Of Thin Mints and Conscience
by Motte Brown on 05/14/2008 at 8:36 PM
Have I ever mentioned that I won't buy Girl Scout cookies? That's right. When those adorable little girls come to the door in their cute little brown outfits, I just smile and say no thanks.
It's my personal conviction. I simply cannot stomach giving money to an organization that has been taken over by radical feminists and supports Planned Parenthood.
Related to this is to today's Boundless article called "Basketball Jesus" by George Halitzka. It's about how Christians often have varying degrees of conviction about issues like politics, alcohol, R-rated movies, and when, and when not to, boycott something.
Have you ever met folks who think R-rated movies are a tool of the devil? Or setting foot inside a bar is sinful, and voting Democrat means supporting baby-killers? If you ever question the views of those "Super-Saints," they'll cheerfully tell you how unspiritual you are.
Maybe on the flip side, you've encountered Believers who vote straight Democrat (because Big Oil has Republicans in their back pocket). They enjoy slasher movies and have nothing against a good chugging contest. When you wonder about their shady lifestyle, they scoff at your "legalism."
For 2000 years, Christians have argued over stuff that isn't covered in the Bible — only the topics have changed. In ancient Corinth, the disagreement was over meat.
Though I'd argue the sanctity of life is covered in the Bible, I do get his meaning. So go ahead and buy your box of Thin Mints, I won't judge. Really, I won't. As a matter of fact, my father-in-law often has them in his pantry. And I'll even enjoy one once in awhile when I'm visiting.
1. Gene said the following at 9:06 PM on May 14
Can I have yours, then? ;-)
Actually, I admire people who take a stand, even on small things. My husband and I went to Las Vegas a few summers ago, not to gamble, but so our son could visit the Star Trek museum there. We are opposed to gambling on principle (and I think there are indirect scriptural principles about fools and money involved), so we didn't drop so much as a penny in a slot machine. But if you want to go to Vegas and bet the line, that's up to you.
2. Andrew said the following at 10:06 PM on May 14
My mom used to lead my sister's Girl Scout troop. She said that according to some literature from the Girl Scouts, the reference to God in the scout oath or pledge could be changed to an idea, philosophy, or some other thing that is important to the girl. I am no expert on the Girl Scout organization, but it sounds like they are caving to the pressure to be politically correct.
3. DannieA said the following at 11:16 PM on May 14
forget thin mints...it's all about the peanut butter chocolate cookies!
Actually people think differently on what to avoid so more power to you.
4. Bob said the following at 11:36 PM on May 14
You make a good point. It's nice to see that there are Christians out there who are willing to take a stand on issues of this sort yet are unwilling to judge those who take a different position.
5. Jethro said the following at 11:46 PM on May 14
I completely agree about taking a stand against organizations with questionable politics.
6. nikki said the following at 1:17 AM on May 15
motte, this is a great article...short and to the point, and not overly provocative. :) I just wanted to ask, at what point does your nonsupport become paralyzing? I may be wrong, but I just figured money was coming to Planned Parenthood & co. from a lot of different places, probably including like Walmart, the grocery stores, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. Just take your pick of any non-Christian retail/organization. I'm not saying we shouldn't take a stand against things but it's hard to draw a rational line when boycotts are begun. I mean, most any nonreligious organization (and some of the religious ones) are funding something that we are fundamentally against. What do you think? I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I want to know what the thoughts are on this. Thanks!
7. Jen said the following at 6:43 AM on May 15
You make a good point, but I still think people will go on eating their thin mints. I know I will.
8. niki said the following at 6:50 AM on May 15
I am wondering the same thing as the other nikki (comment #5). Although I am thinking perhaps in a different direction.
I support the complete separation of church and state; as well as the complete separation of secular funding for "religious" institutions, whatever the stance of these may be. However, we are all free to make our own choices, of course, and so we cannot tell any other institutions how to go about their business. In fact, I'm glad for that. So as the Body of Christ, unity within our institution is most necessary considering separation from culture. I was reading an article (I think it was on Boundless) recently about the junk sold in "Christian" bookstores. There are plenty of helpful books and spiritual tools, but sometimes there is only the manifestation of some greedy, thoughtless manufacturer and its pitiful target market. Often the people purchasing the "Sounds Like" CDs and the "Looks Like" books and other "Christianese" knockoff items are well-meaning and purchasing a gift for someone, just not realizing what exactly they are buying into.
