I was in Niagara Falls recently, and saw a big sign in a store window that proclaimed “Christian Owner”. I’ve written on the topic before, but I found it unbelievable that someone would even CONSIDER putting up such a sign.
The most charitable interpretation of this sign would be that it somehow relates to the store’s purpose and serves to warn customers before they enter. If I ran a store selling holy symbols, it might be worth letting customers know which religious denomination they’re for, before they come in (if someone is looking for a new crucifix and I only sell Stars of David, I’m not going to be able to help them). This store was a general gift store, so while they may have had angels on some of their goods, they sold other non-religious items, so I really didn’t think this was the purpose.
Less charitably, and probably more accurately, their purpose may have been to tell Christians “Hey, I’m the same as you.  You should shop at my store instead of patronizing some atheist or Muslim!”.
The least charitable, and hopefully inaccurate, interpretation is that the owner is warning others away. They’re posting the sign to say they only want to conduct business with Christians, and if you’re not one, they don’t want you in their store.
Penn and Teller have a proposal for world peace. They suggest all barriers to trade be removed, and that as many different groups and people are encouraged to do business together as possible. Their belief, and I think they’re on to something, is that if people are making money together, they’re going to do what they can to get along. I read a quote from an Indian businessman who said that he’s too busy making money to want to fight with Pakistan.
When people start segregating and only doing business with people who believe the same things they do, we’re on a path for some real trouble. The way to reconcile differing opinions is discussion and at a political / legal level through democracy. Economic warfare where we don’t do business with people who don’t believe what we do is one step up from physical violence and can be just as harmful (talk to a small business owner who has gone bankrupt – he probably would have prefered a punch in the nose to losing his savings and livelihood).
Some people may say “well, I’d never boycott a business because of someone’s race or religion, I’m a good guy”. I think what they’re doing is just as ugly if they do it to try and force their political beliefs on a person or company. If you’re pro-life and you boycott a local cafe owner you know is pro-choice (or vice-versa) it’s just as bad. The abortion debate has NOTHING to do with lattes.
In case it isn’t clear from the post, I would have found it just as offensive if there had been a sign in the window saying “Hindu Owner” or “Atheist Owner”.
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Excellent post, interesting topic!
Bad human that I may be, I in fact DO boycott businesses that advertise that they are “Christian.” In my generation — this little trick has been around for a long time — what it meant is “we’re not Jews.” And in my generation and in my parents’, that factoid unfortunately had meaning. I will not do business with enterprises that advertise in this manner.
These days, of course, the meaning is somewhat subtler. Now it means “we are of the anointed few who know the Real Truth of Life, the Universe, and All That, and we’ll be seeing you in heaven (assuming you’re one of us), so you might as well start buying our tchochkies now so and start building an eternal customer relationship, free of those ignorant damned fools who, as you and I know, are doomed to spend eternity elsewhere.” That, IMHO, is darned near as offensive as the prior meaning.
Another sense resides in the message: “Because we subscribe to particular religious persuasion, we must be more likely to treat customers better and be less likely to rip them off than those who are not of our faith.” This, experience shows, is a variety of flaming hypocrisy, not to say “a lie.” A plumber I once called, for example, showed up in a truck advertising his “Christianity” and proposed to charge me $250 to replace a 50-cent part; one of his apostate competitors did the job for a few bucks.
The proprietor’s religion is none of my business, just as my religion is none of his or her business. This applies, too, to the religious beliefs of those who run for public office. Religion should be kept out of the marketplace and out of the public sphere. It belongs in church and in the home, and that’s where it should stay. I highly resent having people’s “Christianity” shoved in my face.
I agree with Mrs. Micah (although I’m not Christian). The ones that talk loudest about their belief system in non-relevant places are always the most obnoxious.
I’m sure that Canada has fairly robust laws on what is and is not permissible to display in public, with much of the emphasis being placed on freedom of speech as most/all modern democracies do. But just because someone is allowed to do something, doesn’t mean that the rest of us have to like or approve of it.
I would prefer it if this person didn’t advertise the Christianity in this manner. I wouldn’t legislate against it though.
Fascinating comments! I have exactly the same problem with “Christian owned” that I do with “black owned” or “white owned” (wouldn’t THAT be offensive) or “atheist owned” (and THAT one would generate some howls, I’m sure).
