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Christian owning a business that sells spiritual products?

uflood

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Hi, please offer me some advice.

I am a former new-ager who came to Jesus and Christianity. I used to own a business that sold Spiritual products and Self Help products. When I became Christian I separated myself from the business and sold it.

Now I find myself with the opportunity to become partial owner of the business again. But the business still sells spiritual products that help people with things like ESP, Meditation, Etc. On the flip side- about 3/4 of the products sold are NOT "spiritual" in nature.

I know the bible frowns upon Fortunetellers, and Psychic practices. But it also says : "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me."

Is it dooming my soul to become partial owner of a store that sells spiritual products?

When I try to justify it- I compare it to a Bookstore that has a New-Age section.. And is it correct to think that all bookstore owners that have a new-age section will go to Hades?

This brings up alot of thought- for instance how about Christian people who work for the Demonic Federal Reserve or the Demonic Banking system?

Please share your thoughts on this subject

Thanks
 

Illuminaughty

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Most book stores do have at least a small section of books on world religions, spirituality, and new age. Even say Barnes and Nobel or Waldenbooks. I don't see how selling books would be a problem but I guess I'm not a Christian so take that for what it's worth. It's not like you are claiming to personally agree with everything found in every single book at your store. I'm a liberal but I would have no problem selling books written by conservative authors for example.
 
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ebia

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Hi, please offer me some advice.

I am a former new-ager who came to Jesus and Christianity. I used to own a business that sold Spiritual products and Self Help products. When I became Christian I separated myself from the business and sold it.

Now I find myself with the opportunity to become partial owner of the business again. But the business still sells spiritual products that help people with things like ESP, Meditation, Etc. On the flip side- about 3/4 of the products sold are NOT "spiritual" in nature.

I know the bible frowns upon Fortunetellers, and Psychic practices. But it also says : "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me."

Is it dooming my soul to become partial owner of a store that sells spiritual products?

When I try to justify it- I compare it to a Bookstore that has a New-Age section.. And is it correct to think that all bookstore owners that have a new-age section will go to Hades?

This brings up alot of thought- for instance how about Christian people who work for the Demonic Federal Reserve or the Demonic Banking system?

Please share your thoughts on this subject

Thanks

A bookstore's job is to offer the whole range and let the customer decide. And a bookstore owner who cared might choose not to stock some of the more damaging stuff. Additionally "spirituality" is a pretty small section of the store.

Meditation, say, can be pretty neutral. But other stuff ...

Some questions I would ask myself:
How much is the spiritual stuff central to the shop?
How damaging is the stuff being sold?
Is that balanced by some Christian spirituality?

Note in Acts they didn't just sell the business, they burned the equipment to destroy it: "A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins."
137 years wages.
 
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Lilly Owl

Since when is God's adversary a curse word here?
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How did you feel when you owned your former business? What inspired you to open it to begin with?
Was it a desire to help people?

King Solomon. You might want to read up on him. Magic, divination, etc...
We as Christians are asked to believe a holy spirit whispered the words and will of God to scribes so that the Bible may come to light for the world. Prophets divine the will of God, as was evident in John the Baptist who knew Jesus would come.
Prayer, what do you think that is? Speaking to God. Meditation, which Jesus did, is listening to the spirit.
In this age when there's so much chaos brewing in the world, if God is opening the door for you to return newly washed in the blood of the lamb to the store as part owner now, when you founded it in the beginning, follow the light where it leads.
When God closes one door (The sale of your former business) he opens another. (The opportunity to now be part owner). Maybe God knows this was your calling all along.
People need guideposts on the road to life. Especially now when it appears there is so much darkness brewing.
I travel as an on the road spiritual merchant and healer.
Follow the light. Follow your heart.
:hug:Peace be with you.

Hi, please offer me some advice.

I am a former new-ager who came to Jesus and Christianity. I used to own a business that sold Spiritual products and Self Help products. When I became Christian I separated myself from the business and sold it.

Now I find myself with the opportunity to become partial owner of the business again. But the business still sells spiritual products that help people with things like ESP, Meditation, Etc. On the flip side- about 3/4 of the products sold are NOT "spiritual" in nature.

I know the bible frowns upon Fortunetellers, and Psychic practices. But it also says : "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me."

Is it dooming my soul to become partial owner of a store that sells spiritual products?

When I try to justify it- I compare it to a Bookstore that has a New-Age section.. And is it correct to think that all bookstore owners that have a new-age section will go to Hades?

This brings up alot of thought- for instance how about Christian people who work for the Demonic Federal Reserve or the Demonic Banking system?

Please share your thoughts on this subject

Thanks
 
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elephunky

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Unless you are promoting satanism or something like that which is totally opposite to what you wish to project, it isnt really an issue. You will actually find that in some ways New Ageyness and Christianity have a few things in common and you can use it as a tool to help people.
 
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Illuminaughty

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Just don't spend all your time using channeling crystals to contact the space brothers. Living inside a pyramid while wearing a tin foil hat to protect yourself from negative tachyon energies is a waste of time as well ;). Not all that new age stuff actually works.
 
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Verve

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If you're looking for something more likely to echo worldview the ethics and morality section of the forum is good. Sadly ethics and morality isn't necessarily going to provide you with Christian advice.

My advice. As someone who has had experience with new age/pagan practices, and stays in contact with pagans/athiests/pan-theists/etc... but most importantly as someone who is Christian. (This is just so you are aware that I'm not the "let's go burn witches" type...)

Look deeper at scripture and pray about it. Understand that we are called to a new way of living.

It would be an amazing piece of your testimony if you actually explained to those you formerly sold spiritual items to why you don't do so anymore.

If you honestly look at Christian companies that have had the "nerve" to close on the sabbath and run their companies with their beliefs...you'll find immensely successful companies. That's actually part of the testimony of the Hobby Lobby chain.

Hope this is helpful. :)

Edit: If you want to pose this question over in Christian Ethics, here's the link.
It is for ethical questions from a Christian perspective only.

http://www.christianforums.com/f459/
 
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Lilly Owl

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Just don't spend all your time using channeling crystals to contact the space brothers. Living inside a pyramid while wearing a tin foil hat to protect yourself from negative tachyon energies is a waste of time as well ;). Not all that new age stuff actually works.
Oh dag nabbit, someone's been spying on my Saturday nights! :doh:
smileys-aliens-967594.gif
meditation.gif
 
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D

dies-l

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I guess it depends on what "spiritual products" you are selling and whether you believe that those things are (a) inherently evil, (b) mostly neutral, but you disagree with them or believe that they are forbidden for Christians, or (c) good. Keep in mind, salvation is by faith, not works, so you don't go to hell for making a bad judgment call. But, you should ask how you would feel about profiting from evil.

For example, if I owned a convenience store, I would definitely not want to have any pornography or borderline-illegal drug paraphernalia (you know the stuff that says "for tobacco use only" in the locked glass case) in my shop, because I would regard this things as evil or so contrary to my own moral beliefs, I wouldn't want to profit from them. I would carefully consider selling alcohol and tobacco, even though I don't drink or smoke and I would almost definitely be okay with selling candy, junkfood, and the like, even though these things certainly have their downsides.

What I see here is really a matter line drawing. Personally, I am a Christian who meditates and so I would be somewhat taken aback by a store that refused to sell meditation aids on the basis of the store being owned by Christians. However, I would not be at all shocked or offended by a store choosing not to sell items that are specifically linked with practices that are expressly frowned on in Scripture, such as serving other gods, divination, and so forth.
 
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