I love this time of year. The lights, decorations, cookies, music, trees, and oh yes, the presents!!! I also love this time of year because it gives time to be with our families, share great memories, and be reminded of the birth of a baby boy that would become the savior of the world through his death on the cross.
In the past I have found myself getting upset at some of the political correctness that has surrounded the Christmas season in recent years, but I have mellowed out and most of that stuff doesn't bother me much anymore. I don't mind most of the holidays that happen around this time either, except for maybe Kwanzaa..would somebody please explain that one to me! In fact, I don't even get my underwear in a bunch when somebody wishes me "happy holidays" as opposed to "merry Christmas".
But recently I have found something that I was quite offended by. It wasn't a "holiday tree" or a "solstice festival". No, this time I found offense in a little website ran by our good friends at Focus on the Family . These self-proclaimed defenders of American evangelical Christianity has seen fit to create a website entitled "Stand For Christmas".
On the home page of this self-righteous website you can read reviews of various retailers and what they are doing to respect Christmas. If they are doing things like playing Christmas music all the time or wishing people "Merry Christmas", they receive a "friendly rating". If, on the other hand, their music selection is not 100% seasonal fare. Or they say things like "Happy Holidays" they will receive the dreaded "Offensive" rating. But, if they just don't care one way or the other, they are considered "Negligent". This website should be branded offensive.
You can also purchase various Christmas oriented and high quality products such as:
In the past I have found myself getting upset at some of the political correctness that has surrounded the Christmas season in recent years, but I have mellowed out and most of that stuff doesn't bother me much anymore. I don't mind most of the holidays that happen around this time either, except for maybe Kwanzaa..would somebody please explain that one to me! In fact, I don't even get my underwear in a bunch when somebody wishes me "happy holidays" as opposed to "merry Christmas".
But recently I have found something that I was quite offended by. It wasn't a "holiday tree" or a "solstice festival". No, this time I found offense in a little website ran by our good friends at Focus on the Family . These self-proclaimed defenders of American evangelical Christianity has seen fit to create a website entitled "Stand For Christmas".
On the home page of this self-righteous website you can read reviews of various retailers and what they are doing to respect Christmas. If they are doing things like playing Christmas music all the time or wishing people "Merry Christmas", they receive a "friendly rating". If, on the other hand, their music selection is not 100% seasonal fare. Or they say things like "Happy Holidays" they will receive the dreaded "Offensive" rating. But, if they just don't care one way or the other, they are considered "Negligent". This website should be branded offensive.
You can also purchase various Christmas oriented and high quality products such as:
- 101 Ways to Have a Christian Christmas
- A button that reads "It's OK-Wish Me a Merry Christmas" for a mere $1.50 a piece
- Many various products from Rick Warren, just in case you didn't know the purpose of Christmas
- And, just in case you didn't know, Christmas is in need of redeeming. You can buy a FOTF radio broadcast to find out how you can redeem the holiday here
If we really wanted to take a stand for Christmas, wouldn't the best thing be to love all of these people who are working in these stores? Perhaps show them a little love with a smile and a thank you? I have worked in retail many years, and Christmas is not being drowned out be the retailers, its being suffocated by all the people that give into the commercialization and patronize these stores. All the while treating the person behind the counter as a lower class citizen. Perhaps Focus on the Family should start a website where retailers can post ratings of the consumers.
Merry Fricken Winter!
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1 comments:
BRAVO! You're right-on again, Nathan.
It's not our place to play Holy Spirit for anyone. And even if a retailer tends to the secular side, isn't that exactly the retailer we should go salt? (Go hang with sinners — on purpose? Gasp!) Shouldn't we be possessed with the notion of showing them how cordial and gracious Christians are (assuming you are, of course)? And for crying out loud, these people are in the business of business. They're just trying to stay alive. And isn't it really rather polite of them to try to not offend anyone?
And don't we have better things to do than play Gestapo?
Keep it coming, Nathan — for as long as Holy Spirit tells you to, of course. :-)
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