Should someone work for a company that is involved in alcohol and gambling?
Question:
Hi Jeffrey,
I hope all is well with you. I would appreciate your thoughts about a company's activities and the Bible's guidance on working for that company. The company in question is a large retailer that does much good for society by providing food and other items at low prices. However, the retailer also sells alcoholic beverages and has recently grown a lottery business. Suppose a person works at the headquarters of this company in a business area that is not directly involved with these activities. In that case, the person still works for the company involved in these activities.
What do you see as the Bible's guidance as to whether this person can continue working for this company?
Thanks for your thoughts on this!
Answer:
What would a person conclude about someone working at that company? I once worked at a supermarket for a short while. Alcohol was sold in the store, but I had nothing to do with it. If I mentioned working at the supermarket, most would not immediately think that I was promoting the use of alcohol. However, that would have been different if the person worked at a liquor store or a cannabis store. The same would go for a large company. Does working there imply that you approve of inappropriate things? "Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil" (Romans 14:16).
Question:
Thank you for replying, Jeffrey. I appreciate your thoughtful response and your many writings on biblical subjects.
To help me better understand your answer, are you saying:
- Since the primary focus of the large retailer is not selling alcohol & lottery tickets (like that of a liquor store), the individual should not let the overall company be spoken of as evil, and can work there, or
- Should the individual refrain from working there since the company is involved with these things (even as a minor component)?
Thanks again.
Answer:
If that company were mentioned, would it be associated with sinful things? If not, then it would not be wrong to work there in areas not associated with immoral things. What a Christian strives to avoid is showing approval of sin or aiding others in sin.
