Boycott non Fair Trade Chocolate!

Ok, just call me another angry person on the internet today, because I'm hoppin' mad.

You see, I read this story a friend posted on Facebook the other day, and it got me to thinking. (Ya gotta hate when that happens.)

You see, most of the chocolate that kids are going to be getting for Halloween is actually a result of forced child labor (See above link for more info. I'm not going to rewrite what she wrote. She said it so well.).

Why is the church not all over this? I have a feeling that if Nestle came out and said they were pro-homosexuality some Christians* would be all over that.

Or, if Hershey's made the statement that they were for "Biblical marriage"** holy rollers would be lining up around the block to support them (like they did for a certain fried chicken joint a few months ago. Do. No. Get. Me. Started.).

So now, when it comes to an industry that has been knows for YEARS to employ unjust labor to provide us with junk food, we are SILENT!

(Flames shooting out of ears.)

I really wonder what God would have to say about that. Oh Wait. He already did -

"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully." - Prov. 28:5

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." - Prov.  29:7

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

There are tons more, but you get the picture.

I will be the first to admit that I don't like to be controversial or come off as judgmental. I don't want to make people feel bad, but that is a fault of mine, because the Bible clearly calls for believers to fight for justice.

I know that I can't abolish slavery by just boycotting chocolate. I know that I do not have a big enough circle of influence to get  the chocolate industry to even notice.  I also know that I have readers who are married to pastors. I know that I have readers who go to seminary and have professors and connections to other pastors. I know that each one of you has some sort of circle of influence you can use to get the word out. Ripple effect, ya know? Maybe someone who reads this today knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a super influential pastor at a megachurch?

What if all of you readers get hopping mad, and you write on your own blogs that you'll be boycotting non Fair Trade chocolate? What if you share it as your Facebook status and tell your Sunday School class and your Mom's group and your neighbors and your coworkers? What if you tell all the moms with kids who come to your house on Halloween night? Yea, people might think you're a little nuts, but we already know what Jesus has to say about being weird for doing the right thing.

I don't have much influence. This little blog has a couple hundred readers maybe, but I can't not use what influence I have to inspire others to be an agent of change.

But what about all of the other industries that employ slave labor?
I know that slavery is everywhere, believe me. I wish I didn't. I'm just thinking here, though, that if we Christians, who proved with "the 'eat more chicken' incident" that there are enough of us out there to be influential, used that power to fight for justice. Add to that number the people who didn't care to take part in that little display, and we could really have an impact, you know? What if we take 'em down one at a time? Chocolate, coffee, sugar....ok, I'm dreaming big here, but I can't help it.

*Please note that I am a Christian, I love the church and Christians, but we have some serious issues to address here. If you are not religious, please, still take this message to heart. I aimed this post at fellow believers because I hold Bible believing Christians to a higher standard since the Bible is so clear on issues of social justice.
**I'm not even going to tell you how I feel about gay marriage because that is not the issue here. Don't get sidetracked from the real issue!

Photo Credit

Switching back to a cash based budgeting system

Now that we are saving money for our adoption, we see a renewed importance in sticking to a budget. We've always been pretty good budgeters, but this past year I've been really relaxed with things. We decided last week to get back on the envelope system, and it's made a huge difference already.

Haven't heard of the "Envelope System?"
I can't say enough good things about the envelope system. To me, it's the easiest way to stick to a budget. Lately I've just been spending extra time each day working out debit or credit card receipts and tracking them online, then recording them into a spreadsheet or something, except I almost always procrastinate for a few weeks until I kinda lose track.

We have been able to stay out of debt and have the security of an emergency fund since we got married in 2008, and I can't tell you the difference it has made in being able to share our money or make life decisions without the stress that comes from living paycheck to paycheck. I give much of the credit for this to the fact that we have used the envelope system the whole time.

If you want to learn more specifics about using a cash based/envelope system, I highly recommend that you read Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover." (The link is not working for some reason, but you can use the Amazon.com search box on my sidebar to order yourself a copy.)

You can also read a little more about the envelope system at Dave Ramsey's website here: daveramsey.com.

Here are the basics:

Get yourself some envelopes
You can use the link above to order a fancy schmancy little system to keep in your purse, or you can be  a little less classy (like me) and use one of those couponing folders with the slots in it. They are a couple bucks, and mine has lasted for 2 years now.

