The American Family Association has called off its boycott against The Gap and Old Navy after Old Navy (owned by The Gap) aired a commercial featuring the company's "Supermodelquins" singing Merry Christmas. The AFA website reports that thousands of Christians sent e-mails, letters and petitions threatening to boycott both stores if they refused to use the word "Christmas" in their advertising. As a result, parent company The Gap buckled under the pressure, and filled themselves with Christmas cheer. Now, Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods have been added to the AFA's "naughty or nice" list, being deemed as "naughty" for their refusal to use advertising that mentions the word Christmas. A call to boycott those stores is pending.
Ahhhh, the power of the boycott. Two thumbs up to everyone who e-mailed or wrote The Gap and Old Navy, and especially to those who refused to shop there while the boycott was in place. While it's ridiculous that the AFA has to have a "naughty or nice list," the absurdity of our country's obsession with political correctness makes the list necessary and that's just sad. While the argument is old, it's still hard to believe that any retailer would refuse the word Christmas because of it's connection to Jesus. It's even more troubling that in spite of the AFA's making this list every year, some retailers still try to get around the word therefore risking their entire shopping season.
Do atheists, agnostics or any of those belonging to a myriad of other religions really care if the word Christmas is used on or near December 25? If you don't believe the day is a religious holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ, why would you care that others do? Are you really so sensitive that hearing someone say Merry Christmas wrecks your entire day? Remember, you don't believe! You are allowed to say Happy Holidays, Bah Humbug or anything else that you want, and if there truly is no Christ to worship, why are you threatened? Merry and Christmas are just words to you, and the reality is that December 25 is called Christmas whether you like it or not. Look at it this way. The holiday is celebrated with the giving of gifts, which requires shopping, so if you have no religious beliefs or ties to Christianity, just enjoy the materialism that many put ahead of the religious significance of the holiday. Believe me we Christians will get over it, and you can still max out your credit cards at stores who say Merry Christmas. Again, Merry and Christmas ARE JUST WORDS!
With all of the Christmas hoopla, I'm thankful for the AFA's "naughty or nice" list and some of the other anti-Christmas retailers include: Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, CVS, Radio Shack and Staples. The nice list features great stores like Hobby Lobby, JC Penny, K-Mart & Lowes. (updated November 24 and the entire list can be viewed at www.afa.net)
So Christians get out there and shop. Keep the Christ in Christmas but reward those stores who are willing to step up and support your religious beliefs and freedoms. The "nice" retailers need you and the economy needs the jumpstart. American Family Association, keep up the good work and thank you for making all of us aware of the Christ friendly stores that we can support this year.
Remember, there's only 24 shopping days until Christmas, and retailers are promising special deals until the big day. In the meantime, let me wish you a Merry Christmas, I'll remind you that Jesus loves you, and I'll hopefully see you at The Gap.
Showing posts with label The Gap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Gap. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS! (May God Help us All)
It's that time of year when we start hearing rumblings about which national retailers will not be using the word "Christmas" in their holiday advertisements.
The American Family Association is asking all Christians to boycott those stores that won't use the word, having been successful at changing some retailers minds in the past. The AFA reports on their website, that Sears, one of the companies who was boycotted three years ago, is now offering a Christmas Club on sears.com. Many Americans including The Christian Commentator, enjoyed last year's WalMart spots, depicting the little boy putting a nativity scene under his Christmas tree. WalMart had also been the target of a boycott a few years back.
This year, the AFA is calling on Christians to boycott The Gap, which has clearly indicated that it will not allow the term "Christmas" to be used on any of its promotional advertising. In addition, they are asking for a boycott of Old Navy and Banana Republic, which are both owned by the same company.
Are you willing to boycott stores that won't allow "Christmas" into their advertisements? If so, you can also go to afa.net, where you can buy buttons and stickers that say "Merry Christmas." They make the perfect accessory to wear into the stores where you refuse to shop, because of their lack of "Christmas" cheer.
