The Black Informant has an interesting post about supporting Black businesses. I haven’t got anything to add to what Duane wrote, but it did get me thinking about how we tend to support our own “tribes” – whatever group we align ourselves with – and the ramifications of that. No, I don’t shop racially. I shop as seldom as possible, and my first choice is online because I hate shopping. Shipping fees are an easy price to pay in exchange for avoiding parking lots, unhelpful sales clerks, and obnoxious fellow shoppers. But I do support Christian-owned businesses when I can, for the express reason that I’m supporting “one of my own.” I especially support the businesses owned by fellow church members whenever I can. For Christians, the perceived benefits of patronizing a Christian-owned business usually include the fact that the money gets tithed on again, and the perception of being dealt with even more honestly and fairly than at a secular business. The downside – if things go wrong, you can’t sue.
That is to say, if events occur under which you’d normally sue, but you and the business owner are both Christians, the bible says you must not sue, but rather, resolve the situation through a mediator or resign yourself to taking the loss.
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?
(1 Corinthians 6:1-7 ESV)
The Christian Legal Fellowship has some thoughtful guidelines to consider. Other religions actually have their own courts – Muslims have sharia courts in England and are pushing to have them here. (Jews have Beth Din courts – though unlike the sharia courts, they lack legal standing in England.) There is no Christian equivalent to either. At most, you could ask the pastor to talk to the other person and mediate between you. So Christians conducting business within our own “tribe” require an additional level of trust that I’m not sure is required of secular consumers. Even so, I think it’s worth it.
I tend to interpret 1 Corinthians 6 as being no longer fully applicable because we are now living within Christendom — although admittedly the legal system is becoming more corrupt at present. You mentioned church courts; actually, one half of our current system (the chancery courts) evolved directly from church courts, whereas the rest of the system derived from Christian societal principles. But then, as I said, things are currently getting worse.
Even aside from that first point, I would also probably question the salvation of lots of people who call themselves Christians — and their churches — due to the prevalence of false gospels running around. The article you cite touches on this latter issue on page 3, and I think it’s a pretty big problem given the fragmented nature of “the church (singular)” in America.
And I think the black people who show prejudice toward black businesses are hypocritical racists. I wouldn’t care so much if they want to be tribal (i.e., racist), except that they themselves are always whining about how racist everyone is.
I wouldn’t have a problem suing someone who called themselves a Christian but in my estimation was not one. But – as always – it comes down to motives. In that scenario, is my estimation influenced by the desire to haul someone with whom I’m angry in front of a judge? A difficult problem, and one we should approach very prayerfully.