"Set apart" is what we're literally called to be, as a Church. This means that our Biblical beliefs must transcend political correctness, penetrating the shadows and noise to the real root of each and all political agendas. It is never easy to do this, and I know I certainly don't. It requires a lot of effort and it seems impossible to do on one's own. Who has the time to research what funding comes from where and why? Who knows what organizations are "secretly" affiliated and how? At least you (Motte) have discovered something and are acting upon it.
As Christians, we should be doing things differently. I mean everything. So easily we fall into the habits and rituals of the world. We should step back and take a look at the ways we do everything. I appreciate the staff of Boundless for frequently doing this. Examining our behaviors and considering our motivations will determine the effect that we have in the world.
9. Christina (in green) said the following at 7:18 AM on May 15
Motte,
Is there anyone else who sells thin mints? Or cookies like them?
Cuz that's just horribly disappointing and i really wanted some this year.
10. M.R. said the following at 8:07 AM on May 15
This is a wonderful point. I personally love to drink socially, love good wine and beer. NOT to excess, of course - part of enjoying wine is knowing when to stop, like any good but potent thing ;). There's something wonderful about raising a glass of wine to toast during a big family gathering - just something very celebratory about the idea. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, but binge drinking is unknown in my family and its environs.
HOWEVER, I totally understand anyone who abstains from alcohol completely, and know quite a few people who do because of the destruction they have seen alcohol wreak in family member's lives. I say, if this abstention helps you, if you know that you easily fall prey to addiction, or if you want to stand in solidarity with someone who has struggled out of alcohol addiction, all the power to you.
11. John D. said the following at 8:19 AM on May 15
By all means, boycott Girl Scout cookies if your conscience so directs you.
Here's a tougher call: can Christians hold both political parties to account for their sinful and immoral behaviors, including the party we tend to support?
12. kaj said the following at 8:38 AM on May 15
To build on nikki's comments (#5), I'll give some examples of businesses that make products we may take for granted:
My stepdad says he'll never eat Ben & Jerry's (now a part of ice cream (now a part of Unilever) because of their left-wing philosophies. Yet he still uses Old Spice, a product of Procter and Gamble, whose ideas of "diversity" includes homosexuals.
Ever needed to send documents overnight? FedEx extends employee benefits to "domestic partnerships," both same-sex and opposite-sex. UPS also supports the GLBT community. (I also researched DHL, but at the time my findings were inconclusive)
Philip Morris--ahem, Altria--is in the cigarette business, but also owns brands such as Kraft and Nabisco.
My brother refuses to shop at Wal-Mart because he does not like how the company does treats its blue-vested employees. He shops at Target instead.
Disney is behind the latest renditions of The Chronicles of Narnia, but also produces a lion's share (excuse the pun) of not-so-family friendly fare.
And regardless your preference for/against CCM, even many Christian music labels, as well as book publishers, are owned by secular companies.
My intentions here are to just to give some things to think about and discuss.
13. Zach said the following at 8:50 AM on May 15
Gene, my parents did the same thing with me. And I enjoyed the Star Trek museum throughly
14. Kellie said the following at 8:51 AM on May 15
I take it this means you wouldn't allow your daughters to become girl scouts either? The actual girl scout councils don't dictate much of what local troops do, so it's not as if your local girl scouts are becoming indocorinated with liberal ideas. On the other hand, the local troops receive a small amount (maybe 50 cents or less) per box of cookies they sell, so it's not a great fundraiser.
15. B. Minich said the following at 8:54 AM on May 15
I also like the important point made about the writer's friend who was having shots, and how no matter what their personal convictions, facilitating this brother's stumbling was not loving him, especially since they knew this could happen. I think that's how we need to approach these issues - with love toward those who don't agree with us, and with wisdom to perceive when a Christian friend is struggling with an issue and we can help him by not inviting him to go against his conscience.
