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Items sold in Christian bookstores

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Steven2006, Dec 3, 2010.

  1. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    On another thread someone raised this question.

    I am curious what most people think.

    Myself, I would agree if it were a bookstore located in a church, but for a large public bookstore, I don't really agree. What is wrong with them offering entertainment, art, etc that is family friendly in nature, in addition to bibles, theology books etc?

    I would think that a large Christian bookstore might view it as a benefit to their customers to offer a selection of family friendly movies, novels, games, toys etc. for their customers to enjoy. Customers might like the idea of having some type of filtering done if they were to wanting to choose a movie or book for their family. What if a Grandma wanted to let her grandchildren pick a movie to buy? Isn't it nice to also have the choice of taking them to a christian bookstore to choose from rather than only the Walmarts and Bestbuys?

    Should the mandate of a public Christian bookstore to only sell bibles, commentaries etc? I don't believe so.
     
  2. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    That would be me.

    I see where you're coming from and I think there's some merit to it, but I believe that once a bookstore advertises itself as a "Christian bookstore", that it should be Christian in nature and different from secular bookstores, like Borders or Barnes and Noble.

    There's nothing wrong with secular entertainment, but we should keep the secular entertainment seperate from ministry.
     
  3. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    I can see both points, but it is not advertising itself as a bible store, but as a Christian bookstore. So I think it is a service for them to carry a variety of things that one normally would expect to find at any secular bookstore, but with Christian values in mind with the selection offered.
     
  4. RevGKG

    RevGKG Member

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    These stores can obviously sell whatever they wish to sale and they can open whenever they please (i.e. Family Christian Store opening on Sunday). Just as any merchant, they cater to their customers.

    With that said, if one looks at the inventory of the average Christian bookstore, they cater to a rather shallow superficial Christian. If you look at the section containing commentaries or theological books, it is rather small. The popular "how to" books fill the bulk of the shelves. Anything that would require deep study is scarcely available.

    While I do not mind these stores carrying movies, art and the like, by their very name they should have (IMHO) materials that guide believers in a greater understanding of Scripture. It is no wonder most Christians do not understand major issues in Christianity.
     
  5. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    So you are saying that Christian book stores should be more evangelizing in nature, primarily more of an outreach than anything else?
     
  6. preacher4truth

    preacher4truth Active Member

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    I don't believe so either.

    Well. I don't know if it makes one feel more holy to get a Bible at a Christian Book store, then to get more secular fare elsewhere. As we know, the bookstore is not a church.

    I suppose it boils down to what offends someone. People are going to get offended about selling anything from movies, to Bible versions. Some are just very thin skinned about these things.

    It reminds of what Paul said, if I eat meat, and it offends my brother, then I won't do it. 1 Corinthians 8.

    As Christians come together, we begin to take note of how easily some are offended, and then, we learn to take precautions around them to never do whatever gets under their skin.

    I wouldn't be offended if the Christian book store I go to sold some DVD's. If they have what I need there, then I will get it there. Why go somewhere else to get one? It doesn't matter where we get it from at all.
     
  7. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    OK. So what, specifically is it about The Blindside that makes it "Christian"?

    ((And, as I pointed out in the other thread, I ask this as somebody who thoroughly enjoyed the movie so much that I bought it on DVD.))
     
  8. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    I strongly believe that anytime you tack the word "Christian" onto something, you're making a statement by doing what ever thing you're calling Christian about what Christianity is.

    As such, yes, I believe that anything that calls itself "Christian" should be ministry minded.
     
  9. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    Nothing does, never claimed it was Christian.

    My point is that if a Christian wanted to buy a movie for their family is it not a benefit to have a store that offers choices that they can assume would not be full of nudity, vulgar language, etc to choose from?
     
  10. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    OK. So then, why sell The Blindside in a Christian bookstore and not, say, My Left Foot?

    My local Best Buy has those choices too. So does Netflix.
     
  11. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    Yes, amongst the many other choices that many Christian families would feel go against their values.

    I'll use the example I did earlier. What if a Grandma wanted to let her grandchildren pick a movie to buy? Isn't it nicer if she could have a store to go to where she could feel safe with their options they might choose from?
     
    #11 Steven2006, Dec 3, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 3, 2010
  12. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    If they're really against their values, then they won't buy them.

    Well, the first thing grandma should do is teach her grandchildren Biblical principles by which to judge the movies they watch.

    Or, God forbid, she could just tell them "no" if they pick an inappropriate movie.
     
  13. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Wouldn't this be the same as advertising oneself as a Christian...yet still playing sports, discussing politics, etc.? Do Christians (besides my father :)) only talk about biblical things?
     
  14. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Conversely, what about buying a Bible at Walmart? Would that make the Bible "secular"?
     
  15. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    You can be ministry oriented and yet still engage in other areas of life.

    No. The Bible is religious in nature.
     
  16. Robert Snow

    Robert Snow New Member

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    You are correct! My wife has worked at a local Christian bookstore here for over 10 years. The bulk of sales now is in music and miscellaneous Christian items. Although they do sell quite a few bibles, commentary and study book sales are few and far between.

    The problem is that these items don't sell well. In all fairness though, the Internet and online sales has probably contributed to much of this decline.
     
  17. Steven2006

    Steven2006 New Member

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    You completely missed my point. Some parents would rather not have their young children exposed to the entire move section that some stores offer. Some of the covers alone are not appropriate.

    Also many people don't follow movies at all. My mother for example has little interest in movies or television. To expect her to know what material is inside the volume of movies offered would be silly. I can see a benefit to her if she was going to purchase of movie for a gift to be able to go to a Christian store that wont readily sell filth as part of their selection offered.

    I don't quite understand this all or nothing attitude? How is it better that no establishment publicly call themselves a Christian business, unless everything they sell is basically church related and nothing more?

    It is really more desirable for families to at best have to cull through inappropriate items in order to find movies or books that are just nice stories for their family to enjoy, or at worst have a more limited selection of those types of things available to them?

    Now if the book store was inside a church, like some churches do have, I would agree. But I think it there is a benefit to have a public businesses that offers a variety of items that are geared towards Christian family values.
     
  18. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    It almost seems, from the conversation, that folks don't understand the term "worldview."

    Movies like The Blind Side have a Christian worldview, but not much by way of Christian content. They are not overtly religious, and if they were, the likelihood that anyone would watch them is slim to none.

    So, what are the Christian values shown in the movie? Among others:

    Prayer
    Attending worship
    Taking someone into your home and blessing him
    Using one's time, talents, and resources for the glory of the Lord
    Private Christian education
    Morality
    Edification
    Redemption

    The really ironic part of this discussion is the people that yell the loudest about something not appropriate to "Christian" would also be the last people who would watch a movie or frequent a bookstore like LifeWay (or others similar).

    Listen to a commencement address by the real hero of The Blind Side here:
    http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/293522-1
     
  19. shodan

    shodan Member
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    No Christian bookstore these days could survive by just selling books.
     
  20. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    My theory is if you don't like what is being sold in a store, quit buying it and quit frequenting the store.
     
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