Boycott Abercrombie and Fitch

An article found at:
http://money.cnn.com/2002/05/22/news/companies/abercrombie.ap/index.htm

I don't personally shop here, but I wouldn't want anyone to
unknowingly support these
people financially. Please forward this article on to your friends
and family. Also, for more
info see: http://www.americandecency.org

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A&F criticized for sexy undies

No stranger to controversy, retailer is under fire once more for
marketing controversial clothes.
May 22, 2002: 11:38 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) - Abercrombie & Fitch is coming under fire -- again.
It's the target of several consumer advocacy groups for its latest
merchandising strategy -- selling thong underwear with sexually
charged phrases for children. The skimpy undies have the words "eye
candy'' and "wink wink'' printed on the front.

The retailer has been criticized before for its provocative ads and
catalog for teens. And last month, Abercrombie (ANF: down $0.23 to
$28.98, Research, Estimates) pulled a line of T-shirts that triggered
protests from Asian groups who said they reinforced negative
stereotypes.

In the latest controversy, OneMillionMoms-dot-com and other groups
say they've sent e-mails to the company to protest the thongs. The
nonprofit Christian group, American Decency Association, is calling
for a boycott.

 

One of the ways we can help stop this obscene practice is to spread the word! I encourage everyone to copy the article above and forward it to families.

 

An article from www.americandecency.org about the importance of boycotts:

Abstaining from doing business with corporations that victimize children and families through the products that they produce, sell or rent, or the philosophy which they hold, is both a matter of Christian stewardship and a matter of personal holiness.
Choosing carefully where you spend your money

The American Decency (ADA) is a Christian organization. Our God is a Holy God. He loves His children. As parents and grandparents, we, too, care about children. We are greatly concerned about providing our youth with a community that allows children to be raised innocently, free of sexual victimization.
The ADA believes in the importance of promoting the biblical ethic of decency in our culture. One of the ways by which the ADA promotes decency is by means of a boycott: a boycott which is supported by prayer. Consider the following:
As we stand for Judeo-Christian principles, our children see that we take a stand for our beliefs. In addition, we verbally share our faith and our convictions with our young people which encourages them to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of [their] mind.[Romans 12:1,2]
[Deuteronomy 6:4-9] Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
A boycott gives numbers of people the opportunity to firmly but lovingly share their concern about Judeo-Christian values and the negative impact a company's policy is having upon the family/society.
[Matthew 5:13.] You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
A boycott places a standard before people that otherwise would not be placed. People need to know that there are individuals who are deeply concerned with standards, values, ethics, issues of right and wrong, and decency in the public market place.
[Matthew 5:16.] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
A boycott certainly sends a message of concern to the corporation being boycotted. It highlights an issue that previously the leadership may have never considered. You are the light of the world.
[Matthew 5:14,15.] A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Publicity about a boycott educates a wide range of people to the concern that is addressed by the boycott.
[Matthew 18:6.] But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
As boycott information is placed before people who receive information through ADA, people who read about the boycott in the newspaper and people who become aware of the issue through informal sharing and discussion, some individuals are prompted to respond in their lives. In some cases, the response will result in a conviction which initiates a change from destructive behavior.
[Ephesians 5:11.] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Non-targeted business executives realize that the issue of pornographic, sexually violent videos and magazines is a public concern. In some cases, the boycott of one company directly or indirectly affects the policy decisions relative to what others will or will not market. Abstaining from doing business with corporations that victimize children and families through the products that they produce, sell or rent, or the philosophy which they hold, is both a matter of Christian stewardship and a matter of personal holiness.
[Matthew 5:13.] You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned.

 

That sounds like the typical passive, indifferent attitude that is common with so many Christians today...I hate to say this, but there are a lot of christians in this world that need to wake up...Companies today are more than willing to polute society with filth and 95% of Christians today do nothing more than talk about it. Prayer is an absolute necessity when dealing with such issues...but lets keep this in mind - God feeds the birds of the air, but he doesn't drop the food right into thier nests.

The fact of the matter is this. If you willingly purchase a product from a company such as Abercrombie and Fitch, you are financially enabling them to continue polluting society. It's completely irresponsible to support such companies...perhaps its time we stop being so worldy, materialistic and stop depending on the worlds products so much.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

 

An article from:
http://www.intelligentchristian.org/romans_122.htm

Romans 12:2
The verse
'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.' (from the New International Version)

Here is our expanded and interpreted paraphrase: 'Do not allow yourself to be engineered by anyone who tries to press you into a mould of these times but get yourself into the metamorphosis the Lord intends for you by renewing your mind, so you can prove for yourself what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God'

Our thoughts on this verse
We feel strongly that this verse provides the method by which Christians change and grow. It is a call for critical and independent thinking instead of passively being controlled. Mould pressing is what others would do to us. Mould pressing is also done by systems and thought put into place by people long dead. We will look more at this in our future articles Our Thinking Tools and The Theology of Structure. But for now we must understand very clearly that the Christian must use her/his mind and that this is what the Lord intends to activate our personal metamorphosis.

Note that the mind multi-tasks. While the renewing of mind gets us into metamorphosis the mind also proves to us what is God's will.

There is in English some confusion over the use of the word 'prove'. Not least confusing is the old adage that 'The exception proves the rule'. However, the confusion dissolves when we understand the adage contains the old English meaning of the word. It means 'test'. In the context of Romans 12:2 the Christian is instructed to use mind to continually test the ongoing personal changes.

It is a paradigm shift for Christians to become aware of the mould pressing influences and also the strength of the intent behind them. Mould pressing is done by dictators of all stripes, by religious and political structures we grow up in, by media, by peers, and not least by our own minds when we do not exercise our personal self-critical capacity.

Metamorphosis, on the other hand, is actually the way the universe operates. There are some useful examples from nature. A caterpillar becoming a butterfly or a snake shedding its skin. These are examples of growth and change and always in the direction the Creator intends. But lest we attempt to mould press or engineer ourselves, we should note that these processes operate on the Creator's schedule. If we attempt to extract a pupating caterpillar we don't get a beautiful butterfly, we just kill the creature. There is a lesson here when we become impatient with ourselves or with organizational structures. We should not submit ourselves to mould pressing but neither should we expect others to submit themselves to moulds of our engineering. And that especially includes children.

Renewing of mind is one of God's most beautiful gifts. Something we should rejoice in and share with others.