Christian Bigotry Hurt My Place of Business

[NashVegas]

True story.

I work in radio. A couple of years ago, one of our sales people spent some three months courting a major Southern dairy. Many high-level meetings were had. Most of them started with prayer. For this particular sales rep, it wasn't a big deal. She was, herself, a CC when it came to everything but sex. Anyway, the deal was finally worked out and the prospective client was ready to sign on to what would have been a 50k annual buy.

And then their football-player spokesman entered into the deal - it would be his voice on the radio spots. Well, guess what? He had an issue, because we aren't a religious station (and what religious stations are anything but Christian radio?).

Three months of work down the drain because we didn't promote the Christian faith.

Most people who don't have any kind of foot in hardcore religious circles have no idea how much business is channeled towards good Christian people, knowingly, at the expense of those of us who don't http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3944/is_200304/ai_n9217258/print ">"pray horizontally."

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. That sucks. I never buy at blatantly "Christian" places. I find it offensive that they would

mix faith and business, not to mention anyone who does push faith like that is invariably not the same flavor of faith as me anyway.

[blondeatlast]

2. I won't patronize the "fishies" and I've been in numerous positions to tell them so.

We just bought a house and have had considerable work done. Many of the contractors approached and assured me that they supported Christian biz and that they of course were Christian (okay, so I have a cross and Bible in a semi-prominent place in my home).

I simply politely took their estimates, then told them politely why they would not be considered. I don't know, maybe it's those whole "moneychangers" and "pray in the closet" things that were in that bothersome Matthew that stuck with me. :shrug:

[NashVegas]

3. Exactly

That's what's so appalling about it. When I first moved here, got a muffler and asked the guy who was a good general repair garage. The recommendation was for someone who was a "good Christian." I'm like, "dude, I want a good mechanic."

[blondeatlast]

6. Really. I think He's got better things to do than keep my tranny in shape.

Maybe that's what's meant by "God helps those who help themselves" with that ol' routine maintenance.

[NashVegas]

13. Hehe

Good for you.

[peacebird]

10. I also avoid any store with the "fish" or "cross" prominently displayed on the window

The way I see it - they preach against my faith, they preach that friends of mine are going to hell for the "sin" of loving someone, they don't deserve my money. Why would I give my hard earned cash to support someone who condemns me and my friends?

[Arugula Latte]

14. Those fish things are a valuable symbol to me -- I know to stay the f@#$ away!

[KittyWampus]

4. So a dairy only wants to advertise on Christian stations? Then why bother w/ your station at all?

Why begin negotiations with your station in the first place, if it wasn't Christian?

Your post makes no sense.

Even if you're saying the talent had that much pull.

[ben_meyers]

5. I had a hard time following it also

When I enter into negotiations for a media buy the 1st things I want are programming, ratings and demographics to see if it fits my target market, something is missing here.:bounce:

[annabanana]

7. I think the point in the OP is that they didn't know this going in...

It wasn't until negotiations were nearly finalized that it bacame an issue...

[NashVegas]

9. Something Like That

We have a very attractive demo. We also occasionally play bands that cross over to Christian radio (Matt Wertz, Jars of Clay). The dairy saw no issue. Mr. Pro Football player did and he is paid righteous bucks to be their spokesperson.

[NashVegas]

8. Sorry

I have no response to posters who use the above tone.

[KittyWampus]

11. What tone? As your OP stands, it makes no sense and I indicated why. If a business

wants to advertise on Christian stations only, why would they even consider a secular station at all?

And if the issue was that the talent changed everything because of his believes, that doesn't seem credible either.

It's harder to imagine that the hired talent would have so much say, especially if time on your radio station was worth investing in originally.

[TlalocW]

12. Here in Tulsa, companies with fish just mean

The people think because they're nominally Christian they can rip people off. A guy in the office once did $8,000.00 worth of work for some big-wig at Rhema University (a religious college in Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa), and the guy decided not to pay him because my co-worker wasn't, "right in the spirit," and this guy is the biggest bible-thumper in the office.

TlalocW