Sleigh bells are ringing. Snow is glistening. Can you feel it? The War on Christmas is here.
Or, at least, so says the American Family Association. The evangelical nonprofit has published its yearly “Naughty or Nice?” list, a rundown “of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas.” Only four companies, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Belk and, of course, its own AFA Online Store get the “5-star” rating indicating they “[promote] and [celebrate] Christmas on an exceptional basis.”
Beyond that, the report is split up like a stop sign: Green indicates the “company uses the term ‘Christmas’ on a regular basis [and the AFA considers them] Christmas-friendly.” Ace Hardware, J.C. Penney and Menards are among those who received this designation. Yellow means the “company refers to Christmas infrequently, or in a single advertising medium, but not in others.” Safeway, Starbucks, Walgreens and others were given this cautionary label. Finally, red points to a “company [which] may use ‘Christmas’ sparingly in a single or unique product description, but as a company, does not recognize it.” The AFA implores readers to “BOYCOTT!” these “companies AGAINST ‘Christmas.’” Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Family Dollar, Foot Locker, Gap, Limited Brands, Maurices, Office Depot, Old Navy, RadioShack, Staples, SuperValu and Victoria’s Secret are all apparently in league with Satan. (Who knew?)
My first inclination is to ignore this attention grab altogether, lest it be granted more power. But the AFA, which has been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has been surprisingly effective in eliciting responses from targeted retailers in years past. In 2005, Target was the subject of an AFA boycott after failing to use the word “Christmas” in its advertising. The embargo was subsequently called off after Target capitulated. In 2008, Home Depot added more references to Christmas after AFA-manufactured outrage. And in 2009, the AFA called off another boycott, this time against Gap Inc., after the company guaranteed a new Thanksgiving marketing campaign with a “very strong Christmas theme” to make up for mentioning Christmas along with other holidays such as Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and solstice in previous advertising. “Your actions make a difference!” read the headline of the AFA press release accompanying the announcement of Gap Inc.’s promise.
The AFA’s wrongheaded campaign reminds me of the words of Sunday school teacher and Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1907, when T.R. was asked why the then-new $20 gold coin didn’t feature the words “In God We Trust,” he replied it “not only does no good but does positive harm, and is in effect irreverence, which comes dangerously close to sacrilege.”
In fact, the one and only time in all four Gospels the normally nonviolent Jesus gets physical is during the Cleansing of the Temple. The story appears in all four Gospels and has to do with Jesus expelling moneychangers and those selling small animals for sacrifice from the Temple of Jerusalem. At the sight of the mixing of religion and commerce in Herod’s Temple, the Prince of Peace fashioned a whip from some nearby cords.
“[Jesus] drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen,” according to John 2:13-16. “And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’”
It seems to me that if the American Family Association were actually following the popular understanding by the majority of modern Christians of the words, actions and spirit of the founder of their religion, it would be trying to drive retailers further away from Jesus’ birthday, not boycotting to meld the two together.
Rob Burgess, Tribune night editor, may be reached by calling 765-454-8577, via email at rob.burgess@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/robaburg.
Columns
Related Photos
-
Rob Burgess Tribune night editor
Discussion
House of Burgess: Keeping the holiday holy
War on retailers’ War on Christmas continues
- Columns
-
-
MAUREEN HAYDEN: Indiana liquor laws are confusing to all
Are they intended to regulate sales or level the playing field?
-
RAY DAY: Why not public schools?
School vouchers aggravate the misconception that private schools are better than public schools.
-
ED VASICEK: 'Ed'-itorial comments concerning the news
Chicago natives just don't lack opinions.
-
Hayden: From good to great in education
On the campaign trail last year and early into his administration, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said repeatedly that his goal as governor would be to take Indiana from “good to great.”
-
Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research. Instead, their words of wisdom come from a greater source — the heart, where they store and process life experiences. Unfortunately, some folks don’t receive the gift of maternal guidance, for various reasons.
-
Wolfsie: Making bird calls
One afternoon in 2011, my friend Eric spent a couple of hours over lunch explaining Twitter to me and I thought I understood it all, but as you’ll see from my first few tweets, I wasn’t very confident: “Is anyone getting this?”
-
Vasicek: Mother’s Day stresses
For two hours, the lady sitting next to another airplane passenger boasted about her grandchildren, producing a barrage of photographs. She finally realized that she had been talking the whole time, so she tried to make amends:
“Oh, I am sorry! I have monopolized the conversation. I will listen to you now. So please tell me: what do you think of my grandchildren?” -
Day: Sports as I see it
Most of us have times when we want to vent our anger about things that happen for no good reason whatsoever and there are some who just don’t give a darn about what changes we have each day. Take me for example. There are things going on every year in sports where we are the ones who buy the tickets, yet we have no say about what’s happening
-
Hicks: The real cause of Indiana’s ‘brain drain’
This week across Indiana bright, talented and well-educated young people pack up their meager campus belongings and head out to new jobs. Their employment prospects, for the minority who don’t yet have jobs, are fantastic
-
House of Burgess: Committing virtual identity suicide
I joined Facebook Sept. 22, 2004. That was just seven months after Mark Zuckerberg and his cohorts created the site. Needless to say, it looked and felt much different back then. At its inception, the social network was only open to a few select Ivy League colleges
- More Columns Headlines
-
MAUREEN HAYDEN: Indiana liquor laws are confusing to all
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
