Be careful about boycotts

The Florida Family Association is declaring victory in its campaign to have Lowe's home improvement stores not advertise on the TLC cable show All-American Muslim, which according to the FFA is "propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law."

I suspect the FFA is right to be concerned that "the show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish." But Christians need to have a discussion about the efficacy of boycotts, advertising pressure, and the like, even when they produce an immediate win.

Pressure of this sort is a productive tactic for majority groups, or minority groups that have majority support. Apple, for example, caved in to the gay lobby by kicking out the iPhone/iPad app for The Manhattan Declaration, an excellent document-signed mostly by Christians-that opposes same-sex marriage. While homosexuals probably comprise only 3 percent of the U.S. population, their demand for approval jives well with our general cultural tendencies.

Minorities without majority support have a lot to lose by embracing pressure tactics. Christian complaints about discrimination lose credibility when we encourage discrimination against others. Biblical Christians are a minority in the United States, which means we must vigorously speak out and defend truth-tellers under attack-that's one reason why WORLD made Alan Chambers of Exodus International its Daniel of the Year-but refrain from attempting to suppress others.

I appreciate the FFA's willingness to fight, but in the 21st century-unlike the 19th-if we live by the sword we'll probably die by the sword.