In The Blogs

The Christmas Wars 2009: Round 1

| Tue Oct. 13, 2009 6:18 AM PDT

The Christmas wars are officially off and running. The latest attack comes from the American Family Association, a Mississippi-based right-wing Christian group that has successfully boycotted various companies they deem too friendly to gays and too hostile to Christians. The newest target of its ire? The Gap, a company that has officially declined to use the word "Christmas" in any of its holiday promotions this year. The AFA apparently thinks this is real blasphemy and is urging its members and supporters to boycott The Gap and its affiliates, Banana Republic and Old Navy. They write:

We want you to stand with us and other Christians in proclaiming that Christmas is special, not just any winter holiday. And the gift buying that Americans do for one another is because of Christmas. People don't exchange gifts on Thanksgiving or New Year's Day.

As part of its campaign, AFA is urging its supporters to don buttons that read "God's Gift: Merry Christmas" to show their support for Christmas. Naturally, the buttons can be procured from AFA. A "suggested donation" of $55 will get you 100 of them. However futile such campaigns may seem, the tiny AFA has actually been fairly successful in many of these boycotts. Three years ago, the group successfully convinced Sears to back off its commitment to nondenominational advertising. This year, Sears is going whole hog on the birth of Christ. AFA notes approvingly on its website that Sears is even offering a "Christmas Club." AFA doesn't seem to mind that Sears has launched the club even before Halloween. Those sorts of complaints will apparently be left to the atheists.

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Stephanie Mencimer is a staff reporter in Mother Jones' Washington bureau. For more of her stories, click here.

Comments

boycott the gap because...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue Oct. 13, 2009 7:48 AM PDT.

boycott the gap because the family that owns it has first growth rain forest in the pacific norhtwest and is logging it

The Gap and logging

Submitted by Michael Mechanic on Fri Nov. 6, 2009 11:36 AM PST.

Worth reading on this topic: Josh Harkinson's 2008 story about the Gap founders making peace with the treesitters. http://bit.ly/iLA8L Michael Mechanic is a senior editor at Mother Jones.

The Christmas Wars 2009: Round 1

Submitted by Dredd (not verified) on Tue Oct. 13, 2009 9:27 AM PDT.

That mean old Bob Dylan has started a Christmas uproar too.

He has the heart to donate income from his new album to feed the hungry Americans the right wing holier than thou bushies caused.

THE CHRISTMAS WARS

Submitted by stevador39 on Tue Oct. 13, 2009 3:21 PM PDT.

CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A CELEBRATION OF SALT, FAT, SUGAR AND GREED. JUST WHAT IS CHRISTIAN ABOUT IT?

Christmas is NOT Christian

Submitted by Gary K on Wed Oct. 14, 2009 3:43 AM PDT.

The Christians hijacked the Pagan solstice celebration and pretended it was when Jesus was born.

They seem to miss the meaning of Christmas

Submitted by DaveD (not verified) on Wed Oct. 14, 2009 3:17 AM PDT.

"And the gift buying that Americans do for one another is because of Christmas. People don't exchange gifts on Thanksgiving or New Year's Day."

So apparently to the AFA the central tenet of Christmas is buying stuff to give to family and friends?

Christ's Birthday?????

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed Oct. 14, 2009 5:08 AM PDT.

I will respect their boycott WHEN they celebrate Christ's birth in April/May - the time period he was actually born in. Christ Mass is an attempt to supplant the Winter Solstice of other religions and has NOTHING whatsoever to do with Christ.