Where Christians Should and Should Not Shop During Holidays

By Lorraine Caballero, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, November 11, 2015

A Christian group has come up with a list that tells consumers where they should and should not shop during the holidays based on their faith.

A group called Faith Driven Consumer used a 100-point Faith Equality Index to rate the top stores in the United States. The move is an attempt to measure how much biblical faith translates to a company's selling practices. The group took into consideration a company's stand on abortion, Christmas, and other faith-based issues, according to SF Gate.

The supporters of Faith Driven Consumer's "boycott" campaign are urging Christians to shop only in stores that got high ratings on their scale. Based on the results of the campaign, the highest score attained on the scale was 65, the Beaufort Observer reports.

The companies that attained above 50 scores include Chick-Fil-A (63), Cracker Barrel (53), Hobby Lobby (62), Tyson (60), and Walmart (51), the report details.

"The FEI establishes a benchmark — a starting point — that brands can improve upon," SF Gate quotes the campaign's comment on the scoring.

The faith-based group also explained that they want Corporate America to acknowledge that Christians are equal with the other groups that the country supports. They also aim to help consumers make informed decisions on where they spend their money, the report relays.

As for the companies that got low scores, campaign founder Chris Stone said they do not want to "punish" the stores that are not Christian-friendly. Instead, they just want to reward those that welcome consumers who are serious in upholding their faith. Stone also said they are aiming to "build a bridge" between Christian consumer and the brands.

Faith Driven Consumers also launched the hashtag #AddUsIn to encourage sellers to modify their policies to welcome Christians and other consumers that are of faith. Stone is confident that the campaign will fly soon and that it will be effective in awakening the brands' awareness of consumers' faith.