16. Nicole Y said the following at 8:57 AM on May 15
I'm kind of thinking along the same lines as niki (#5). I once ran in a Race For the Cure for breast cancer. a few years later, after doing more research, I found out that a portion of the proceeds go to organizations like Planned Parenthood, not all of it goes directly to research. I stopped participating or donating after that point. However, why do I not apply the same principle when I shop at Walmart, or support other stores/organizations? I do not know where all of their funding goes, nor do I have the time or want to make time to reserach every single place I spend a dollar. Why do I get passionate about one specific organization but I am complete passive about others? Do I just simply overlook all of the good that the organization does? Where do we morally draw the line? If we nitpicked where every single one of our dollars went, we would have to exist in a vaccum or live seperately in a compound so that we don't accidentally "support" something we are morally against. However, I do believe that we have a conviction about something, we need to follow it. Why are we all convicted about different things though? These are just my honest questions.
17. Eliza said the following at 9:14 AM on May 15
Choosing to abstain from certain things in order to be better safe than sorry (in terms of being a stumbling block) is one method, but there is a flip side to that coin. Declaring that you don't participate in Halloween or drink alcohol or buy Disney products (or watch ABC) or buy Girl Scout cookies can also be a stumbling block. Making such declarations in the presence of a person who is insecure in their faith can cause them to doubt what the Holy Spirit is telling them personally, and also easily diverts their eyes from what is really important (prayer, worship, helping the needy) to things that are marginal. It also alienates non-Christians and generally sends off a holier-than-thou aura. So although you may personally choose not to see R rated movies (or any movies, so as not to support Hollywood), I doubt that making that fact public is particularly helpful.
Of course, if someone is struggling with the issue themselves and comes to you about it, I think it's great to share your perspective and experience.
18. Katie B said the following at 9:20 AM on May 15
Christina: check out grasshopper cookies, I believe they are made by keebler.
I was in brownies, my mom was at one point the regional cookie manager, I have fond memories of building forts with those big crates of cookies and peddling the leftovers out of a wheelbarrow. My dad still cant turn down a cute little girl in a uniform, and buys at least a box from every one who offers. I knew nothing of the organizations affiliations when I was a kid, and I must say, it only momentarily clouded my happy reminiscence.
19. Clavem Abyssi said the following at 9:31 AM on May 15
I think your boycott is a bit misguided (pardon the pun). Unless fund-raising for Guides is dramatically different than Scouts (of which I'm a leader), the money gleaned from cookie-selling (or popcorn-selling, tree-planting, etc...) goes to the local group, not the national organization. In my experience, about 60% of the money raised goes the local group and 40% goes to the company that makes the product.
The national organization is supported by membership fees, so you might consider not putting your daughter into Guides (or better yet, just become a leader and keep "God" in your promise).
Shouldn't a boycott actually affect the people who made the decisions you disagree with? Unless you think that by starving the local group of cookie money, you'll cause all their events to be canceled and then all the girls will quit, thus causing Guides US to lose a couple bucks in membership fees? And remember, no Guide leader HAS to follow any particular curriculum and no parent HAS to sign their kids up with a group with leaders/content they disagree with.
20. Eliza said the following at 9:47 AM on May 15
Speaking of subsidiaries and such, the most interesting one to me is Zondervan, which is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers, the parent company of which is News Corporation, owned by Rupert Murdoch. Other subsidiaries of News Corporation include all Fox TV channels, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight, the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, AskMen.com, and MySpace.
Those are the companies our Bibles are supporting :).
21. Brian said the following at 9:58 AM on May 15
Re: #9 Christina (in green)
Keebler Fudge Shoppe Grasshopper cookies taste almost exactly like thin mints, and you can get them in any grocery store! Just make sure and remember to put them in the freezer where they belong!
22. Kate said the following at 10:13 AM on May 15
I can't help but wonder if your post was partly inspired by this "breaking" news from MI about a girl who sold an insane number of cookies! http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/dearborn_girl_scout_sells_1732.html
I doubt this is national news... but it does make a funny coincidence!
23. Tami said the following at 10:15 AM on May 15
Clavem (19), I don't know about the way the money gets handled, but in general terms, the Girl Scouts' and Boy Scouts' national organizations are very different. So even if some of that money goes to the national organization, I can understand why Motte and those like him would not want to buy the cookies.
