Boycott Warren Buffett

[Joe Sperling]

Stephen---

Wow. I am totally amazed at you. As are some others too who have posted below. Didn't you read my post at all?
I can't believe after reading it you could say "Actually he is worried that the effort might be successful and he DOESN'T WANT THAT. Be clear on where he is coming from."

What are you accusing me of Stephen? My whole post was to point out that Jesus said "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel"--this was what he commanded us to do.
He didn't say "Go ye into all the world and boycott where you will and protest".  How can  you accuse me of wanting abortions, and inferring I'm coming from some sinister direction? "Be clear on where he is coming from". Just where am I coming from Stephen? Did you take the time to check out the "Operation World" sight set up to pray for the world each day? There are millions of people needing salvation. I put the hyperlink in my post. again: http://www.gmi.org/ow/

If there is anything sinister it's your accusation towards me and your definition of me to others. You have spoken often of "wrong tools" and the devil. One of the devil's major tools is to "accuse the brethren". Why are you accusing me of something that is completely untrue? I'm not Pro-choice by any means. I just feel the best way to defeat evil is to overcome it with good---the more the Gospel message is presented the more people come to Christ. The more people who come to Christ bring more of God's will into the world. Harrassing women isn't going to stop abortion, but preaching the Gospel to the lost could definitely help lessen it.   All the best to you Stephen--I'll pray for you. You're still my brother in Christ.

God bless,  Joe

[sfortescue]

Joe,

I want to apologize for going to far.  Perhaps your intention was not to hurt the cause, though your arguments are discouraging.  You're right that no one can really know for sure what another's intentions are.  I have no wish to get into a detailed debate about the Pro-Life cause since many people have argued those things at length.  It is a misrepresentation to say that because I am arguing for the Pro-Life cause therefore I am arguing for violence.  If there were a way to make peace with you, I would like to try, but I am not willing to be cowered into backing down on my support of the Pro-Life cause.  I do not want blood on my hands for that.

PROV 31:8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

[Joe Sperling]

Stephen---

As I mentioned in my E-mail to you, I have never said you should give up or back down from your "pro-life" cause. I am "pro-life" and vote for people who are "pro-life". As I said in my posts, I only question the "means" used to combat abortion. I don't think a "boycott" of Buffet and his billions of dollars is going to accomplish anything. That is just my opinion. I feel that the money put into such "boycott campaigns" would much better be used in trying to get the Gospel out to the "unsaved" who are perishing.

We can get so wrapped up with "stopping" the killing of the unborn that we can stop supporting those "going forth" to preach to the unsaved. I'll state once again that indeed there are many "unborn" killed senselessly, but there are also millions and millions of "unsaved" who are already alive and heading towards perdition.  I am of the opinion that preaching the Gospel and supporting it and showing our love will do far more than any boycott or harrassing of women at clinics will ever accomplish.

Of course, I accept your apology and apologize to you too if I came on too strong. We're brothers in Christ and it's perfectly OK to disagree about things. I hope we can have some more lively discussions in the future.

God Bless,  Joe

[brian]

i removed your second posting of those articles, stephen. i don't think its necesary to keep posting the same thing repeatedly.

[Oscar]

Joe,
.  If there were a way to make peace with you, I would like to try, but I am not willing to be cowered into backing down on my support of the Pro-Life cause.  I do not want blood on my hands for that.

Steve,

Joe advocated a change in tactics, not in stragegic goal.  Go ahead and demonstrate against abortion if you wish.  Realizing that there are different points of view is not "backing down" or "cowering".

Joe,
Many young women have reconsidered at the last moment when confronted outside an abortion clinic.  Babies have been saved.  There is no question of that.  So...it seems to me it has a place.

Many of these girls are scared kids with evil counsellors telling them that abortion is ok and is their only hope.  Sometimes a warm and compassionate person talking to them will help them to change their minds.

I doubt if seeing someone waving a large poster of a dead baby and screaming "Murderer" does much good.

