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Crucifix At New Store Draws Criticism


eagle_eye222001

  

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eagle_eye222001

Here we go again. :rolleyes:

http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/931498.html



A downtown St. Louis grocery store has stirred up concern after installing a crucifix on a wall behind the customer service counter.

Culinaria manager Tom Collora put up the crucifix in view of the new store's checkout registers.

Collora says he's worked for the grocery chain for 40 years and has displayed a crucifix at two other Schnucks stores without complaints.

But now some customers are angry about the display.

Lori Weinstock, 40, who is Jewish, said the crucifix startled her enough to write a letter to the Jewish Light newspaper.

"It would have been equally startling if it had been a Star of David or an emblem of another religion," said Weinstock, of University City. "It's grocery shopping, and it should be welcoming to all and exclude none."

Collora said the crucifix "is not meant to promote one faith over another. It's just an opportunity to share a part of myself and my life with people I work hard to serve every day."

Lori Willis, Schnucks communications director, said Collora was the only manager in the chain's 106 stores to have requested to display an article of personal faith.

"Company leaders made a decision to honor that request out of respect for Tom and his faith," Willis said. "In fact, that's part of the reason they put him in charge of Culinaria. He's a man of such strong faith who better to put in a store where so many faiths come together?"

The display shows Jesus Christ nailed to the cross, which is of concern to some of Schnucks' Jewish customers.

The cross bearing Christ's body has become a symbol of the Catholic Church, said Ronald Modras, a theology professor at St. Louis University. A cross without it has become a Protestant symbol, he said.

"The cross is an ambiguous symbol which can mean one thing to one group and another to a different group," Modras said. "And for Jewish people (a crucifix) can mean, 'You are a Christ killer.'"

Karen Aroesty of the Anti-Defamation League of St. Louis said that despite complaints to her about the display, her organization will not lodge an official complaint with Schnucks.

"After some significant discussion within the Jewish and interfaith communities, we felt this was not a battle that should be pressed right now," Aroesty said.

City resident Thomas Duda said since the company received public funding to build a store, it shouldn't blatantly express a specific religious belief that could be offensive or uncomfortable to some who shop there.

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It's really up to Schnucks. Whatever their policy is. A crucifix is not a swastika... I wish people would stop thinking of it as such.

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[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='22 September 2009 - 12:51 PM' timestamp='1253645515' post='1971101']
It's really up to Schnucks. Whatever their policy is. A crucifix is not a swastika... I wish people would stop thinking of it as such.
[/quote]
I agree.

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I think the last question is hard to answer. It depends on the religion.

If it was wiccan... no I would not continue to shop there pretty much on any basis. If it was a protestant anti-catholic denomination, I would only shop there if no other reasonable options were available. It would also depend on what else was available. If it was a good protestant store and there was a good Catholic store for the same price (or even a tad bit higher), I'd shop Catholic.

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I didn't vote in the poll. I think it should be left up to the store whether or not to allow it since it's their own business. If people really have a problem with it, they can shop elsewhere.

As to the last question, I am not sure 100%. If it was pagan or satanic, then, yes, I would feel a little uncomfortable.

Edited by InHisLove726
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I probably would be a little uncomfortable if the store had anti-Catholic signs, but I really don't see the problem so long as the funds of the business do not directly go to the religious group, anti-Catholic or not. It's simply an expression of faith, not the Spanish Inquisition.

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[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='22 September 2009 - 02:51 PM' timestamp='1253645515' post='1971101']
A crucifix is not a swastika...I wish people would stop thinking of it as such.
[/quote]And I wish people would stop thinking of the Swastika as a racist symbol. It's a Hindu symbol, [mod]Language- MIKolbe[/mod] :(

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What a company displays in its store needs to be up to its own discretion. If they lose business because of their choice then so be it but they should be able to make this choice. If people are offended by it or want to raise an objection, then don't shop there. As far as I'm concerned that goes for any kind of religious/political symbol. Would I continue to shop in a place that publicly showed a symbol that is against what I believe? Maybe, maybe not. Probably depends, but in general I'm not opposed to it.

