Christian Business Listings Exclusionary

* The Christian directories described in “Banking on Faith� should be valuable reference works for those whose piety is demonstrated through religious bigotry. Those merchants and services that endorse Barry Hultgren’s attitude that “I’d rather buy Christian� obviously prefer not to buy from Jews, Muslims, Buddhists or atheists.

I am sure those who are listed in these directories would also prefer to have only Christians working for them. This merely illustrates the need for equal employment opportunity laws that forbid such discrimination and why such laws should be made stronger.

Turnabout is indeed fair play. If those merchants and services are not interested in doing business with non-Christians, I am certainly not interested in doing business with them. I, too, would find these directories valuable references, indicating where I should not buy. (I already decline to patronize any business whose phone company yellow pages listing includes the Christian fish symbol.)

DAVID E. ROSS

Oak Park

* Your June 12 article on Christian-to-Christian business ties was certainly not news. Prior efforts of this kind have been tried and have failed.

While I am a Christian and a businessman, I have little sympathy for the underlying logic. It is pleasant to fellowship with those of similar faith, but i must sadly point out that a person’s spiritual condition is no assurance that the person is skilled in what they do. To assume a Christian plumber, doctor or whatever is more able than an agnostic, Jew, Muslim or atheist is simple self-deception or wishful thinking. I only wish it was so, because I have been burned by my fellow Christians. It would be great if all Christians were high-minded, always reliable and competent, but we are only a group of widely varied people who have dealt with our sinful condition.

For Christians to hang out together is fine, but would it not be better for us to share our vibrant spiritual experiences with those who could benefit from them? That would certainly be more the biblical pattern than Christians preferring to deal only with their own kind.

ROBERT W. DINGMAN

Westlake Village