Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    Interesting comment about Sprint.  I signed up for Working Assets long
    distance service a few years ago, when it was a special service of US
    Sprint.  Sometime recently Working Assets divorced themselves from
    Sprint and formed their own long distance company.  I didn't realize
    that they had done this until recently, so I am still a Sprint
    customer.  I will probably switch to Working Assets at some point
    soon.  

    -- Mike

The company you work for has large military contracts.

    .2 Larger than some, not as large as others - nowhere near the ones
    mentioned in .0.
    
    There is no way anyone can completely divorce oneself from the "system."
    
    I do what I can.
    
    Richard

    Unfortunately, the military is very much intertwined with much of our
    society.  It is pretty hard to escape it completely, but, as Richard
    said, we all do what we can.  We produce products that can be used for
    peaceful purposes, and also to aid the military.  Before I worked for
    Digital, I worked at a health care research institute that used VAX
    computers.  That was an example of a life-affirming use for the
    products that our company sells.
    
    One of the reasons I left Software Services was so that I wouldn't be
    put into a position of being asked to do consulting work for military
    customers.
    
    -- Mike

    Tough choices we have to make. Previous to DEC, I worked for an
    aerospace company, Northrop Corp., working on inertial guidance
    systems. Never was totally comfortable with the idea....but....
    I tended to focus on the technology, not the end product.
    
    Nowadays, I try to boycott firms that contribute money to 
    HCI (Handgun Control Inc.).
    
    And if you think that doesn't make sense....I can assure you that 
    I do believe it does make sense.
    
    Marc H.

re: Note 645.2 by "John R. Covert" 

>The company you work for has large military contracts.

John, 

I know that Digital sells to the military, but I have always heard that they 
are treated as "just another customer", in that we do not redesign or
ruggedize any equipment for field use and such.  (Though we do some work in
Tempest compliance, of which the military is a strong backer, and we sell
computers to other companies who DO ruggedize our equipment for military
resale. 

Generally, my perspective is that Digital has no overtly "aggressive" military 
contracts.

To contrast that, my old lab partner from college quit his first job after a
year.  He was designing electronic fuses for nuclear warheads and couldn't 
live with the possible consequences of his work.

If you can shed any more light on the subject, I will seriously read it.

I have on several occasions contemplated my work at Digital in the light of 
"am I helping to make life better for others in the world?"  That is not a 
simple yes or no question, but generally I believe I am working to the benefit 
of humanity, which is as close to being loving as I know how to get in an
economic framework. 

I also find it very difficult to answer yes or no to questions of boycotts.
Getting the whole picture of what's going on, who's affected, and such makes 
me shy of boycotting.  Boycotts also see to me to be more of a negative thing.
"Company X is against something I like or for something I don't so I'll work 
against Company X", I'd rather work for what I believe in, which I hope can 
stand on its own, with God's help.

Peace,

Jim

>If you can shed any more light on the subject, I will seriously read it.
    
    Yeah, but Jim, what if he belongs to a different church than you do? 
    Doesn't that mean you should simply ignore anything he has to say? :-)
    
    -- Mike

    Mike....I think that the question was asked in a serious way.
    
    Marc H.

    I know it was, Marc.  Jim's note was sincere, and I wasn't directing my
    note at Jim--I was commenting on the viewpoint, expressed elsewhere
    here, that if someone doesn't belong to your church, their opinion
    doesn't count for anything.  It was a rathole, I realize.
    
    -- Mike

    Mike:
    
    Out of curiosity, where is the source on this church membership issue?
    Pointers are appreciated.  It must have gotten your goat as you have
    mentioned this in other strings.
    
    -Jack

    By the by:
    
    I think boycotts are very beneficial.  Seven Eleven stores no longer
    sell playboy magazine (last I heard) because of a National boycott
    propogated by the National Federation for decency.  Companies do pay
    attention to these things.  Weather we agree on this or not, the point
    is boycotting works!
    
    I have proudly boycotted The United Way as they have supported and
    still support in particular a radical group.  I will not devulge the
    name.  Let's just say the initials are P.P.  Instead, I support one of
    the United Way recipients directly.  
    
    
    -Jack

    Mike is a Quaker.
    
    I know what Mike is talking about.  Have you been approached by any
    variety of front porch evangelists?  If you say you are a member of
    a church (virtually any church), they will typically proceed without
    missing a beat -- as though you were the unconverted.
    
    Richard
    

    Yeah, Richard, that happened to me in Colorado Springs once.  Telling
    them I was a Quaker didn't stop them from launching into their spiel.
    
    Jack, for a pointer to a note that indicated that an opinion was
    irrelevant and unwelcome because it did not come from a member of that
    person's church, see 639.30.
    
    -- Mike