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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Buying products from companies	Amy	Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Question: Dear Brother, I have been using dietary supplements from "Life Extension", a company that produces excellent quality dietary supplements and has excellent customer support. Recently I found out that this company supports embryonic stem cell research (although the products I use have no connection directly with such research). As a practicing Catholic, am I expected to avoid buying from such companies? I cancelled my membership but was wondering whether it is ok to buy their products (without being a member)- they are one of the best in supplements industry. Please advise me. Thank you, Amy
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Amy: The issue of boycotting companies that do or support issues that are offensive to the faith is mostly one of personal conscience, except for organizations and companies are in the business of issues offensive to the faith (e.g. Planned Parenthood, which should be totally boycotted in all their services, not just in abortion). In these cases we have a moral obligation to boycott them. Certainly we should not be formal members of any groups that hold offensive views. You did the right thing in resigning from membership in Life Extension. But, as to buying their products as a non-member, that will be up to your personal conscience. Personal conscience first informed by Church teaching, then is informed by analyzing the question according to the issue that is offensive to the faith, and balancing the pros and cons of using any particular product, and your personal interest to be an activist or not on a particular issue. Some people may boycott any company that supports stem cell research, others may boycott companies that support abortion, still others will boycott companies who support Obama. It is the choice of the person. The point is that there is no way, that is, it is impossible to avoid every company that does or supports issues offensive to the faith. If we did that we would have to give up gas and oil, heating fuel, electricity, telephones, automobiles, computers, the Internet, the cloths we wear, furniture, appliances, the food we eat — essentially, we would have to give up everything not specifically made by our own hands independent of the sources of society. Even buying products from Catholic stores will not make the grade for most products, since the products in the Catholic Store are mostly manufactured, or the raw ingredients to a product are produced, by offending companies. To avoid all companies that are offensive we would have to live on a mountain with absolutely no contact with the world. We would have to live off the hand, cut trees to build our house and make other products (e.g. a kitchen plate can be made of wood), raise livestock for food and for clothing (such as sheep for wool, hides of cows for other clothes and shoes, perhaps a bear skin for the winter), and grow our own crops. This would have to be done without any help from the outside world. I think everyone gets the point. Thus, in deciding to boycott this or that company and its products each person must make the decision for himself. It will be sinful for anyone to judge another because they did not boycott this or that company. Since we cannot boycott them all, we must choose. Now, of course, if there are alternatives in which a company is less egregious than another, then that can be taken into consideration. But, the bottomline is personal conscience. Thus, it is up to you whether or not to buy products from this company. There is nothing morally wrong with either decision you make on this. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Buying products from companies

Amy

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Question:

Dear Brother,

I have been using dietary supplements from "Life Extension", a company that produces excellent quality dietary supplements and has excellent customer support. Recently I found out that this company supports embryonic stem cell research (although the products I use have no connection directly with such research). As a practicing Catholic, am I expected to avoid buying from such companies? I cancelled my membership but was wondering whether it is ok to buy their products (without being a member)- they are one of the best in supplements industry. Please advise me. Thank you,
Amy

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Amy:

The issue of boycotting companies that do or support issues that are offensive to the faith is mostly one of personal conscience, except for organizations and companies are in the business of issues offensive to the faith (e.g. Planned Parenthood, which should be totally boycotted in all their services, not just in abortion). In these cases we have a moral obligation to boycott them.

Certainly we should not be formal members of any groups that hold offensive views. You did the right thing in resigning from membership in Life Extension.

But, as to buying their products as a non-member, that will be up to your personal conscience.

Personal conscience first informed by Church teaching, then is informed by analyzing the question according to the issue that is offensive to the faith, and balancing the pros and cons of using any particular product, and your personal interest to be an activist or not on a particular issue.

Some people may boycott any company that supports stem cell research, others may boycott companies that support abortion, still others will boycott companies who support Obama. It is the choice of the person.

The point is that there is no way, that is, it is impossible to avoid every company that does or supports issues offensive to the faith.

If we did that we would have to give up gas and oil, heating fuel, electricity, telephones, automobiles, computers, the Internet, the cloths we wear, furniture, appliances, the food we eat — essentially, we would have to give up everything not specifically made by our own hands independent of the sources of society.

Even buying products from Catholic stores will not make the grade for most products, since the products in the Catholic Store are mostly manufactured, or the raw ingredients to a product are produced, by offending companies.

To avoid all companies that are offensive we would have to live on a mountain with absolutely no contact with the world. We would have to live off the hand, cut trees to build our house and make other products (e.g. a kitchen plate can be made of wood), raise livestock for food and for clothing (such as sheep for wool, hides of cows for other clothes and shoes, perhaps a bear skin for the winter), and grow our own crops. This would have to be done without any help from the outside world.

I think everyone gets the point.

Thus, in deciding to boycott this or that company and its products each person must make the decision for himself. It will be sinful for anyone to judge another because they did not boycott this or that company. Since we cannot boycott them all, we must choose.

Now, of course, if there are alternatives in which a company is less egregious than another, then that can be taken into consideration. But, the bottomline is personal conscience.

Thus, it is up to you whether or not to buy products from this company. There is nothing morally wrong with either decision you make on this.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.