Just Holy Hardware
In the Gospel of Luke (1:53) in Christian Scripture, Mary, the mother of Jesus, states that God fills the hungry with good things. Central to the Christian message is that God prioritises the needs of the poor. Near the end of the Christian Scriptures, the Letter of James defends the rights of workers to a just wage (James 5:4).
In the early history of Christianity, seminal writers exhorted the faithful to treat the slaves of their day with high respect. In the 18th Century Christians in Britain and France led the movement for the abolition of slavery. In the 19th Century, Pope Leo XIII condemned unjust and forceful workplace practices perpetrated by employers or contractors during the period. Today, many Christians are involved in assisting vulnerable Australian workers, in such industries as cleaning and clothing, to be afforded their basic legal entitlements. Christian communities also celebrated the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade in 2007. The Salvation Army, with others in the Stop the Traffik campaign, is working to counter exploitation of labour in the production of chocolate, calling on chocolate manufacturers to act ethically.
By supporting JustHolyHardware you can strengthen the call made by the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victorian and Tasmania (and others) to Christian communities, retailers and suppliers that they should work together to try to ensure that the fundamental human dignity of those who make Christian-related products are respected.
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Is the cross you hang around your neck worth more than 11 cents an hour?
A report released in late November 2007 by the US National Labor Committee (NLC), Today Workers Bear the Cross, exposed the Association for Christian Retail (ACR) for selling crosses manufactured in a Chinese sweatshop.
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Let us begin
Help us begin the investigation. We are gathering information about where Christian novelty items, including Bible covers, crucifixes, bracelets and gadgets, are being made. Visit your local Christian specialty shop and respectfully record for us what the item is, how much it costs, and where it was made. We are particularly interested in items made in China. Please note that we are working with Central Catholic Bookstore and UniChurch Books in Melbourne so there is no need to review their merchandise.
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Why is Fairtrade cotton important?
Read this article and find out:
Working flat out - the child labour behind your Egyptian cotton sheets
They work 10-hour shifts in 40C heat for 20 pence a day. Their job? Picking the cotton that makes the world’s finest bed linen. Dan McDougall reports on the scandal of Egypt’s child labourers …
There is an alternative. Also check out the clerical dog collar shirts made with Fairtrade cotton (we are promoting this as part of the Holy Hardware campaign).
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Slave trade in religious souvenirs
Barney Zwartz
December 7, 2008
Source: The AGE
The crucifix bought in New York and traced to a Chinese sweatshop.
“JESUS have mercy on me, I’m dying of exhaustion.” That plaintive cry came from a Chinese teenager who had just finished yet another 19-hour shift producing crucifixes for sale in churches.
Christians in Australia have strongly supported the FairWear campaign for clothing outworkers and fair trade in coffee and tea, but might unwittingly be involved in some of the worst exploitation: workers producing devotional souvenirs, gifts and trinkets.
The Uniting Church in Australia has launched a campaign, Just Holy Hardware, to work with retailers and wholesalers to reduce exploitation and to educate Australian Christians.
“I don’t think many Christians would want to buy a product celebrating their faith made under great exploitation,” said Antony McMullen of the church’s justice and peace unit.
The scandal broke when America’s National Labor Committee bought a cheap crucifix in New York and traced it back to a Chinese factory where workers were labouring in appalling conditions. Investigators found women and girls — such as the 15-year-old quoted above — working up to 19 hours a day, seven days a week for 40 cents an hour, from which money is deducted for accommodation and food. They sleep in filthy dormitories and eat hot water with a few vegetable leaves.
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Fairtrade cotton for dog-collar shirts
Vicar sells ethical clergy shirts
A Nottinghamshire vicar is entering the world of business by selling Fairtrade clergy shirts.
Simon Butler, curate at St Giles Church in West Bridgford, said he came up with the idea after chatting to like-minded colleagues about Fairtrade products. More from this article
These shirts are now being sold in Australia
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Just Comment - Just Holy Hardware
You can make a comment on issues raised in Just Holy Hardware (or tell everyone about upcoming events, articles of interest relating to Just Holy Hardware) here.
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