This is what it looks like. Except I found this picture here: on the internet.

Label your envelopes (or slots)

If you've never kept a budget, then it might take you a while to figure out what all of your monthly expenses are. Just start with what you can think of, and keep adding/altering as you think of them. Ours are:

Grocery Store/Food (this includes restaurant meals - our weakness for sure!)

Gifts

Car

Clothes

Haircuts

Gas Money

Blow Money*

Blow money is the money set aside for stuff that doesn't fall into any of the other categories, or if you "blow your budget" a little bit and need some extra cash when another envelope gets empty too soon. It always happens. You need a blow fund.

Stuff your envelopes

Figure out how much you spend each month on each category, write it down, and that's how much cash you put in each envelope each month. I keep a spread sheet on my computer to keep track of it. Also, this help me keep track of bills we pay online (internet, electric, city/water, donation, etc.).

Give yourself some time and grace

Dave Ramsey says it takes three months to make it work for you. I found that to be true, and we keep tweaking things to make it work best for us. Remember, the system is supposed to work for you, and not the other way around. :)

Now, we have a jar on our mantle right now that I call the "Samuel Jar". (Samuel was a boy in the Bible who his mother had to pray and wait a really long time for... kind of like us and our little boy.) At the end of the month, anything left in the envelopes is going into the jar. This is an amazing visual reminder for us of the importance of pinching our pennies right now!

Ethics at the grocery store Part 1: The Why

I know that the Holiday season is coming up, and I'm not really sure that this little mini-series is much going to put you into the spirit. It is what's been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it's because, with all of the fun and fellowship that comes with the holidays, there is a disturbing level of consumerism that permeates the season, as well. Regardless as to why, I hope you'll take some time to consider the info in my next two posts.

I like to consider every dollar I spend a vote. A vote for the product I'm purchasing and everything that was involved in producing and delivering that product to me.

Or maybe I should say I don't like to consider every dollar I spend a vote, but I have to. To be honest, it would be much easier to live in ignorance of how that product was made and how it got to me. Then, I could buy whatever I wanted without giving a second thought about the hands that made it and the life of the person that is attached to those hands.

However, I call myself a Christian, and I can't seem to find a verse in the Bible that says: 

"Turn a blind eye to the injustices around you and continue to invest in those things that are responsible for that injustice. 

Unless, of course, its easy or convenient or makes you feel good."

Instead, I find verses like this one:

 ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 
to loose the chains of injustice 
   and untie the cords of the yoke, 
to set the oppressed free 
   and break every yoke? 
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry 
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— 
when you see the naked, to clothe them, 
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, 
   and your healing will quickly appear; 
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you, 
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 
⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; 
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

 - Isaiah 58 verses 6-9

Ouch. I can't find anything in there about convenience or personal comfort.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about modern day slaves in America and a few ways Dennis and I try to avoid supporting slavery with our dollar.

Maybe it's because we lived in Guangdong province, China. I can barely go a day without picking up something that says "Produced in Guangdong, China." Or sometimes it will say the actual name of the city we lived in. Our city is sometimes referred to as "sweatshop city."

Maybe it's because of a book I read when I was in college called "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical." This guy is radical and at times a bit out there, but the book changed my life and I have since been through many copies because I just can't resist giving it away.

Sometimes I wish I'd studied international law, so I could go off somewhere and help those people I feel so burdened for and so powerless to help. 

But, this here is my life, and I have to say that I really do love it.

So, I'll do what I can, spreading the word in my circle of influence and, whenever possible, using my dollars to vote for products that were ethically produced.

In my next post, I'll be getting a little more specific on some ways to do just that. There are a lot of labels out there, "Fair Trade", "Fairtrade", "Direct Trade", "Rainforest Alliance Certified", and countless more. I've done some research and I'll be sharing what each of these terms and more really mean on Friday (after we've all come out of our Turkey-comas).

Is the issue of human rights and modern slavery a new concept for you, or have you been fighting the same battles I have? What are some ways that you choose not to support slavery and sweat shops? Please share, I would love for this to become a discussion we can all learn from.


This post was shared at Simple Lives Thursday and Fight back Friday.