Florida Megachurch Removes Pepsi Machines Over Gay Sponsorships

Posted on September 14, 2009
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(62) comments

According to Tampa Bay Online:

The last of 10 Pepsi vending machines were wheeled out the door this week at Bell Shoals Baptist Church and replaced with Coke machines, but the switch wasn't spurred by a taste test.

Terry Kemple, a member of Bell Shoals Baptist and president of the Community Issues Council, said the church's decision to boycott Pepsi products came after months of failed discussions with the soft drink company.

The council, formed "to promote and protect Judeo-Christian values" according to its Web site, and church officials asked the soft drink company to curb its support of groups, events and legal issues that "oppose traditional family values," Kemple said.

The company, Kemple said, sponsors major gay pride parades and events across the country.

"This year, they pumped millions of dollars into organizations that opposed California's same-sex marriage ban, Proposition 8," he said. "There are a lot of corporations that have diversity programs, but Pepsi goes far beyond."

The council meets with about 50 churches each month to discuss issues that conflict with traditional Christian values. Other local churches participating in the Pepsi boycott include Kings Avenue Baptist Church in Brandon and Plant City Church of God.

Kemple said more churches are expected to join the effort he hopes will send a strong message to corporate America.

Here's a link for more...

What do you think? Boycot Pepsi over gay sponsorships; or drink more Pepsi to protest the churches that are protesting Pepsi.

Why/Should we expect our drink manufacturers or our car companies or any company we purchase from to have/hold our Christian convictions? What's your take?

Comments

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Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

@TyeMale - I believe I have a different understanding of boycotting than you do. A boycott is an expression of protest. The object of the boycott may or may not change their behavior. But, even if they don’t, the boycott still has purpose because it keeps the consumer from supporting monetarily, in an indirect manner, the cause that they do not agree with.

Additionally, Pepsi is not a culture. Pepsi, as a company, is an entity within culture. Jesus certainly called entities within culture to abide by Christian values. Furthermore, God had direction for cities, and entire people groups throughout the Bible.
Tye Male on Tue, September 15, 2009

Jon - I’m telling anyone that they shouldn’t boycott or that they should. I am just curious to know how boycotting (or protesting for that matter) helps Christ-followers reach the world with the love of Jesus Christ. When the church called to have the Pepsi machines removed, I think about the guy who had to remove them. I think about the sales staff. I think about the people in accounting.

With that in mind, what do you think the likelihood is that one of those people would be attracted to the gospel through this church? I’m guessing that the people there are NOT curious to know more about the gospel, but even more repelled by it.

Could you give some specific examples where Jesus, while on planet earth, boycotted secular companies/entities? I think you will find that the religious people of the day were really good at that part, but lacking on the loving and reaching part.

Some things haven’t changed.
Peter Hamm on Tue, September 15, 2009

These days we are known for far more that we are against than we are for those things we are for.

If you look at the first few centuries of Christendom, it was a time when homosexual behavior in many quarters was “normal” and practiced widely. It was a time when if you didn’t want the baby that was born, you left it by the side of the road to die. Despicable, yes. But you will be hard pressed to find a record of the early church conducting any organized campaign against these practices. Today, you will be hard pressed to find any non-believer who thinks that we who follow Jesus aren’t just people who are defined by organized campaigns against such practices.

We are off-track…
Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

@TyeMale - As I stated previously, loving the world doesn’t simply mean being nice to everyone and accepting ANYTHING that other people might do. The guy who had to remove the machine gets paid to remove the machine. The sales staff can relay to their superiors that they can’t sell a product from a company that supports gay rights to a church. The executives will consider that and probably not care since churches probably aren’t their biggest target audience.

I think the likelihood is fairly high that these people would be attracted to the gospel through this church. I think there is more damage done to the gospel by indirectly supporting gay rights. What about the parishioners whose lives have been shattered by homosexuality, directly or indirectly? And to know that the church preaches what the bible says about homosexuality being wrong, and then supports gay ‘rights’?

Jesus directed “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town”. I would say there is some parallel between removing the pepsi machines and shaking the dust off of their feet.

Can you give an example of when Jesus was on this earth where he financially supported or encouraged sin?

Its ridiculously unloving to encourage anyone to sin, because of the damage it does to people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even if you were correct that boycotting doesn’t ‘encourage people to come to church’, it would be far worse to support homosexuality in any manner.
David Buckham on Tue, September 15, 2009

Jon,

Let me play devil’s advocate for a second with one of your questions. Now, first I will say, this was a discussion we had in Bible college and it was very lively, so I want to see how things go here.

You said “Can you give an example of when Jesus was on this earth where he financially supported or encouraged sin?”

It has been argued by some that when Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Canaan that he promoted drunkenness. This was the best wine at the wedding so more people would be drinking it…as opposed to Pepsi .