ON BOYCOTTS

A few years ago the Southern Baptists announced that their denomination was boycotting Disneyland and Disney products because they have a lot of occult/new age ideas in their movies, plus they have a subsidiary that makes dirty movies.

I haven't noticed that there is any real effect at all.  So, what good does it do for a few thousand to boycott a huge international corporation?


ON QUITTING

The United States of America has supports abortion and sodomy through a bogus "right to privacy" found in invisible ink somewhere in the Constitution.   Only left leaning Supreme Court Justices can see it, apparently.

So...how many are ready to quit?

Thomas Maddux

[Joe Sperling]

Tom---

Thanks for the input. I guess I have a tendency when thinking of the "protestors" at the clinics to think of media
clips I have seen of people shouting "sinner!!" or "baby killer!!" at women entering, and  at the doctors especially.

It just doesn't jive with how Jesus treated the "woman caught in adultery". I have seen people holding the signs with grotesque pictures on them and chanting in front of hospitals at times and wondered how "wacky" this appears to non-christians, and what kind of testimony it really is.
But a genuine concern and loving approach at these places, as you say, could really do some good.

As far as "boycotts" go I would have to agree with you that they just don't seem to do much good. They might make the person participating feel they are doing what is "right", and God is on their side, but in the actual statistical realm
they fall short almost every time.

The only boycott I ever got involved in was the "Universal Studios Boycott" after the "Last Temptation of Christ" came out. It lasted about a month, then some great movie came out. I thought(as did hundreds of others) "I'll watch just this one movie then I'll go back to boycotting Universal again". Well, you know how that goes, it's about as effective as being on a diet and saying "just this one chocolate shake and then back to the diet again".

Oh, speaking of chocolate shakes, I do habitually boycott exercise Gyms. They are horrendous places where people talk about giving up fattening foods. And I know that the Bible teaches we should eat ALL THINGS with gladness of heart, and call nothing unclean. Any place that would try to force a distaste for fatty foods, or chocolate cake is teaching heresy and should be avoided like the plague.
I also boycott weight scale manufacturers because they try to distort the facts. But besides that I'm boycott free.

Oh well, take care Tom and God bless you,   Joe

[sfortescue]

Well, I guess I've been defeated.

Not only that, I've proven myself worse than a fool by having answered Joe hastily and unkindly.

[Kimberley Tobin]

I am pro-life.  I am not on the side of Joe nor on the side of Steve as I am writing this.  What I do want to say is from a woman's perspective who has LIVED THE ISSUE OF ABORTION, I think I have something to say regarding the subject.

18 years ago, as a 22 year old, unmarried, pregnant woman, I had a choice before me.  The majority of counsel I received, was to have an abortion.  I even had the Dean of my school take me out to lunch and tell me that I HAD to have an abortion, that I would be wasting my life if I went ahead with the pregnancy.  I only had two, let me repeat that - I only had two people, who said I could not go ahead and have an abortion.  

But what was the most influential thing?  A dear friend (one of the two) came to me with some casette tapes on abortion from John MacArthur.  These were graphic.  I was not a christian at the time, and in fact had been pro-choice my whole, young life.  I was sick after listening to these tapes!  I, in fact, was very angry at this friend who asked that I listen to these tapes.  The result?  I have a sixteen year old daughter.  My friend used means that, at the time, I was horrified at.  I thought, "How dare she!"  But I am forever grateful to her.

Please understand that previous to this, I had been adamantly pro-choice.  You see, my aunt died when I was three years old of an illegal abortion (her boyfriend, who was a pre-med student, attempted to perform an abortion on her).  I was a staunch advocate of pro-choice.  But having gone through the experience myself, I am so thankful that someone took a risk, did the "unpopular" thing and challenged my choice to an abortion.  

My point?  We don't know what is going to affect even one woman from making a choice to bring her baby to term, rather than having an abortion.  There are different methods................the point is to impact a woman's decision to not make a decision that she will regret for the rest of her life and cause the death of her unborn child.

