Religion as a selling point?

Recently, some businesses have been printing biblical scriptures on their product packaging. In-n-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A and the Forever 21 clothing chain are doing this. My first thought was ‘good for them’.

I am not a zealot for or against religion. In fact, I believe a little religion can help this country regain its moral bearings. God knows we need all the help we can get. I also believe a company has the right to print what they want on their packaging, as long as it is not hate-mongering or slanderous. If someone has a problem with it then let their sales numbers speak for themselves, for or against.

Starbucks prints quotes from artists, writers, scientists and other noteworthy people on a variety of subjects, including religion. Atheists were upset when they saw that the Rev. Rick Warren ("The Purpose-Driven Life") is quoted, and Christians did not like gay writer Armistead Maupin's comment that "life is too damn short" to spend in the closet.

So outraged is one organization by the anti-evolution messages that it dispatched its members to protest the practice via e-mail and phone calls. "I mean, my God," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. "It's rather unforgivable. They're going to give their customers heartburn."

Gaylor also came up with this gem: "What are they going to do next, run quotes challenging the theory of gravity, then run a separate one by Galileo saying, 'Oh, no, it's true'? No wonder this country is going downhill scientifically." This is just stupid! Woman, if you are going to say anything please be intelligent!

Suck it up, people. Freedom of speech goes both ways. The objectors have a right to speak against the company and the company has the right to print what they want.

I am sick and tired of a very small minority trying to restrict what other people do by passing their own narrow-minded viewpoint off onto the majority. These are legal businesses engaged in legal commerce, you do not have the right to tell them what they can and cannot print on their packaging. Again, if you don’t like it, don’t shop there!

The problem I can see with this, besides it bringing out all the ‘nut jobs’ who think they have to protest against this way of doing business, is if the workers begin to engage the customers for or against the messages. When I walk into a business I am there for the product, not a sermon. Just sell your product and let the chips fall where they may. Of course, if the company wants to have open discussion with the customers they can, but I think it will hurt their sales.