At a Walmart in the middle of nowhere Minnesota they have hitching posts in the parking lot for the horses of the Amish. It's like one of the only stores around for anybody to shop at.
I have other issues with Walmart myself- but if you had to stop shopping at places that sold objectionable things or similarly stop paying money for services to companies that support objectionable things- you'd likely wind up homeless, starving, and naked.
Around 1990, backslid--in San Diego, then back to the Lord in Ohio (1992-1994), I went through a 'green/clean' phase, don't know what else to call it, and we composted and got together (my husband and I) with other Christians of every stripe (Seven Day Adventists and Charismatics and UUs and us...) pooling our resources to buy organic from farms outside Akron area of Ohio).
I wrote and published articles on simple living, even spoke at Northwestern University as part of a panel on 'simple living' with non-Christians and Christians about, geez, you name it: Stewardship of the earth, and non-violent protest, growing and buying organic, intentional communities, and every kind of vegetarian 'and' other lifestyles including subsistent farmers who butchered their own pigs...
It got crazy, stressful...
It's funny now, parts of it, like reusing thick flannel pads I soaked in peroxide water, and the horrified response of my teenager at the 'idea' his friends might 'know' (not see, just somehow 'know'), though they all told him, Your Mom is cool!
And we shopped at co-ops and stayed away from big stores whenever possible, didn't like going to the convenient store that sold porn magazines at eye-level, right out where kids could see...
And you know?
We have to do what we 'reasonably' can, using common sense, looking at our situation (like we didn't have a car, computer, washer/dryer--and we still don't have the first at all or the last in our rented condo), but you just can't opt out of living...
My husband does the bulk of shopping by taking a granny cart (I researched and found the sturdiest) and he takes a trolley and a bus, walks to Walmart, Target, Food 4 Less, because those are somewhat near where we are...
He's 51, works all day, then goes and does that...
And like someone else wrote earlier in this Thread, my husband goes in and gets what is needed, gets out.
I once did long-term research on 'green' and 'simple living choices', and let's just say that the trails always started with over-consuming and led to big business:
It's the way of the world.
So, one by one, we have to pray, reflect on what 'need' means, look at our personal situations, like do we have children under 18 who by law must be given such and such, and how old are we--with or without serious health problems. Do we have a car, how much do we make, one income or two (we're getting old, have only one income, lots of medical debt--from my illnesses and injuries, and no car,
And then let's all at the Fruits of the Spirit:
Generosity, self-discipline, peace, joy... Got any of those, getting richer in the Gifts?
***
But when I was younger, in my 30s, I really thought, like so many young, energetic (and angry) people think: I'll do it better...
You know, than 'they' did, do: Parent's, neighbors, whoever...
But I didn't do it better, not really, not over-all, because it reminds me of St. Paul writing about how everything is the sound of tinkling brass and gonging cymbals (to paraphrase)
without Love.
***
I have a brother-in-law who lives on Amish land, with the Amish to drive them to stores, do other errands they can't do because of their beliefs. And I remember feeling disillusioned, again back in Ohio, in my 30s, when I was in a big grocery store and saw Mennonite women (bonnets and long dresses) putting margarine and Pepsi and and all kinds of junk food in their carts--looking so depressed, just miserable, really took the 'romance' right outta my mind.
Jesus came to Redeem the entire Human Race.
And boy howdy, don't we need Him?!?
~ Carolyn
P.S. I really enjoy these smilies, especially the more tired I get.
