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Cashspeak! Religion in Business - CASHSPEAK
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7/31/07

Religion in Business

Christian ideals can be found in businesses all over the world. Some examples from my hometown include Christian coffee shops, Christian Music stores, and Christian clothing stores. However, sometimes Christian artifacts are hidden within a business.

Although some restaurants exist in the western United States, you will be more familiar with Chik-fil-A if you live in the eastern United States. Chik-fil-A does not hide its Christian beliefs. In fact, the official Chik-fil-A website states “[o]ur official statement of corporate purpose says that we exist to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” In addition to this corporate purpose, Chik-fil-A is never open on Sunday due to the fact that this is the holy day in Christian belief. Do these openly Christian ideals hurt Chik-fil-A’s bottom line? As of right now, it does not appear so. Chik-fil-A continues to grow and be profitable despite its refusal to conduct business on Sundays. Additionally, Chik-fil-A sponsors a college football bowl game, so they must be doing something right.

If you live in the western United States, specifically Nevada, California, or Arizona, then you are familiar with In-N-Out Hamburgers. In-N-Out is not as openly Christian based as Chik-fil-A, however, In-N-Out cleverly hides biblical references on their product containers. For example, on the bottom of their cups, on the inside lip, you will see a reference to John 3:16, which states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Additionally, on the back on the lower left-hand corner of a Double Double wrapper is a reference to Nahum 1:7, which states, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Check the various cup sizes and the various food product wrappers to discover other hidden references.

In addition to Christian based businesses, other religions are present in other types of businesses. For example, so called Jewish Delis are very profitable and successful in the eastern United States.

It appears that as long as the product is good, people do not really care about the religious affiliation associated with the product. I agree with this majority. Absent some religious practice that offends my ordinary senses, the religious affiliation of the business is irrelevant to me as long as the product is desirable.


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