Posted by
Michael Scotto on Monday, August 28, 2006 10:59:53 AM
Target Silent on a Literal Interpretation of Genesis!
So Sam's Club/Wal-Mart has decided not to use the word "Christmas" again this year. They have also entered into a partnership of sorts with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. All of this has the American Family Association quite upset.
The affiliation with the gay group is puzzling, but a national retailer staying above the fray in the "Christmas-Holiday" debate doesn't strike me as odd (or even mildly offensive).
I must admit that I am a conservative Evangelical Christian who dates the birth of Christ at about September 29 (conception on December 25). I have no problem with individual Christians "celebrating" either the birth or the incarnation of our Lord. Be that as it may, why should I care if Wal-Mart uses "Christmas" or not? Should retailers present us with doctrinal statements?
I bet Wal-Mart refuses to take a stand against the Council of Trent as well. Then again, most Christians I know won't come out against Trent so why does it matter what Wal-Mart does with a made-up "Holy Day" anyway?
We bemoan the commercialization of the holiday then bellyache when a commercial entity won't further commercialize it.
I didn't see a doctrinal statement on the official AFA site (afa.net), but I do listen to my local AFA affiliated radio station (AFR Radio). The network is decidedly Evangelical in its content. AFA and AFR (Focus on the Family, etc.) like so many ministries today feel compelled to go to the mat and spend their time, energy and money fighting silly things like a secular BUSINESS like Sam's Club using the rather inoffensive word "holiday".
I don't expect Sam's Club to take a stance on the issues truly important to Christianity (justification, sanctification, etc.) so why should I expect them to recognize a holiday that is relatively insignificant (of course the incarnation is significant, but the "holiday season" itself is of no eternal consequence to the faith of Evangelicals)?
I don't expect Shoe Show to take a stand on the efficacy of the work of Christ on Calvary. Nor do I need McDonalds to finally come down on the issue of the canonicity of the Book of Tobit. Who is waiting for JC Penny to take a position on the hot-button issues of baptismal regeneration and predestination? What next, Catholics demanding Target recognize the Feast of the Assumption?
The things that rile Christians these days... sheez! Declare the evangelical gospel "anathema" and it's Kum Bah Yah time. Declare an anathema for denying indulgences (remember those?) and we'll look the other way (Vat II). But use "holiday" instead of "Christmas" and suddenly the faith is threatened.
Silly. Absolutely silly. And a colossal waste of time and money.
Might I suggest we send Chuck Colson to Sam's Club to sign a statement pretending that we won't notice their exclusion of the word "Christmas" if they'll ignore us when we get in the wrong checkout line.