[Joe Sperling]

Stephen---

You have by no means been "defeated".  You have stated your case for a "boycott" and should by all means do what you think is right. This is a Bulletin Board where we all state
our opinions. I personally don't think boycotts really work, but perhaps you do. It may not be the popular opinion, but you do what you feel the Lord is leading you to do.

Tom had mentioned below that women can be dissuaded form having abortions by the people meeting them at the clinics. I disagree with people who "harrass" women, but if there are people giving gentle council and they are able to talk them out of it, then I am wrong for saying or inferring that protests are all "wrong". This is not a black/white issue in the way the Assembly always saw things. It was either one way or the other--no middle ground. But I am willing to admit I could be wrong on my stand.

Kimberly below has stated that she was helped by someone really taking the time to speak with her. Her 16 year old daughter is a result of that.  I am far more directed towards evangelism than preventing abortion. But as you stated in your E-mail to me, God has many and varied causes and ways of accomplishing what he wants. I'm sorry if I sounded completely "one-sided" in what I was saying.

If money is put into "anti-abortion" campaigns and it is done with the loving mercy and Grace of the Lord I think that is a good thing. I would disagree with the shouting and chanting and labeling of people that can take place at those clinics. In my opinion the money to organize protests like that is wasted. I also feel that trying to boycott a billion dollar corporation is not a logical thing to do. the money used to do this could be put into other far more positive things for the furthering of the Gospel. But again, this is just my opinion. If your cause is really strong you cannot be "defeated", especially by a few posts on a bulletin board.

All the best to you Stephen and God bless you,  Joe

[sfortescue]

Roger:
I received this letter from the founder/chairman of Pampered Chef, Doris Christopher, today and thought you might be very interested and would want to pass this along to your reader's list.
Robin Nagel

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

We are pleased to provide you with the following letter from Doris Christopher.  You are welcome to share this letter with others.  This information is being communicated to you, our sales field, in the following manner.  A hard copy of this letter will be mailed to you next week.

* 4:45p.m. - ExecuFlash - Exec. Directors and above
* 5:15p.m. - E-mail blast - Director levels
* 5:45p.m. - E-mail blast - All Consultants U.S. and Canada
All times listed above are Central Standard Time.

Dear Kitchen Consultants:

I have shared with you my pride in being a part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of businesses.  I knew that this was the kind of family where The Pampered Chef would thrive and grow for years to come.  I have also shared with you my feelings of respect for Warren Buffett.

Today, I am even more proud to call Warren my mentor, leader and friend.

This week I went to Warren with a heavy heart.  I told him that many of our Kitchen Consultants were concerned and troubled with Berkshire Hathaway's donation policies - specifically the contributions to pro-choice organizations and to the Buffett Foundation.  I knew that I could speak with Warren frankly and that he would want to hear of the issues impacting your business.

It troubled him deeply that charitable donations from Berkshire Hathaway were causing you difficulty.  He listened to me carefully and with great compassion.  He understands that as his family of Berkshire companies expands, it becomes more diverse, and there are opinions and concerns that need to be taken into consideration.  Warren Buffett made a landmark decision regarding the long-standing corporate giving policies of Berkshire Hathaway.  His decision was this:

Effective immediately, Berkshire Hathaway will cease all corporate contributions of any kind to any non-profit organization.  This means there will be no donations from Berkshire Hathaway to the Buffett Foundation.  Let me be clear, there will be no possibility of any Pampered Chef profits being donated to any cause other than those we initiate, including our three current charitable giving programs: Round-Up from the Heart, Help Whip Cancer and the Family Resiliency Program.

Warren Buffett made his landmark decision after hearing what was in my heart and in yours.  I believe that Kitchen Consultants, hosts and customers are a diverse group of individuals with different opinions and beliefs.  Our business is built on trust and on personal relationships.  Warren understands our business and wants you to be successful in every way, able to do business with people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

I admire Warren Buffett for his heart and his insight.  He is a wise leader!

Thank you for all you do to make this company strong.


Doris K. Christopher
Founder and Chairman