Courtesy of Focus on the Family, used by permission
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Focus on Family exposes retailers who stand against Christmas tradition
Despite earning billions of dollars during Christmas, many retailers are opposed to mentioning the word "Christmas."
What an irony.
Focus on the Family has released a "naughty or nice" list of Christmas-friendly retailers.
Those retailers who aren't afraid of the word "Christmas" are:
Cabela's, Crate&Barrel, Dillard's, Eddie Bauer, JCPenney, Kohl's, L.L.Bean, Lands' End, Linens 'n Things, Lowe's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pier 1 Imports, Sears, The Home Depot, Target and Wal-Mart.
"Christmas-negligent" retailers, those who have marginal use of "Christmas" include:
Barnes & Noble, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Borders, Circuit City, Dick's Sporting Goods, GAP, KB Toys, Kmart and Toys "R" Us
Those who have completely abandoned "Christmas" are:
American Eagle, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, Lane Bryant and Old Navy
We here understand the crass commercialization of Christmas -- but we also enourage the honest acknowledgement of our cultural and foundational roots in this nation. And those roots include "Christmas" . What do you think? Add your comment below.
Originally published by Focus on the Family Action. Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family.
What an irony.
Focus on the Family has released a "naughty or nice" list of Christmas-friendly retailers.
Those retailers who aren't afraid of the word "Christmas" are:
Cabela's, Crate&Barrel, Dillard's, Eddie Bauer, JCPenney, Kohl's, L.L.Bean, Lands' End, Linens 'n Things, Lowe's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pier 1 Imports, Sears, The Home Depot, Target and Wal-Mart.
"Christmas-negligent" retailers, those who have marginal use of "Christmas" include:
Barnes & Noble, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Borders, Circuit City, Dick's Sporting Goods, GAP, KB Toys, Kmart and Toys "R" Us
Those who have completely abandoned "Christmas" are:
American Eagle, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, Lane Bryant and Old Navy
We here understand the crass commercialization of Christmas -- but we also enourage the honest acknowledgement of our cultural and foundational roots in this nation. And those roots include "Christmas" . What do you think? Add your comment below.
Originally published by Focus on the Family Action. Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family.
I stand for Christmas
Focus on the family has developed a petition that you can use to give to your local retailer, telling them that you stand for Christmas and ask them to not back down to secularism.
"There is a larger movement to purge Christian references from the public square. Many retailers are quite willing to take money from Christians but refuse to even acknowledge the Christian basis for Christmas!" the article says. "With more than 90 percent of Americans believing in and celebrating "Christmas," we believe it is time for the secularization of Christmas to end."
Get the petition here:
http://www.focuspetitions.com/175/petition.asp
"There is a larger movement to purge Christian references from the public square. Many retailers are quite willing to take money from Christians but refuse to even acknowledge the Christian basis for Christmas!" the article says. "With more than 90 percent of Americans believing in and celebrating "Christmas," we believe it is time for the secularization of Christmas to end."
Get the petition here:
http://www.focuspetitions.com/175/petition.asp
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Here we go again
The wonderful little town of Golden, CO, (home of Molson-Coors Brewing) has decided to wage war against Christmas -- and our Society is discouraged.
It all started with a Jewish rabbi who wanted to place a Menorah on the city property to compliment a Christmas tree. We have no issue with that -- equality is what we are all about. Rather than accomodate him, the Golden City Council decided that it was no longer a Christmas tree -- it was a holiday tree.
On top of that, they also proposed a policy to elminate all other religious symbols and simply have winter symbols. Penguins are in. Stars are out. The trees will still be lit, but don't read too much into that. They're just trees with lights on them.
Let the rabbi have his Menorah. Or maybe you can just call it a "candlabra" and let it go at that.
This craziness must stop.
It all started with a Jewish rabbi who wanted to place a Menorah on the city property to compliment a Christmas tree. We have no issue with that -- equality is what we are all about. Rather than accomodate him, the Golden City Council decided that it was no longer a Christmas tree -- it was a holiday tree.
On top of that, they also proposed a policy to elminate all other religious symbols and simply have winter symbols. Penguins are in. Stars are out. The trees will still be lit, but don't read too much into that. They're just trees with lights on them.
We say "hooey."
Let the rabbi have his Menorah. Or maybe you can just call it a "candlabra" and let it go at that.
This craziness must stop.
It's a war
Some don't understand that is a battle for our intentity. This is who we are as a people. Inclusiveness doesnt mean that we have to exclude.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Lights of Christmas
The Lights of Christmas
By David Rupert
Christmas is a season of bright lights. They adorn our windows and our homes. Strings of multicolored lamps festively dance on trees flashing in a thousand combinations. Some blink in reckless abandon, while others flow in majestic choreographed ballets. Some neighborhoods flash like carnivals, while others glow with peaceful serenity.
For me, these millions of bulbs are blessed reminders of hope. They are unwitting participants and visual reminders of the message of Christmas.