This whole idea of retailers refusing to use the word "Christmas" is ridiculous. With 70% of the U.S. population claiming to be Christian, why would they decide to offend such a large group of people, especially in a time when retail sales are going down the drain?
The other issue that doesn't seem to make sense, is the suggestion that a "word" has the power to convert someone to a particular faith. Having been a Christian for over 40 years, I can honestly say, that my conversion moment didn't come because someone wished me a Merry Christmas.
If you don't believe in the religious connotation of the holiday, why would you be threatened by those of us who do? You can relax. You still can buy a bunch of tacky decorations, max out your credit cards on gifts nobody wants, and fill yourself with food and drink while laughing at those of us who respect the day as the rememberance of Christ's birth. Believe me when I say, we won't stop by on December 25 to spoil your fun.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what about the rights of those of us who do call ourselves Christian? We gladly stand by and offer well wishes to those who celebrate Hanuakkah and Kwanza and we tolerate those who choose to celebrate nothing at all. At the same time, it gets a bit old, to be part of the one group in America who happens to be in the majority, as far as religion is concerned, yet we are the very ones who aren't given the respect to worship our God publicly. Remember retailers, every major religion has their day, and ours happens to be the one that can make or break your year end sales goals.
So, be sure to weigh in on what you think. Merry Christmas or boycott? Protest or complacency? Spending your hard earned dollars for gifts for your loved ones, or forgetting about Christmas all together?
As for me, let me be the first to release my inner radical here in mid-October to say: MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the peace of Christ be with you, whether you worship Him or not, and may God put an end to the insanity in the New Year.
The American Family Association is asking all Christians to boycott those stores that won't use the word, having been successful at changing some retailers minds in the past. The AFA reports on their website, that Sears, one of the companies who was boycotted three years ago, is now offering a Christmas Club on sears.com. Many Americans including The Christian Commentator, enjoyed last year's WalMart spots, depicting the little boy putting a nativity scene under his Christmas tree. WalMart had also been the target of a boycott a few years back.
This year, the AFA is calling on Christians to boycott The Gap, which has clearly indicated that it will not allow the term "Christmas" to be used on any of its promotional advertising. In addition, they are asking for a boycott of Old Navy and Banana Republic, which are both owned by the same company.
Are you willing to boycott stores that won't allow "Christmas" into their advertisements? If so, you can also go to afa.net, where you can buy buttons and stickers that say "Merry Christmas." They make the perfect accessory to wear into the stores where you refuse to shop, because of their lack of "Christmas" cheer.
This whole idea of retailers refusing to use the word "Christmas" is ridiculous. With 70% of the U.S. population claiming to be Christian, why would they decide to offend such a large group of people, especially in a time when retail sales are going down the drain?
The other issue that doesn't seem to make sense, is the suggestion that a "word" has the power to convert someone to a particular faith. Having been a Christian for over 40 years, I can honestly say, that my conversion moment didn't come because someone wished me a Merry Christmas.
If you don't believe in the religious connotation of the holiday, why would you be threatened by those of us who do? You can relax. You still can buy a bunch of tacky decorations, max out your credit cards on gifts nobody wants, and fill yourself with food and drink while laughing at those of us who respect the day as the rememberance of Christ's birth. Believe me when I say, we won't stop by on December 25 to spoil your fun.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what about the rights of those of us who do call ourselves Christian? We gladly stand by and offer well wishes to those who celebrate Hanuakkah and Kwanza and we tolerate those who choose to celebrate nothing at all. At the same time, it gets a bit old, to be part of the one group in America who happens to be in the majority, as far as religion is concerned, yet we are the very ones who aren't given the respect to worship our God publicly. Remember retailers, every major religion has their day, and ours happens to be the one that can make or break your year end sales goals.
So, be sure to weigh in on what you think. Merry Christmas or boycott? Protest or complacency? Spending your hard earned dollars for gifts for your loved ones, or forgetting about Christmas all together?
As for me, let me be the first to release my inner radical here in mid-October to say: MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the peace of Christ be with you, whether you worship Him or not, and may God put an end to the insanity in the New Year.
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