‘Tis the time to liberate, indeed!
This is nonsense only Christians could come up with.
Get this. The American Family Association (you know we’re in trouble right there) has initiated a boycott of the GAP and all of its offshoot companies because of this year’s GAP ad campaign which AFA says does not feature “Christmas” prominently enough among other holidays which are also mentioned. From their website:
Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., are being targeted by AFA in a limited two-month boycott over the company’s failure to use the word “Christmas” in its advertising to Christmas shoppers.Gap has refused to use the word Christmas in its television commercials, newspaper ads and in-store promotions despite tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas as well as repeated requests from AFA to do the same.
Here is one of the ads that these people are upset about. Please note that the first holiday mentioned is Christmas.
The lyrics, in case you missed them, are:
2,4,6,8, ‘tis the time to liberate
go Christmas, go Hanukkah, go Kwanzaa, go Solstice
go classic tree, go plastic tree, go plant a tree, go without a tree
you 86 the rules
you do what just feels right
happy do-whatever-you-wantaka
and to all a cheery night!
This past Tuesday, AFA announced that their campaign has resulted in something of a victory. From Tuesday’s press release:
UPDATE - 11-24-09
Gap responds, boycott suspended. Your actions make a difference! Company says “pro-Christmas” ad to air this weekend.According to Bill Chandler, vice-president of Gap corporate communications, Gap’s Old Navy division will launch a new television commercial this weekend …which “has a very strong Christmas theme.” Chandler responded to AFA last Friday, after a poll showed 90% of AFA supporters wanted to continue the boycott as a result of Gap’s initial “holiday” ad that mingled Christmas with the pagan’s “Winter
Solstice” holiday.Gap says the new ad will include the popular Supermodelquins proudly cheering “Merry Christmas,” and features Christmas trees, lights and ornaments as well.
In good faith, AFA is suspending the Gap boycott until it has an opportunity to view the new commercial this weekend.
As a result of your dedicated actions, we believe Gap is beginning to realize that Christmas is not just another “holiday” and will begin to advertise in a way that is respectful to Christians and Christmas shoppers.
SuperModelquins chanting Merry Christmas! Amen! Our God is not mocked!
Hey, idiots. You complain on the one hand that Christ has been “taken out” of Christmas, and on the other you fight to have Christmas included “more prominently” in consumer advertising? Any Christian with a brain knows that the linking of Christmas with capitalism is precisely the problem, and the use of Christ to sell sweatshop products—indeed any product at all—is utterly blasphemous.
In fact, contrary to the stunning stupidity of those Christians who insist that putting Christ back into Christmas means putting Christmas back into our shopping malls, I have written to the GAP demanding that they STOP referring to Christmas in their commercials. You can do so too by contacting them at this email address. They can talk about “doing whatever you wantaka” all they want. Just leave Christ out of it.
“’Tis the time to liberate” indeed. It’s time to liberate Christmas from capitalism and to liberate Christ from stupid Christians.
Michael,
I emailed you a mocking take (a sketch I did) on the “Keep Christ in Christmas” travesty that besets us every year. I think you’ll like it. Perhaps it will even be post-worthy.
Ah yes, Christmas must be coming: the religious Right are getting upset about how people aren’t going on at sufficient length about how Christmas is coming.
Thanks for posting this. It’s the best take I’ve read on this kind of nonsense in a long time.
I was recently introduced to your blog by a friend. So, first of all, let me say peace and hello.
I have to say that this post deeply troubles me because it seems that you have missed “the point” just as much as those misguided folks at the AFA. I think your assertion that American capitalism and Christianity should not be mixed is indeed accurate. However, your use of such pejorative words to describe your brothers and sisters in Christ (e.g., “idiots”) is just as unhelpful as the boycott originally called for by the AFA.
Such Christians are often the victims of inherited idolatries and cannot understand the politically subversive message of the Gospel unless people take the time to show them in a pastorally sensitive way. To assert that your misguided brothers and sisters are “idiots” and to imply that they don’t have “a brain” and to say that they suffer from “stunning stupidity” is just plain irresponsible—if not downright unchristian.
We need to be theologians who meet people where they are and love them, working to clash the idolatries that American Christians face and to reconcile each other to the peaceable gospel of Christ. This can only be done through humility; perhaps reflection upon Paul’s words in Philippians 2 would be helpful—we must, in all things, seek to have the mind of Christ. The Christians behind the AFA boycotts are our brothers and sisters—fellow members of Christ’s body—whether we like it or not. God loves them just as much as he loves anyone else, and those of us who have studied are responsible to show them what discipleship is. Let us do so in love.
Dusty – Thank you for the charitable critique.
Your recent theme reminds me of why I’m so grateful for Catholic Anarchy. I am a product and perpetrator of the ‘secular’ holy days. How can I not be? I’ve been trained to mark time by what I watch on TV and what to buy. A few years of radical orthodox studies isn’t the same as a lifetime of Christmas shopping. It’s in our blood.
The other comment gently chastised you, and the point is well taken. But let me also say that I and the rest of the dismembered body of Christ can rightly be described as brain-dead idiots. We need Jesus to rub mud in our eyes, throw our tables over and tell us ‘Get behind me, Adversary!’
Any other love is Care Bear Liberalism. The crisis is too great. As long as our constitutive practices come more from corporations (even non-profits like the AFA) other than the Body of Christ, let’s not be too gentle in our correction.
I need to be judged, healed and restored. I want God to reason with me, but if I live among an unclean people, isn’t he likely to first place a burning coal on my lips?
Kyrie eleison.
“’Tis the time to liberate” indeed. It’s time to liberate Christmas from capitalism and to liberate Christ from stupid Christians.”
I showed the “Advent Conspiracy” videos to some folks the other day – you know, the ones that call us to stop buying so much crap to celebrate the birth of Jesus and instead to love and serve others? Anyway, after the videos were through someone literally walked up to me and said (no joke), “Great video! It gave me a lot to think about.” To which I replied, “Want to talk about it?”
Their response: “Nah, I’ve got a ton of Christmas shopping to do and it’d just take too much time. But, really, great job preacher!”
Great job, indeed!