This comes to us courtesy of Andrea Myers, former Gulf Coast intern at Grace, Conroe.

—American proverb

I admit it. I’m a smartphone junkie. Worse, an iPhone junkie. Being a pastor is not a desk job. The laptop meant I was no longer chained to a desk. The smart phone meant I was no longer tied to a laptop. 95% of my correspondence is now handled by smart phone. Twitter and Facebook have connected people over social and geographical boundaries. Women tweeting photos fueled the Arab Spring. People under repressive regimes now have contact with the outside world. A revolution before our eyes.

But there is a dark side.

Apple and other companies are outsourcing product assembly to companies like Foxconn in Taiwan, that have labor conditions that every American would find horrific. Explosions, hazardous materials, toxic chemicals, long hours, short pay, and so on, have caused an astronomical suicide rate so high the company has actually installed nets to prevent people from jumping to their death. Hardly the American dream. We would never tolerate such conditions in the U.S. but we’ll gladly fund the practice in other countries by purchasing products made there, if it means we can have our phones for a few bucks less.

All this amidst Apple’s largest earnings ever. Prior to the last quarter, their largest quarterly earnings were $30 billion. Last quarter? $46 billion. There is a ton of money being made. Apple has $100 billion in cash. But is this capital being built upon the backs of the poor? And am I complicit with my iPhone 4?

Other companies are no better. Foxconn also builds products for Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Asus, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Intel, I.B.M., Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Netgear, Nintendo, Nokia and Vizio. Nobody has clean hands in this globalized economy. And lest you think you can achieve some nirvana of moral purity through purchasing the right products, even the money you have invested in the bank is being used for nefarious purposes. And don’t get me started on how they’re using our taxes.

So we’re left with three options.

1. We can give up. Oh well, the world is a very complex place. Little old me? What can I do? We can look the other way and say, “Too bad for those folks. So sad.”

2. We can take the Amish route and live in a self-imposed rejection of all technology. “No phones, no boats, no motor cars, not a single luxury, like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be…” We can’t escape from taxes, but this route is a simpler lifestyle, less engaged with the evil world. But then we forfeit the opportunity to be a blessing to the world as well. It’s like hiding in a world of imaginary righteousness, while invisibly benefitting from the platform of safety and technology the outside world provides.

3. We can engage the powers that be, with a loud, prophetic voice. We can relentlessly turn the spotlight on the darkness. Don’t disengage. Engage. Demand justice. Warning: This will make you very unpopular. You better look good on wood.

After years of pressure, Nike started pushing its suppliers. The much maligned media showed us children forced to work in sweat shops. People were outraged. The reality is corporations are soulless entities. Yes, they’re made up of people, but time and time again corporations have shown that they will do horrific things to make a profit. (Remember when GM calculated the cost of lawsuits by survivors of fiery truck deaths would amount to less than changing the side saddle gas tank design that gave them the competitive edge? http://www.autosafety.org/history-gm-side-saddle-gas-tank-defect) Thomas Jefferson believed unregulated, large corporations were the biggest threat to a democratic society.

The media is a gift. A free press is an absolutely essential component to democracy. After much media scrutiny and social pressure Nike made changes. It’s time for Apple to do the same, if they want to be the bright shining company we all think they are.

I’m not advocating ditching your iPhone. At least not yet. There are no ethical smart phone options. No not one. I’m also not advocating doing away with all smart phones. Let’s not bury our heads in the sand. One sin-prone corporation will just be replaced by another. Instead, let’s put the pressure on these companies to do the right thing. I believe in five years or so Apple could make significant changes like Nike if they perceive consumers prefer ethical companies.

What to do?

1. Pray about it. What is the right thing to do?

2. Think about it. Wrestle with it yourself. Read up. Be a smart consumer.

3. Talk about it. Tell your friends. Blog it. Reason together.

4. Write a letter to Apple or other companies: http://sacom.hk/archives/925

Above all, let’s stand for justice, especially when our money is being used for good or ill.

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/23/there_is_no_ethical_smartphone/singleton/?mobile.html