24. Justice said the following at 10:19 AM on May 15
Kaj,
Perhaps you should look deeper into things, UPS was one of the first companies to hire minorities and promote them years before the civil rights movement.
25. JessicaF said the following at 10:25 AM on May 15
re:#22 It was on Yahoo! news today...
26. obewan said the following at 10:54 AM on May 15
You really have to ask the question regarding who gets hurt with this boycott. My understanding is that most of the money goes to help with trips and campouts for the girls that sell the cookies.
Even if not, where does it end? Should we boycott the IRS too and risk prison because we don’t want our tax dollars funding abortions? It would never end as some of the others have shared.
If you were opposed to same sex or unmarried partner medical benefits, then you would have to stop all airline flights because many of those service providers – along with my current employer do so. (They are also so liberal that they do not discriminate in hiring the disabled or firing/laying off people who get sick.)
My overall impression is that more good than evil comes from the Girl Scouts organization. Doesn’t it really depend on who the individual leaders are? Parents who are concerned about their own children can become involved themselves, as one of my church going co-workers has done.
I think an outcry from within the organization will do a world of more good than a militant outside protest, and a boycott only provides fuel for the liberal leaders to use against our causes if the reason for the boycott is put before children with moldable minds. In other words, where young children are concerned some things are better off not talked about.
27. Sarah22 said the following at 11:05 AM on May 15
Thanks for bringing up Zondervan as that is exactly what came to mind when I read this blog...I've thought many times about asking Boundless about their feelings as many writers seem to frequently make use of the NIV for bible quotes.
I have become extremely convicted about the NIV after researching it.
The New International Version is printed and published by Zondervan which is owned by Harper Row Publishers who has published such books as:
- The Joys of Gay Sex
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060012748/The_Joy_of_Gay_Sex/index.aspx
- The Satanic Bible
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780380015399/Satanic_Bible/index.aspx
Dr. Virginia Mollenkott a self proclaimed lesbian, was a stylistic consultant on the NIV and believes
that Christians can be lesbians and homosexuals, although she goes MUCH further than that, denouncing the deity of Christ and even calling God an abusive parent (referring to Christ's death on the cross) and Jesus the obedient, trusting child and then referencing that she cannot believe this as she is a survivor of incest - I urge you to actually read these links through:
http://www.geocities.com/vrmollenkott/
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/virginiamollenkott.htm
They didn't just change thee's and thou's....The New International Version is not a word for word translation. They agreed that faithful communication of the meaning of the original writers demands frequent modifications in sentence structure (resulting in a "thought-for-thought" translation) and constant regard for the contextual meanings of words.
You are all intelligent individuals, you are more than able to do research on your own so I'll stop here, but if you have not already done so, I urge you to pray about this matter and wheather or not you think the NIV is a bible you can continue to read.
The fact that the NIV is quoted so often on this site has not kept me away, but I do honestly seek to understand what kind of feelings the Boundless staff has about the NIV and those involved in its translation and publication.
28. kaj said the following at 11:30 AM on May 15
If you read my original post (#12) I never said anything about any particular company being "bad" or "good" because of their practices, let alone if they should be boycotted. I just stated facts, culled from either personal experience or public information from official company websites, and let readers make their own decisions.
The point I was trying to make, and maybe failed in its delivery, was "if someone were to boycott 'a" for something, what about boycotting "b" for its practices?
Maybe I should have also highlighted the positive contributions these companies have made through things such as supporting local charities or aiding disaster relief.
It reminds me of the principle of trying to remove the speck in a brother's eye, when there's a plank in one's own eye.
29. Christina (in green) said the following at 11:48 AM on May 15
When I shop or buy something from a company that also sells stuff that I don't like, like Disney or secular music companies that own christian labels, I attempt to make a statement by where I put my money.
If I have a hard problem with Touchstone's most recent release of Step Up 2, then I won't let my money support that. But Disney does some amazing movies that ARE worth watching, and I will spend my money supporting those movies. Let my money speak for itself...if those movies are what sells, than that's what will come out more.
