Salon.com Life | Verily, I sell unto you. By Lynn Harris

Christian Business owners who use the name of Christ to serve their business interests domesticate the gospel to the dominant capitalistic culture. That is bad news for Christianity!

According to Colossians 2:10, the gospel is about "the powers" (including capitalism) being made to serve Christ, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

So the question CANNOT be "Is Jesus good for business?"

The question MUST ALWAYS be "Is business good for Jesus?"

Christian business owners need to think carefully about using the name of Christ to market their businesses. Alan Wolfe states there is benefit to business owners who segment their market for the purposes of exploiting their "Christian" niche. 

Such enterprises are "a byproduct of multiculturalism," says Alan Wolfe, author of "The Transformation of American Religion" and director of Boston College's Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, noting that identity politics are not the exclusive domain of the secular left. "You identify who you are, take pride in your subgroup. It's no different in that sense from a business that caters to African-Americans or Hispanics. It's part of the general trend of segmentation in American life."

Personally, I would never recommend a Christian business operator label his business "Christian" or use the name "Christ" to market his product or services.

Rather Christian business people need to prove the gospel by demonstrating it in good business conduct with a triple bottom line, so they can recommend it with integrity!

A triple bottom line for customers and shareholders includes:

1.      Economic value but not by exploiting their communities or the environment;  (See The Corporation - Why Faith at Work people MUST SEE this movie. by )

2.      Relational value that respects people as being made in the image of God (customers; suppliers; employees and even competitors).

3.      Spiritual value that honors God's interest in people and His good creation.