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dauntingknight

[quote name='InHisLove726' date='22 September 2009 - 03:50 PM' timestamp='1253649018' post='1971126']
I didn't vote in the poll. I think it should be left up to the store whether or not to allow it since it's their own business. If people really have a problem with it, they can shop elsewhere.

As to the last question, I am not sure 100%. If it was pagan or satanic, then, yes, I would feel a little uncomfortable.
[/quote]
I'm with you on this one.

If people really had a big problem with it they would shop at another store.
A private company can have whatever they want on display(within reason of coarse).
Companys will either make more money or make less because of what they put on the walls of THEIR building.
another thing this person asked to put the crucifix up, it was'nt like they did it behind the store's backs or anything like that.

My aunt works at a grocery store and she gets to deal with all of the really nasty complaints but a week later the same customer is back shopping liked they always do.

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dauntingknight

[quote name='InHisLove726' date='22 September 2009 - 03:50 PM' timestamp='1253649018' post='1971126']
I didn't vote in the poll. I think it should be left up to the store whether or not to allow it since it's their own business. If people really have a problem with it, they can shop elsewhere.

As to the last question, I am not sure 100%. If it was pagan or satanic, then, yes, I would feel a little uncomfortable.
[/quote]
I'm with you on this one.

If people really had a big problem with it they would shop at another store.
A private company can have whatever they want on display(within reason of coarse).
Companys will either make more money or make less because of what they put on the walls of THEIR building.
another thing this person asked to put the crucifix up, it was'nt like they did it behind the store's backs or anything like that.

My aunt works at a grocery store and she gets to deal with all of the really nasty complaints but a week later the same customer is back shopping liked they always do.

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[quote name='Varg' date='22 September 2009 - 03:29 PM' timestamp='1253651367' post='1971136']
And I wish people would stop thinking of the Swastika as a racist symbol. It's a Hindu symbol, dammit! :(
[/quote]
It was also widely used in the western world, including in Christian art.

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If some Jewish people are offended by seeing a crucifix in a store, why do we hear nothing about the millions of people who wear one around their necks every day? Certainly they must object to that too.

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It is amazing that so many fo the people who are most obsessed with religous tolerance have absolutly no idea what it actually means. If you freak out when you see a Christian symbol, you are intolerant of christians not the other way around. If i refused to go into stores with say Islamic or Hindu symbolism i would never eat a Kebab or / butter chicken again and that would be sad.

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eagle_eye222001

[quote name='Slappo' date='22 September 2009 - 03:07 PM' timestamp='1253646473' post='1971109']
I think the last question is hard to answer. It depends on the religion.

If it was wiccan... no I would not continue to shop there pretty much on any basis. If it was a protestant anti-catholic denomination, I would only shop there if no other reasonable options were available. It would also depend on what else was available. If it was a good protestant store and there was a good Catholic store for the same price (or even a tad bit higher), I'd shop Catholic.
[/quote]


[quote name='InHisLove726' date='22 September 2009 - 03:50 PM' timestamp='1253649018' post='1971126']
I didn't vote in the poll. I think it should be left up to the store whether or not to allow it since it's their own business. If people really have a problem with it, they can shop elsewhere.

As to the last question, I am not sure 100%. If it was pagan or satanic, then, yes, I would feel a little uncomfortable.
[/quote]

Yeah I should have had the poll address this.

I wouldn't have a problem unless it was Wiccan, satanic, or anti-Catholic etc.

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[quote name='jonyelmony' date='22 September 2009 - 09:34 PM' timestamp='1253673282' post='1971288']
It is amazing that so many fo the people who are most obsessed with religous tolerance have absolutly no idea what it actually means. If you freak out when you see a Christian symbol, you are intolerant of christians not the other way around. If i refused to go into stores with say Islamic or Hindu symbolism i would never eat a Kebab or / butter chicken again and that would be sad.
[/quote]

Actually i lie, the "Chicken Magic" has doubled as indian takeaway and they have a picture of Jesus on their front door. Unfortunatly though it is a rather dirty store and thus would not but my butter chicken from them.

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