Same thing with music. I admire Hilary Duff as being one of the only secular artists in the teen pop world that keeps her clothes on and stays out of the tabloids. I buy her music simply because I think she's a decent (not perfect) role model for the age group that tracks Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan like they are goddesses. It doesn't bother me that the same label owns Lindsay Lohan, as the records will show that what my money is going to is not Lohan.
However, buying from an organization whose money goes to things that you don't have any control over...like what wal-mart does with its profits and what organizations it supports is a bit different. I'm not certain how to handle that, and I think Motte has chosen to do what he thinks is right in this case. The products you buy from those organizations have no affect on what that company will use its money on in the future. Its moments like that where "ignorance is bliss" is a true statement. I do think you can overly complicate, but if you have a problem with what the company uses, then don't give them more money than what is absolutely necessary (as you do need to get food from somewhere).
To avoid grocery stores, you could always have a garden, a cow, and some chickens!
30. Louise said the following at 12:04 PM on May 15
I hope that those of you who don't approve of the girl scouts (or other children's organizations for that matter) are still polite to the children when they come to the door.
Remember, they might not even want to be there.
My parents forced me to be in girl scouts until I completed sixth grade.
They figured that the forced socialization was good for me and being a child I did not have a choice.
I didn't mind the cookie sales too much but the campouts were terrible (in the over thirty years since my last girl scout campout, I still refuse to camp!)
31. Tom Neven said the following at 12:14 PM on May 15
Sarah22 (#27)
If you want to avoid buying the NIV translation because of the business associations you mention, that's fine. But to bring up Dr. Virginia Mollenkott as a reason to not use the NIV is just mistaken.
She had nothing to do with the translation of the NIV, and she overinflates her role on her web site. She was there strictly as a consultant on English usage. She had nothing to do with the actual translation work, which was done by a committee of more than 40 scholars of Hebrew, Greek, Old Testament and New Testament.
The fact that it was translated by such a large number should give us confidence that we have a good translation; this prevented personal or denominational biases from creeping in. In any instance where there was significant differences of opinion on how something should be rendered, the minority opinion is included in the notes.
And an idea-for-idea translation is actually better than a word-for-word, which is impossible from one language to the next anyway. I speak passable French, and there are many idioms in English and in French that just cannot be translated word-for-word into the other, or if so would be completely meaningless.
I know many people who like the NAS Bible (as close to a word-for-word as you can get in English), but to me it's convoluted, and some subtleties are lost in the process.
Most of the accusations against the NIV that cite Mollenkott come from people who believe the only translation we should use is the King James. ("If it was good enough for the apostle Paul, it's good enough for me!")
I suggest you read The King James Only Controversy by James White for a good overview and for unbiased information about Mollenkott.
32. Motte said the following at 12:36 PM on May 15
Niki:
Here's a list from Life Decisions International which includes organizations that support Planned Parenthood. I just like being aware of which companies or non-profits are on the list so I can make informed choices when deciding on things ranging from where bank to buying cookies.
It's true however that you can't know where all your money goes. So I don't obessess about it. But I don't want to shut my eyes either when there's information out there.
As for not buying Girl Scout cookies, the national Girl Scouts of the U.S. is a non-profit organization that allows their affiliates to partner with or otherwise support the Planned Parenthood abortion mill. They have also been infiltrated by Gay and Lesbian organizations and Wiccans on the local level. So I choose not to support them, particularly when there's an alternative like the American Heritage Girls ministry.
33. Ted Slater said the following at 12:39 PM on May 15
Sarah (comment #27) -- I actually prefer the ESV over other translations, FWIW....
34. Laurie said the following at 1:10 PM on May 15
I would be really interested in a response to Nicole Y (comment 16) - Why are we all convicted about different things? This is a question that I am struggling with right now. How can I feel like I am clearly following what God has told me to do about a "gray area" in life, and another strong Christian can feel absolutely differently about it? Is it then really a conviction, or is it actually a preference? Is the word "conviction" thrown around too freely? These are things I am wondering about. I really enjoyed the article "Basketball Jesus." It was very helpful!
