A bad Penney keeps turning up

By: American Decency Staff

A couple of months ago we brought to your attention a myriad of examples that demonstrated that J.C. Penney is no longer the family-oriented store so many of us grew up with.  From regularly sponsoring some of the worst programming on network television to thumbing its nose at traditional families and aligning with homosexuality, JC Penney has emerged as a corporation that is pushing an agenda that undermines not only the values of millions of Americans, but also undermines its own foundation.  (Click here to read our earlier report.) Did you know that James Cash Penney’s first stores were not named after himself, but were called “The Golden Rule Storesâ€Â because he desired to build his business on that foundational principle?  He often said, "I would rather be known as a Christian than a merchant." How tragic that a store chain grounded upon Godly principles is now virtually spitting upon those values.  In addition to the concerns listed in the link above, JC Penney’s has now come out with a Mother’s Day ad showcasing a lesbian couple with “theirâ€Â young daughters. Click here to express your concern to JC Penney’s, letting them know you will not do business with a corporation that undermines your values. (See below for further action points.) MSNBC reported:  “The first step to making a controversial ad work is to recognize that the material could be divisive. Penney certainly knew that featuring a same-sex couple and their family in its new Mother's Day catalog would upset social conservatives …â€Â and added,   “J.C. Penney's inclusion of a same-sex couple in its catalog was calculating.â€Â The ad, under the heading “Freedom of Expression,â€Â is a two page photo spread of the two lesbians and the little girls with a caption referring to “Wendi, her partner, Maggie, and daughters …â€Â This portrayal of a lesbian couple with children as a normal, traditional family – in a Mother’s Day ad, no less – is a slap in the face to the values of James Cash Penney, and more importantly, to the values of millions of Americans who do not appreciate a formerly trusted corporation to purposefully seek to undermine the sacred institutions of marriage and family. With this ad, along with other recent corporate decisions, JC Penney is choosing to align with the forces seeking to attack the family and biblical values.  Instead of holding a neutral position in a debate that has nothing to do with selling merchandise, Penney’s has made their position clear. We, too, need to make our position clear – that we will not in good conscience support a company that has made a calculated decision to undermine the family and our values. James Cash Penney once stated: “The assumption was that business is secular, and service is religious. I have never been able to accept that line of arbitrary demarcation. . . . Is not service part and parcel of business? It seems to me so; business is therefore as much religious as it is secular. …â€Â Penney’s parents grounded him in the Christian faith (his father was a Baptist pastor) and those faith-filled principles guided him throughout his life and career.  JC Penney built an empire on those principles, leaving a vast chain of 1,660 stores at his death at the age of 95 in 1971.  He was known to frequently share his favorite Bible verse:  "I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me. Test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I will walk in faithfulness to you" (Psalms 26:1-2). While JC Penney strived to “walk in faithfulness,â€Â the corporation that bears his name has not only betrayed that faith and tainted the values he strived to promote, but has purposefully and actively sided with an opposing ideology that seeks to corrupt those values. Express your concern to JC Penney’s, urging them to, at the least, remain neutral regarding this divisive issue and to remember that traditional American families and values are what built the company. Action points: 1. Click here to send a message to the JC Penney’s corporation. 2. Contact your local Penney’s store (either in person or by phone) and ask to speak to the manager.  Kindly, but firmly, express your concern about their Mother’s Day advertisement promoting same-sex marriage.  Let them know you cannot support a store that is purposefully working to undermine your values.  Click on this link to find the Penney’s store closest to you.  You can also find phone numbers and mailing addresses (if you would prefer to write a letter) for local stores at this link.

3. Inform your friends and family about this concern, urging them to stand with us.

4. If you have a JC Penney credit card, consider cancelling the account.  A cut up credit card and letter explaining why you are cancelling your account will speak volumes!

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