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Christian Investor Drops WalMart from 'Recommended' List
Retailer Charged with Contributing to 'Cultural Degradation of Society'
By Rusty Pugh and Jim Brown
August 20, 2002
(AgapePress) - A major Christian investment advisory firm has rid itself of all its shares in WalMart because of the retailer's insistence on prominently displaying "soft-core porn." At the same time, one of America's leading businessmen says following Bible-based principles is simply good business.
The nation's leading mutual fund group geared toward moral responsibility is charging America's #1 discount store with "anti-family promotion of pornography." Arthur Ally is president of the Timothy Plan, the nation's largest pro-life, pro-family, biblically based mutual fund group. The group has divested all shares of WalMart Stores, Inc., and is calling for a national boycott of the company. The reason, Ally says, is WalMart's refusal to either remove -- or, at least, cover up -- what he calls "soft-core pornography" in its checkout lanes.
Ally says WalMart professes to be a family-oriented store -- but he contends the retailer is reading its clientele wrongly in its decision on how to market magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour. He says whatever revenue WalMart gets by placing such magazines in checkout lanes is going to be "dwarfed" by consumers who are tired of being confronted by racy covers and salacious headlines.
"People of principle [are] sick of the fact that we're on that slippery slope sliding into the pit of hell morally in this culture, and finally feel they can do something positive about this slide -- and that's to tell WalMart 'Clean it up or we're not going to shop there anymore,' " Ally says.
The investment industry veteran says WalMart's corporate response shocked him. "We didn't ask them to stop selling it -- I wish they would -- but simply [to] cover it up or get it out of there into a magazine rack somewhere that's in a less-visible part of the store," he says. "If they're that family-friendly, I was shocked by their response. Their response was 'no way' they're going to do that."
Alley says there is a parallel in WalMart's "profit at any cost" attitude and the subtle theme of declining corporate moral and ethical values that are creeping into big business today. Consequently, the Timothy Plan has added WalMart to its list of companies that are screened out of their funds because of their involvement in pornography.
No-Sandwich Sundays
Were it not a privately held company, Chick-Fil-A would likely be on the Timothy Plan's list of recommended investments. The founder of the Atlanta-based restaurant chain says his business has not once veered from its 1946 policy of honoring the Lord's day.
More than 1,000 Chick-Fil-A locations are scattered nationwide -- and every one of them is closed on Sunday. It does not seem to have hurt sales either. Despite the policy, the "inventor of the chicken sandwich" has had 34 consecutive years of sales increases.
According to founder Truett Cathy, his restaurant chain has not lost one lease because of the policy. In fact, he says, most developers respect his approach. Cathy says he has always strived to remain consistent in his convictions.
Truett Cathy
"That's, I think, the best business decision I ever made, closing on Sunday. I was brought up to reverence the Lord's day, and that'd be Sunday -- I was always brought going to Sunday school and church and be with my family, didn't have to do much work around the house. And I didn't want to be robbed of that day," he says. "But aside from that, when you work 24 hours a day for six days, you're ready for a break."
Cathy says he was not so committed to financial success that he was willing to abandon his priorities -- one of them being honoring the Lord's day. "We've always done that," he says, "and I think God has blessed us because of that."
"I think people hold you in high esteem for sticking to your convictions, whether they concur with this or not. We tell our customers if [they'll] just eat with us six days a week, we'll give you the privilege of eating somewhere else on Sunday."
The Chick-Fil-A founder says many of his restaurant operators are tempted to open on Sunday during the Christmas rush. But through the years, there has been only one violation of the no-Sunday policy -- and that cost the manager his position.
See Earlier Article on Chick-Fil-A Founder Truett Cathy
© 2002 AgapePress all rights reserved.
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The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART!
John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27
Posts: 3529 | From: Orange, Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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