35. Dan Gill said the following at 1:32 PM on May 15
So, you won't buy Girl Scout cookies, but you'll eat the ones your father-in-law buys? Isn't that supporting them by reducing the number your FIL has to eat, thus forcing him to buy more?
You can take this back too far, I believe. What about financial institutions who lend to Planned Parenthood? Should we boycott them? How about companies that provide services to them?
I used to worry about this, but finally gave up. For one thing, it's impossible to keep track of. Another thing that helped me was something I learned from Ray VanderLaan. Jesus was supported in part by Joanna, the wife of Cuza, who was manager of Herod's household. What? Jesus' support came indirectly from Herod? Not only that, but Herod's money came largely from an aphrodisiac. Jesus didn't worry about that. He just did what he was sent to do. I think we have a much greater influence by what we do and what we support, rather than by what we don't do or support.
36. Lisa A said the following at 2:27 PM on May 15
Dan (#35): haha...I thought the same thing! Motte, you need to give up the Thin Mints altogether, it appears.
37. Michele said the following at 2:43 PM on May 15
I was a Girl Scout for over 12 years, including some time spent as a leader for a Daisy troop (kindergarten) and for a Junior troop (5th and 6th grade). I saw the surge in feminist teachings in Scouts toward the end, and I was out before the whole thing about them taking "God" out of their Scout pledge. Even knowing all of that, I would love to participate again. I think this is an extremely important place for Christians to get involved; they're teaching life lessons to girls and it's a perfect place to be a witnessing Christian.
I buy Girl Scout cookies because I personally benefitted quite a bit from the organization - the friendships I made have been lifelong, and the skills I learned I have been able to apply in every aspect of my adult life. I also give because cookie money also goes to sending girls to summer camps and on trips to see and do things that many of them would never have a chance to see or do.
I know there are Christian alternatives for girls (one church in my area offers "American Heritage" groups for girls, and there's always AWANA, not to mention the scads of Christian summer camps). But Girl Scouts is unique because it reaches into public schools and attracts girls from all sorts of backgrounds. What better way to witness to non-believers?
I understand why people won't give money to Girl Scouts. I just happen to disagree that these sorts of boycotts are effective.
38. Jo said the following at 3:07 PM on May 15
Nicle (16) and Laurie (34): here's my take on the 'individual convictions' issue.
1.
All of us are in the process of being redeemed. Redemption is both an instant thing (you believe and repent -> you are saved) and an ongoing thing (bit by bit, you are restored to God's original design). That 'bit by bit' process is different for each individual. God doesn't seem to reveal all our sins to us at once, and even where we know we fall down, there are some areas where we know He is really challenging us and others that seem less of a priority for the time being.
Remember God is much more concerned with our insides than our outsides. The same outer sins can be caused by very different inner ones, so what is a fundamental problem in one believer might be a lesser issue in another, because what lies underneath is different.
Now that's not to say that because I haven't felt strongly convicted of a sin, it's not so bad. I can't make the excuse that "well, I know it's wrong but I don't feel a particular calling to change it at the moment so it doesn't matter." However, change is painstaking and we're in it for the longhaul. If I am responding to the particular calls He IS giving to me right now, and seeking to gradually bring my whole life into line with His will, I think He is patient and will complete the work He has started.
2.
With regards to the issues this particular post brings up, I think some of the same things apply. As others have said, to become obsessive about seeking out immoral companies, and try and boycott everyone who doesn't follow Christian principles would be paralysing. Once again, we must follow God's leading. It's the flip side of choosing which charities to support. Which causes has God put on my heart strongly enough to inspire me to aid them with my money or time? And in the same way, which issues has He he broken my heart about enough to persuade me to take a stand by refusing to fund their continuation?
Really, all this tension is a naturl result of living in a world opposed to God's commands, and being called to live out our Christian faith within this context. There is a middle ground between extreme isolation and full immersion, and learning to live within the vast expanse of grey while resolving not to embrace it is a lifelong mission.
We are in a war, and we're on the same side. But each of us has particular enemies to fight against. I need to respect the battles you've been called to, without losing focus on those given to me, and to do that I have to keep in mind that there is a big picture here. God has all these areas covered, I just need to fulfill my role in the army and trust you to fulfill yours.
