Welp, the Christmas season is upon us and, true to form, Focus on the Family is continuing their campaign to save Christmas from all those evil retailers who substitute “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings.” They even started a website where consumers can go and rate businesses based on how Christmas-friendly they are. On StandForChristmas.com, consumers can rate 30 popular businesses including Target, WalMart, and Best Buy indicating whether they are “Friendly,” “Negligent,” or “Offensive.”
Really Focus?
While I should have expected it (having worked there for a short stint), I’m surprised – or perhaps disheartened – that Focus is still up to its old ridiculous antics of focusing on everything but the family. Is there nothing better for FOTF to spend their time, money, and resources on than pointing out all the ways that non-Christian culture is, surprise-surprise, non-Christian? Perhaps it is this kind of garbage coming out of there that has resulted in their enormous lay-offs and cutbacks; people don’t want to support an organization whose practices only highlight what they are against.
But, I imagine there may be some reading this blog who need a little convincing and I’ll oblige. Here’s why this is nothing more than Christian Idiocy:
Being Offended by Retailers Not Saying “Merry Christmas” Makes Christians Look Weak
You cannot get around this with the whole, “But Christianity looks weak to the world” excuse. That may be true, but the essence of our perceived weakness is the result of the upside-down nature of the Kingdom: dying to live, loving enemies, etc. Those are essential to the Gospel and, as a result, worth dying for. It is worth appearing weak for the sake of those. But appearing weak because non-Christian retailers don’t pay explicit lip service to a Christian holiday to the exclusion of all others, is idiotic precisely because it is not worth dying for. Nobody is going to lay down their lives so that Best Buy will say, “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.” And if they do…consider it a blessing of evolution and give them a Darwin Award.
Christians Should Be Happy About Respecting Others’ Beliefs
Isn’t it a little odd that the ones who are supposed to be the most like Jesus – you know, the guy who reserved his harshest judgment for the religious and instead of condemning the sinful world, accepted it – are the ones who are initiating this condemnation of non-Christians? Wasn’t it Jesus who told us to love our enemies? Isn’t the most basic form of love the extension of respect? So why, again, should Christians be upset about the fact that non-Christian retailers are seeking to respect the beliefs of others? Far from criticizing or being offended by these actions, we should be praising them!
For Retailers, ANY Holiday is Just an Opportunity to Make Money (Including Those Who Say “Merry Christmas”)
Let’s get something straight: retailers take the actions they do in the interest of making money. Christmas, whether Christians want to admit it or not, is a consumer holiday, a cash cow, a day that is only as popular as it is because of the money that can be made in its observance. That is why some retailers choose to respect the beliefs of non-Christians…they want their money. And that is why some retailers choose to respect the beliefs of Christians…they want our money. But let’s ask a question here: is it helpful for Christians that retailers have to cater to our exclusive desires in order to not be taken through the ringer? Is that the reputation God wants for us: do what we want or else?
Being “Christmas-Friendly” Should Mean More Than Paying Lip-Service
This is the most important point. The biggest problem with Focus’ campaign: it sends the message that paying Christmas lip-service is admirable and should be praised. Because that’s what Jesus was after, right – people who said, “Jesus is Lord” and went on about their lives without any commitment to him whatsoever? If Focus’ actually cared about which businesses were Christmas-friendly, they would be looking at other things like: hiring/firing practices, charitable giving, the wages paid to those who make the products they carry, community involvement, etc. But, I digress. Focus is too lazy to actually care about being Christmas-friendly so instead they’ve settled for making ridiculous attacks. Praise the Lord, right?
But, I’m willing to change my mind if someone can provide any good reason for this.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Christianity, Christmas, Consumerism, Culture, Politics
This is just silly. I see the spirit behind this and don’t disagree with it, but we can be spending our time on more important issues this holiday season, I think.
How dare these retailers interrupt our Christianization of out-of-control consumerism. How else are we going to justify our lavish spending if we can’t make it sound religious?
Great posting. First time visiting your site. I found this blog on a retweet by @jesusneedsnewpr ,
Keep up the good thoughts!
As a WalMart employee I find it hilarious that ‘Focus On The Wrong Things’ has created a website for “Christians” to find out whether a store is Christmas friendly or not.
Yeah, that’s what’s important. Not do they donate food or money to charities, do they treat their employees with dignity, do they provide a living wage; no, do they say “Merry Christmas.”
From now on I’m going to greet all my customers with “Ph’nglui Mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.” Just to see if their score goes down.
While I do think that FOTF does some very good things that do not get publicized, this is not one of those good things. I think you hit the nail on the head when you basically said that Focus is imposing Christian values on non-Christians. They simply do not live to the same standards that we do, and we should not expect them to. I also think that saying Happy Holidays is not a bad thing. After all, we are not simply celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating a New Year as well. Not only that, but the Jews, a religion that Christianity has its roots in, is celebrating Chanakuh, we should be happy to say Happy Holidays. The fact is, as Christians, this is nothing that we should be worried about.
Great post! I like the way Homestar Runner calls ‘the holidays’ Decemberween.