The first Christmas lights were the bright heavenly hosts that surrounding the shepherds, trumpeting the manger miracle. An angel comforted them and said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”
In our nation today, this “good news of great joy” has become an irritant to many. The traditional Christmas story is being carefully clipped out with the sharp scissors of men and institutions bent on ridding our nation of spiritual meaning.
Plato’s wisdom long ago resonates even today: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Reacting out of their own fear of the Lights of Christmas, the secularists go one step further and determine to snuff out our lights as well.
The newspapers will be full stories of these light-snuffers and darkness-lovers. Schools will ban carols and plays. We’ll battle over manger scenes on public property.
Christmas cards once were radiant reflections of the hope of the season. Now they are reduced to banalities. Now discount stores sell boxes of green and red cards with such meaningful expressions such as “Joyous Holidays”, and “Season’s Greetings”. For me, the stiff-sounding and just plain boring Winter Holiday can’t hold a candle to the lights of a Jesus-centered Christian.
And everyone from mall clerks to school teachers are afraid of The Light of the simple expression: “Merry Christmas.”
The Good news is that Christmas survives the onslaught of humanism. As our most multifaceted holiday, Christmas is historical in nature, cultural in practice and religious in its significance. It represents the heart and soul of our nation.
In spite of an increasingly secular society’s value imposition on the majority of its citizenry, the Light of this holiday burns brighter yet. It is because as humans, we look longingly into our souls and ache with the pain of need. We need peace. We need joy. We need the lasting gift that is without price. We need light to shine in our dark world.
Listen to the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
“Then Pealed the bells
More loud and deep;
‘God is not dead;
nor doth He sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth
Good-will to men!”
Society cannot dim the bright light of the True Spirit of Christmas.
By David Rupert
Christmas is a season of bright lights. They adorn our windows and our homes. Strings of multicolored lamps festively dance on trees flashing in a thousand combinations. Some blink in reckless abandon, while others flow in majestic choreographed ballets. Some neighborhoods flash like carnivals, while others glow with peaceful serenity.
For me, these millions of bulbs are blessed reminders of hope. They are unwitting participants and visual reminders of the message of Christmas.
The first Christmas lights were the bright heavenly hosts that surrounding the shepherds, trumpeting the manger miracle. An angel comforted them and said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”
In our nation today, this “good news of great joy” has become an irritant to many. The traditional Christmas story is being carefully clipped out with the sharp scissors of men and institutions bent on ridding our nation of spiritual meaning.
Plato’s wisdom long ago resonates even today: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Reacting out of their own fear of the Lights of Christmas, the secularists go one step further and determine to snuff out our lights as well.
The newspapers will be full stories of these light-snuffers and darkness-lovers. Schools will ban carols and plays. We’ll battle over manger scenes on public property.
Christmas cards once were radiant reflections of the hope of the season. Now they are reduced to banalities. Now discount stores sell boxes of green and red cards with such meaningful expressions such as “Joyous Holidays”, and “Season’s Greetings”. For me, the stiff-sounding and just plain boring Winter Holiday can’t hold a candle to the lights of a Jesus-centered Christian.
And everyone from mall clerks to school teachers are afraid of The Light of the simple expression: “Merry Christmas.”
The Good news is that Christmas survives the onslaught of humanism. As our most multifaceted holiday, Christmas is historical in nature, cultural in practice and religious in its significance. It represents the heart and soul of our nation.
In spite of an increasingly secular society’s value imposition on the majority of its citizenry, the Light of this holiday burns brighter yet. It is because as humans, we look longingly into our souls and ache with the pain of need. We need peace. We need joy. We need the lasting gift that is without price. We need light to shine in our dark world.
Listen to the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
“Then Pealed the bells
More loud and deep;
‘God is not dead;
nor doth He sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth
Good-will to men!”
Society cannot dim the bright light of the True Spirit of Christmas.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Taking Christmas back
CNN columnist Roland Martin writes this:
"What if families decided to forego gifts, and instead, used their shopping days giving back to those in need? What if more of us went into our closets, grabbed old toys and clothes, repackaged them, and provided them as gifts to those without? Instead of gorging on food, what if we used some of the dough to feed those who are in need? What if we blew off those gift cards to electronic retailers and signed up with Networkforgood.org, and gave someone a gift card to their favorite charity?"
Maybe he's on to something.
Maybe we need to start a real Christmas and let the secularists have their "holiday."
"What if families decided to forego gifts, and instead, used their shopping days giving back to those in need? What if more of us went into our closets, grabbed old toys and clothes, repackaged them, and provided them as gifts to those without? Instead of gorging on food, what if we used some of the dough to feed those who are in need? What if we blew off those gift cards to electronic retailers and signed up with Networkforgood.org, and gave someone a gift card to their favorite charity?"
Maybe he's on to something.
Maybe we need to start a real Christmas and let the secularists have their "holiday."
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