What do you think? Did Jesus’ actions encourage or promote drinking to the point of being drunk? Just curious and wanting to promote some discussion.

all about Christ,
David
Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

@Peter - the early church is not an example of perfection. Just because they didn’t have organized campaigns against these things, doesn’t mean they weren’t participating in eliminating them. You have to also remember that there were not organized campaigns for these things either.

I understand what you are saying about what non-believers think. I believe it is possible and essential to have organized campaigns against these types of activities while not letting that be the sole purpose of Christianity. Instead, some Christians back off and say it doesn’t matter what the bible says about sins, we will just tolerate, allow, and encourage people to sin, because we want to show people love. And THAT is what is off-track.
Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

David - I think that is a very interesting discussion point. Thank you for bringing it up. I actually dealt with that subject matter and that particular situation recently, because of the decision of whether or not to serve or provide alcohol at my wedding reception. In general, my side of the family is conservative christian, non-alcoholics/soccial drinkers, and my fiance’s side of the family is non-christian, anti-christian, alcoholics. Ultimately, we decided it would be best not to serve or provide alcohol.

However to more specifically answer your question, I don’t believe Jesus’ actions encouraged drinking to the point of drunkeness. I think the perils of drunkeness are outline clearly in the bible, and I don’t believe Jesus would do anything to promote this type, or any type of sin.
Peter Hamm on Tue, September 15, 2009

Jon,

Does the Bible say we will be known by the things we campaign against? No, it doesn’t say we’ll be known as his disciples by what we are for either, to be sure.

I don’t want to be known for what I’m against ONLY, so I actively work to avoid it.

Too many Christians (I know some of them) solely define their faith by the Republican Party initiatives that they agree with. And so, the label of “bigot” we receive is well-deserved.

I say it again, because I’m convinced… We are off-track… We have a great many things very wrong…
Tye Male on Tue, September 15, 2009

@PeterHamm - thanks. I couldn’t agree more.

@Jon - Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar….”

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this.
CS on Tue, September 15, 2009

With regards to the conversation about this church, “boycotting,” Pepsi, there’s two ways of looking at this action. The first is that the church removes Pepsi in the hopes that it will cause them to behave differently. The second is that the church removes Pepsi because they don’t want to have any apparent image of them supporting a company with bad motives.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the action is focused more on the former than the latter. Had it been strictly the latter, then there would be minimal problems. But given that the quote says that they, “want to send a strong message to corporate America,” it sounds more like the former.

—
CS
Peter Hamm on Tue, September 15, 2009

CS.

You hit the nail on the head!

As a believer, I have one very important message to tell the world.

The Gospel…

And if it’s a manipulated, PR Gospel… it ain’t nothin’...

Uh oh, we agreed again…
Tye Male on Tue, September 15, 2009

@CS - great point.
Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

@CS - What is the problem with the church sending a strong message to corporate America?

The church may be naive to think that Pepsi will change based solely on their “strong message”, but no one so far has been able give any real reason why it is anti-biblical.

@PeterHamm - You have one message to tell the world - the gospel? It sounds like your message is one of tolerate anything anyone does, which is NOT the gospel. Your message seems to align more with some sort of leftist agenda than the gospel.

I agree with you that in many ways the church has gotten off track—- but its not because of these pepsi machine incidents. Its because we have become too tolerant and too callous towards the sin in our own lives and the lives of others.
Tye Male on Tue, September 15, 2009

@Jon - I really think you might be missing the whole point of our discussion here. I am not tolerant of sin. But here again, how can we expect non-religious, secular companies to do things that from our viewpoint is “sinful”? I am really confused now.

It is the gospel that changes lives/minds. I find it difficult to reach out to someone when you are pounding them on the head with a sign (metaphorically speaking) denouncing their sin.

The fact of the matter is, the church is already viewed as “haters” and this type of thinking only reinforces that.
Jon on Tue, September 15, 2009

@TyeMale - Do you believe in Hell? If Hell exists, and if people who don’t trust in God for salvation go there, than you must realize that God expects ‘non-religious’, secular people to believe in him and do things that aren’t sinful.

If you don’t believe in Hell, than we can have a different conversation. You keep referencing the Gospel. Do you realize that the Gospel CONDEMNS people, and offers salvation? Do you realize that the Gospel EXPECTS change?

It is absurd to suggest that we should encourage people/companies/organizations to pursue sinful behavior just because they aren’t Christians.

If you are not tolerant of sin, how would you suggest the Church handle the Pepsi situation?

When Jesus rebuked sinners, was he metaphorically pounding them on the head with a sign? Why is this church metaphorically pounding someone on the head with a sign by boycotting Pepsi?

You have to realize that the world is NEVER going to have a positive view of Christianity. That is something that Christians have to deal with, but we shouldn’t conform to the world’s standards rather than God’s standards simply to change the image of the church. That is something that we have been far too guilty of in the past.