They are all STUPID for a commercial endeavor. Why even vaguely risk scaring off some customers, unless you are positive the increase from your targeted sign makes sense. Just seems like you’re taking too much of a chance with the clientele any way you look at it. And if a Christian owner thinks he’ll attract more Christians with a sign like that, try selling the same widget for $1 more than the non-Christian-logo’ed store across the street. See where people shop then.
And as far as Penn and Teller go, that’s a nice idea but a little bit overly optimistic. Nazi Germany’s biggest trading partner before World War II was France. And the Union and the Confederacy during the American Civil War had certainly been doing more than a little business between them before they lit each other up.
But great article & great conversation along with it!
Unfortunately Steve you appear to assume that trying to use your religion to sell things is a very unwise business venture, and that charging more for products will be its downfall. This is exactly opposite the case with Christian music. It’s often more expensive, but over a million Christians buy the stuff. Now why would that be, when you can get better non-Christian music for cheaper?
Granted there’s the phenomena of identity. However, many people underestimate religion; it’s not just religion. Religion is tied to culture. Now any business person knows how well culture sells. I think there’s a key there to why announcing your religion would work, and why business owners would have an incentive to do it.
As a side note, it’s interesting how despite my description of a possibly positive motive behind the sign (see comment 19), many people still interpret it with very negative connotations (see comment 42 & 44). People’s interpretation obviously rely heavily on past experience which influence their assumptions. Like MITBeta inferred in comment 41, you never know what people will think when they read your signs, even if you mean it well.
David, you use the example of selling Christian music – to Christians. Granted, a halal vendor can sell more easily to Muslims. Mr. Cheap seems to be implying this was not a “religious” store. Let’s say they were selling pencils. What motive does the pencil store owner seek to gain (and we assume he seeks to gain something, being a capitalist business owner) from advertising his Christian-ness? If you’re using the example of “family friendly” wouldn’t “family friendly” be a more appropriate and inclusive sign than “Christian owned”? Would “Christian family friendly” be OK?
I know that the owner is probably just bumper-sticker-ing his establishment in a quest for identity like many of us. I wear Jets t-shirts to say certain things about myself – I’m not a Giants fan, I’m from NY, etc. I’m sure the shop owner is not consciously malicious, and I don’t think they are intentionally negative when posting such a sign. I do think they are being stupid in the commercial sense, and I think there are plenty of ways to demonstrate a store is Christian owned – maybe by the way you treat customers, or show inclusiveness, or open your arms to anyone seeking to enter, no matter what their circumstances, than putting a sign on your door.
And for the record, I don’t think of the Christian-owned thing as any more or less offensive than black-owned or Heffalump-owned. All of them are equally short-sighted UNLESS they are specifically aimed at that group – as Mr. Cheap pointed out in para. 2. If you’re selling crucifixes, put up the sign. If you’re selling pencils, it’s just not good business.
Steve,
Good point. I guess I was thinking of Christian artists who write non-Christian albums and Christians buy it… but granted that’s because they’ve written Christian music in the past. Though hehe that reminds me of when Evanescence came out and everybody thought they were Christian for some reason and they made it into the Christian bookstores… =P anyways.
So yeah I agree that it’s a bit weird for an owner of a business who sells generic products to do so but I still think it lets him say something that other signs wouldn’t say altogether, which is basically: “There is a Christian Inside”
So yeah to me that wouldn’t be any different than saying black owned, white owned, American owned, Midget owned etc. The sign isn’t exclusive. It’s not saying “Non Christians keep out”. It’s not selective either, saying “Christians only”, not even “Christians preferred”. All it’s saying that there is a Christian inside who runs this establishment. If customers have a problem with that, that’s too bad, but why should they?
We shouldn’t get along in business because we hide our personal beliefs. We should get along in business because we accept each other for who we are. (Doesn’t mean we have to approve of each other’s deeds or beliefs, just that we’re going to treat each other as human beings and fellow citizens despite differences of opinion and origin)
This is really an atricle that has generated a very balanced and civilized conversation.
I am a Muslim and we do have some restrictions on issues that are halal or otherwise. Other than this, I would have no problems shopping at any shop.
But a shop that says Muslim owner or Christian owner, will not be the key issue in my shopping. It would be price and service.
And I would also think that their advertsing could do with a makeover.
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