39. Nicole said the following at 5:05 PM on May 15
Two things.
I was in Girl Scouts when I was a kid. My scout leader was actually quitting (which is when I quit) because of how feminist the organization and had gotten and the rules she had to now follow to do it.
The other thing, I also don't eat Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Part of their profits go to Planned Parenthood. And some of there local stores support abortion clinic and "family planning" clinics. I was always told this, but know it for certain about one I visited where it had the name of the clinic where part of their profits went. I looked up the clinic and it was a "family planning" clinic that was affiliated with an abortion clinic.
40. Rachael said the following at 5:45 PM on May 15
Sarah22,
The last time I was at a Christian bookstore, a wise man told me something like this: "A Bible someone reads is a good one." (Or he may have stuck words like 'version' or 'translation' in there...)
I'm not advocating all kinds of Bibles. Not dissing the NIV. I do prefer a version that seeks to be word-for-word, but it can be difficult to read.
For anyone who is currently looking for a new Bible, feel free to buy one of these here. No, I don't work for Westminster, but I recently bought a cute one there, and it's a decent price. It's ESV single-column fun :)
41. Esther said the following at 6:16 PM on May 15
I just wish the girls would learn to bake their own cookies. I know, I know, there's all the issues of liability and food safety, and whether you actually want to eat something baked by an 8 year old, but I'd rather buy something the girl had some hand in preparing, and had some fun and learning along the way.
42. KJ said the following at 6:47 PM on May 15
Christina (#9) - Last I checked Stauffer's (sp?) had a reasonably good chocolate/mint knockoff as well.
Of course, if we're going to avoid the appearance of evil, we ought not to be seen eating anything that LOOKS like a Girl Scout cookie.
Kidding!
43. Louise said the following at 9:13 PM on May 15
I don't purchase Ben and Jerry's ice cream because it's bad for you!
At fifteen or more grams of fat per serving...no thank you!
I'll take the store brand, please.
And after all, one must keep one's weight down, or "marriage won't happen."
:)
44. Anna said the following at 11:16 PM on May 15
The Girl Scout cookie program is designed to teach girls entrepreneurship skills... how to safely and politely approach people to make a sale, how to budget, set goals and how to reach those goals. So, while the girls are not baking the cookies, they are gaining many skills through the program.
Also, while Girl Scouts have partnered with Planned Parenthood in the past to share certain information about sexual health, abortion was not promoted by the organization. Girl Scouting believes that sensitive decisions are to be made by families and requires a signed permission slip from parents before sensitive issues are discussed.
I understand the need to spend money wisely and with conviction, however, I thought these points might be of help in making informed decisions.
45. Leah said the following at 3:25 AM on May 16
Christina in green- I'm not sure what Thin Mints are, but do you guys have Arnotts biscuits in the US? It is (or rather, was) an Australian brand, which has now been bought out by a US company. The make the best biscuits in the history of the world, I kid you not. If you guys do have Arnotts biscuits, hunt down a packet of Mint Slices. Sounds like they might be the same thing as Thin Mints.
In regards to the OP: great post. Really, really great post. Sometimes we do need to be judgmental, but this is one of those times we don't that people often are anyway.
My thoughts on the two different parties Halitzka illustrated are this: I believe we should take a stand against policies which blatantly contradict biblical principles. This doesn't necessarily mean boycotting the company- there are many ways to do it. When it comes to things the bible is not black-and-white on, we should look at our attitude towards it, and if THAT is biblical. If it isn't, then we should do something about it. If it is, then we can make a personal decision on it.
46. yipeng said the following at 5:29 AM on May 16
On the other side away from abstaination & activism...
... there is surely place for being liberal in showing compassion :)
Everyone needs cookies!
47. Katie B said the following at 9:07 AM on May 16
Romans 14 talks about what we eat in good concience. I would be curious to see if anyone here sees the parralels in this situation and has any thoughts on it.
48. Tami said the following at 11:18 AM on May 16
Katie B (47), I was thinking of Romans 14 the whole time, but kept cancelling my comments because they got really long. :)
So, yes. To keep myself out of wordiness trouble, I'll keep it short: Let's all read Romans 14!