This whole issue reminds me of a story I was told about a trendy youth pastor in a congregation with conservative older people. The youth pastor didn’t wear a tie to church and the older people didn’t like that, so they complained to the senior pastor. In my view, why would the older congregants care about the youth pastor’s neckwear? But should the youth pastor disregard the views of an important part of the congregation even if their worries were over such an absurd detail?
misplacedboy said it best, that there are more important things a store should be judged on. And I haven’t read any Lovecraft, but I nearly played the role-playing game based on his works (the name of which escapes me right now). If I was within reasonable distance of his store I’d shop there just to hear him say that!
To be honest, Jesse, I’m very disappointed in this article and in the very fact that you feel the need to share your thoughts on the subject matter. I mean no disrespect or insult, but i see this trend brewing among many Christians that all of the sudden they feel the need to share their distain for christians, christian organizations, and other aspects of christianity. Before i continue, i want to put down a bible verse for consideration:
2 Timothy 2:14-17a:
“remind them of theses things, charging them before the Lord NOT TO STRIVE ABOUT WORDS TO NO PROFIT, TO THE RUIN OF THE HEARERS. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But SHUN PROFANE AND IDLE BABBLINGS, FOR THEY WILL INCREASE TO MORE UNGODLINESS. AND THEIR MESSAGE WILL SPREAD LIKE CANCER.”
This article really provides no justification, and, more likely than not, adds to the much bigger problem of “profane and idle babblings”
regarding some of your statements:
-Being Offended by Retailers Not Saying “Merry Christmas” Makes Christians Look Weak:
-do i agree with what Focus did?- not really, i think its pointless and counterproductive to focus on the proverbial symptom as opposed to the disease itself- we’re called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to try and moralize non-believers and give them the false impression that the focal point of Christianity is morality christian appearance as opposed to believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and we are to repent of our sins and commit our lives to Him.
-Christianity is anything but weak- it is “the power of God to those who believe” but “foolishness to those who are perishing”. This world is vehemently against the Almighty God- for example, there is no other religion that i no of where the name of God is cursed in fowl language.
-” And if they do…consider it a blessing of evolution and give them a Darwin Award.”- -was this statement truly Spirit led?
-christians should be happy about respecting others beliefs-
there is no scriptural truth regarding this statement whatsoever. Jesus did indeed charge us to love our enemies- which He is the best example for because He died for those who were/ and those who still are His enemies- but does that mean that we should be happy and praising non-believers for their actions of holiday neutraility? No. Why should we be happy that someone from another religion, or no religion, is practicing what they believe, but yet they are still bound for an eternity separated from God?
Our response should be to contend for the faith according to sound doctrine (Jude 3). And collectively, as Christians, we are to “set our minds on things that are above and not things that are below” (Colossians 3:2).
Now for you, Jesse, I urge you to be very careful with what you choose to comment on and offer your opinion about, because you are in a unique position being a pastor.
James 3:1- “let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgement.”
Matthew 12:36-37 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
1 Timothy 1:3 “…that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
James 3: 17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hyprocisy.”
I don’t really think there is much for me to say beyond those scriptures- you have a wonderful privilege of preaching the gospel to hungry souls and speaking life into others- don’t waste it on petty arguments that will yield no fruit- and with every thing give much prayer and spiritual discernment. I don’t mean to offend with this post, but to encourage you as a man of God to stick to sound doctrine and remember that our flesh fails us constantly and we error in our own thoughts, and even the very height of wisdom of man is nothing more than the foolishness of God, so if anything- speak according to the foolishness of God as opposed to the wisdom of man. Blessings, grace, and love to you, my friend and brother in Christ Jesus.
Thanks all for your comments, both in agreement and disagreement.
A friend and current FOTF employee reminded me via Facebook that Focus does do good things that do not get publicized (as David Martin also commented). While I don’t intend to diminish those things, I also do not find those as legitimate justification to do this kind of stuff. The truth is that if Focus actually focused on the family exclusively, they would cease to be in the media and wouldn’t be looked on with disdain by many Christians. But they continue to throw in their two cents on everything else in culture, whether it is related to the family or not.
To Jonathan,
I appreciate you taking the time to response and provide your feedback. I truly value it. I need some more time to process it, and can’t promise that I’ll eventually agree, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your comments. Even if I don’t eventually come to agree with you, please don’t stop challenging me.
Jesse, man, I agree with you. Though lately I have been trying to avoid knocking on “The Church”, I think you are right to point this out so that we as the Body can try and change it.
This is so well put. I have had this frustration with FOTF since I was a pre-teen and receiving their teen girl magazine “Brio.” I was continuously frustrated that they would berate popular music and movies for not presenting Christian value in their reviews. The whole time I was reading it I would be screaming “but it’s not a Christian CD/movie!” Anyway thank you for putting this viewpoint out there
Thanks, Kelsey!
Expounding on this a bit further with the Reverse Discrimination of Christmas: http://richardtgarner.blogspot.com/2010/01/reverse-discrimination-of-christmas.html