Over the passed few days we have been totally bombarded by news and arguments for and against the Woolworths decision to remove Christian magazines from their shelves. In an age where the wars we wage range from rape to murder to corruption to global warming to AIDS to terrorism and and and and and, THIS is what takes all the glory in the news.
Well fine then, seen as though I am being exposed to it these are my thoughts:
- Woolworths is not a place of worship.
- Woolworths is not a store bearing religious connotations.
- Woolworths is not a non profit organisation.
This religious group is not being prevented from practicing their faith due to Woolworths' actions, nor is Woolworths the sole distributor of the magazines in question. I do not agree that Woolworths have robbed any person of any human right but perhaps just a convenience?
Now since when does ones religion need to be convenient? Does that not go against the very grain of Christianity?
Those that really feel this is important to their faith will travel to a different shop and continue to purchase the magazines elsewhere that may not be quite as convenient but they will make the "sacrifice".
I fully understand and support those who feel this is an insult and refuse to support Woolworths going forward. Cudo's to those who vote with their feet and show their disdain for a cause, religion or movement they believe in BUT I will have a lot more to say if those who are so outraged continue to pop into Woolies for a convenient microwave meal, lunch time salad, bag of chocolate chuckles, dessert for their dinner party, purchase their children's school clothes on their Woolies card, apply for a Woolies credit card and then in certain groups cry out and claim they are boycotting.
Woolworths is a store providing convenient and luxury items to the public in order to make profit. This is no secret so if the magazines no longer make business sense they have every right to remove them just as they have removed certain metal music magazines, which we have not heard one peep of outcry about might I add.
The next argument was why do Woolworths then sell Easter eggs and Christmas goodies which are also Christian.... well hello, because they are hot items, guaranteed to sell and render profit just the way the "trivial" gossip magazines sell.
Does this argument not just prove Woolworths' case? If they are totally against Christians and anything Christian they would remove the Christmas and Easter items too but as I keep saying, they are in it to make money and that is the bottom line.
Don't like it? Well don't frequent the store.
I was disappointed to see that certain Vegetarian meals were no longer being stocked a few months ago and when I asked about it I was told they were not selling and no longer viable. Does this mean Woolworths robbed me of my right not to eat meat? No! Does it mean I have to buy meat? No! Does it mean I will just have to look elsewhere in order to stay true? Yes!
I wonder what will come of the Woolies charity vans now? Oh yes that's right, THAT was not blown up into the public eye. Do you know that Woolies takes their stock which is just expired and no longer allowed on the shop shelves by order of Management and sell this food which is still perfectly good at drastically reduced prices to less privileged people waiting for these vans in the car park? Do you know that what is then not sold is donated and delivered to various charities some of which are Christian organisations?
Yup that's right. Always good to get a holistic view innit?!
2 comments:
Ja, I am a Christain, and I think this was blown totally out of proportion. i understand both sides of the argument though.
If Woolies wants to remove products that aren't selling, that's good business sense and who can blame them? But they should have left it at saying that, rather than saying they're not going to stock any religious or political publications. Every newspaper has a politics section. Are they going to chuck those too? Badly worded, methinks.
But the haters that came out of the woodwork - good grief! There were fundamentalists who reckon Woolies is now in cahoots with the devil and there were intolerent nasty folks that just used the opportunity as a platform to bash all Christians for being intolerant.
Honestly, as you say, aren't there more important things that we should be worrying about?
Tam I hear you! Not Woolies finest hour at all in terms of PR and wording but blown way out of proportion.
Ag!
Lets have a lekker weekend and ignore :)
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