their corporate brass (and remember, that's where the decision was made - not by cashiers and floor workers who make peanuts for wages), then who else should you boycott on similar grounds? What other major corporation has already, or will soon take a stand on a hot button societal issue that will confront Christian values? If you decide to not support the businesses run by these liberally minded individuals or boards, you'll find that the owners of most large businesses will offend you. They must be that way, to survive in a nationwide or global market, because the world has a monopoly on non-Christian values. 

Listen...Christian values are not at the heart of business anymore, whether you like it or not. Unless you identify the mom-and-pops places to shop that are local to you, where you can interview the owners, or at least more safely assume their values based on the community you're in, you're in for a long road of boycotting. There simply aren't that many Pizza Ranch, Hobby Lobby (who are actually owned by Mormons, not Christians), or Chick-Fil-A kinda businesses. 

Also, depending on the degree of Biblical foretelling about our world's current state you subscribe to, it's probably inevitable that more and more businesses will be disappointing us in this way in the coming years. I'm all for striving towards a spiritual reawakening, but the Bible also tells of how things will be, morally, in "the last days." We're IN the last days, people. We need to be realistic about our expectations of our surroundings. 

3. This isn't what Jesus called us to do. Let me qualify that statement. I'm not calling you a heathen, or ungodly, or anything more than maybe misled if you want to boycott a corporation who doesn't care about your consumer loyalty in the first place. I'm just saying it's a matter of M.O. As Christians, do we really expect things to be different in our world? Even Jesus said that as he came into the world there was darkness, and that darkness did not understand him. Are we greater than Jesus Christ, that our impact will be greater than his was?

I'm kinda wondering...When will we stop being so utterly appalled all the time, by the movements of this world? When will we come to grips with the fact that living our lives according to God's ways will set us at odds with everyone else? When will we followers of Jesus finally realize that, unless they too are pulled from the shroud of sinful rebellion and blindness by the saving work of the Spirit, THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ELSE but pass these policies or laws in our land. This is what life without God looks like, folks! It's foul language, sexual promiscuity, hatred and violent acts out of spite for one's neighbor, dishonesty, selfishness... It's being opposed to the things considered traditional because mankind in his own ways is about progress and building every possible tower of Babel that we can! As the philosopher Dostoyevsky said, "If God does not exist, everything is permissible." Without God's standard for living, mankind cannot be expected to do anything but create his own standard, at his own whim. That's what we're seeing. It's totally normal. It breaks God's heart, but it's normal. 

When we stop ourselves from the outrage that Target would do such a thing and just consider that, without the moral compass that God's enlightenment creates within us, we'd do THE SAME....well, then, we can calm down and look at this differently. 

Consider the life of Jesus Christ. The only time Jesus was really publicly disruptive about something was when he overturned the tables of the people doing business in the temple and drove them out with harsh words about making God's house into a "den of thieves." He was attacking not only how business was being done (thievery), but also where (in his father's house of worship). These people he drove out with a ready-made whip were religious people, not heathens. They were people who SHOULD'VE known better. 

Are Target's brass the kind of people that SHOULD know better? Without knowing them personally, it's impossible to judge their character and faith. But actions tend to show where someone stands. These sort of political actions show one's values. They are outsiders to the faith. 

Jesus was harsh with those who should've known better. Think about his interactions with the religious leaders of his lands. But he was patient, loving, and even went toward those who were on the outside of God's lifestyle. Jesus didn't picket the bazaars and parade past the trading stands on the byways ranting and raving about how evil those sellers of cloth or grains were. Even women whose method of income and business was prostitution he talked with plainly, dealt with them as people he loved first and foremost, and then spoke his word of truth when he had their attention. 

THAT is what God has called us to. Whether we gain an audience to speak the truth in God's love to corporate business people, or whether it's our neighbors in everyday paths, THAT'S where we start. God's love, passed on through the humble hands of sinners he called out of our own personal blindness, is what brings real change...and salvation! Let's be more concerned with others' salvation than our own vindication. C'mon, we already know where we stand with the Lord!

I've avoided a lot of other points in the wider discussion of implications of this policy rolled out by Target. I hope that's not taken as a sign of disregard for those issues. And at the end of the day, will I be uncomfortable with the idea of my wife or little girl being in the rest room somewhere, someday, with a man who believes, in his confusion, that he's a woman? Maybe a little. Will I be uncomfortable with the slightly higher risk of assault by someone who would abuse that bathroom policy? Yes. But I serve a God who has called me to live in confidence and boldness, not fear. And he's called me to be out on a mission, loving others and talking to them about these issues everywhere I can, so as to win them to Him. 

He's called us to BE uncomfortable.