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Why are Retailers Embarrassed About Christmas?
11.20.02 | mlmr

Posted on 11/19/2002 6:17:05 PM PST by mlmr

The Christmas stock is out in the stores. There are scads of snowmen, Santas, reindeer and other items craving for your dollar. But interestingly enough, when one asks for religious Christmas items, at most stores, which serve a public that is conservatively estimated to be about 67% practicing Christian, there is nothing for sale.

No Christian based ornaments, hardly any Nativity scenes, and Christmas card... “Well Lady, I have robins, joke cards, Santas, dressed and nude, as well as lovely winter scenes and smart looking graphics.” Nativity scene? Magnificent reproductions of famous religious Nativities painted by the Masters? Ummm...no.

Some clerks make a weak smile and point out their extensive angel ornaments...others are belligerent and say firmly: "No we don't carry that sort of thing here." One owner said she did not carry religious Christmas items because people would be offended.

Guess what? I am offended. Every time I walk into a store decked out in its Christmas finest and cannot find any religious Christian items, I am offended. Every time I walk through huge displays of Christmas knickknacks and have to hunt to a bottom shelf of dark aisle to find a small nativity or Christian Advent calendar, I am offended. Every time a walk into a store with a brimming Menorah display, but no equally brimming nativity display, I am offended. (I have nothing against Hanukkah, I just want my religious tradition upheld with respect too. After all we are talking about 2% of the US population versus 67%.)

It is odd. When I talk to clerks about the availability of religious items in their stores, most also tell me that many people ask for them, but there just isn't anything available. Funny, that there is a need and no will to fill it.

I am equally offended by the Christians who are oblivious. Who no longer expect their tradition will be honored by having its items made available through retailers. Christian who don't want to rock the boat. Christians who don't want to seems too pushy or too religious.

I recommend that all thinking Christians go into retailers and ask where the Christian religious objects are located. If there are no religious objects available, perhaps it is time to tell the retailer how disappointed and offended that your religious tradition is being dismissed.

So I have decided to be offended...and to let people know...that true plurality honors even the faith of the majority and dominant culture. I encourage you to do the same...it confuses 'em when we use their words and phrases against 'em.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: christian; christmas; holiday; offensive; waronchristmas
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To: mlmr
I have not had the same experience as you...or at least not entirely. While I have noticed that almost no stores use "Christmas" in their advertising, they DO in fact carry a large variety of both secular and religious goods. Still, it does bother me that they seem almost afraid to use the word "Christmas," and opt for the allegedly less-offensive "Holidays."

If it makes you feel any better, my 6-year-old first grader (who attends Catholic school) was given an assignment to write down what he thought of Christmas. This is what he wrote:

I think Christmas is a day of love. It makes us happy to get presents, but the best present of all was the one God gave us: Jesus. And Mary helped, too.

(I helped with the punctuation, but the words are his alone -- and now he knows what a colon [:] is!)

Regards,

241 posted on 11/20/2002 7:20:15 PM PST by VermiciousKnid
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To: VermiciousKnid
Very nice. I hope I don't sound presumptuous when I say that you will never regret one dime you will spend on your son's education. He seems to be getting a good one.
242 posted on 11/20/2002 7:24:11 PM PST by Skooz
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To: Jmouse007
Amen. Praise God for His grace, mercy, love, wisdom and peace, among much more!
243 posted on 11/20/2002 7:24:51 PM PST by ApesForEvolution
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To: Skooz
Thank you very much for your kind words. Billy will be happy to hear that you enjoyed it. He is a good boy who takes pride in his work and who tries very hard to do "what Jesus would do."

My husband and I have not regretted the expense of his tuition, though I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit of a hardship, as property taxes on Long Island are sky-high (we pay close to $10K/year for a 4 bedroom Cape Cod on 1/3 acre).

When our youngest son is in school all day next year, I hope to get a part-time job there. All I'm asking for is tuition remission -- I don't really need a salary or medical benefits because I'm already covered under my husband's plan. Free tuition would be a blessing.

Regards,
244 posted on 11/20/2002 7:32:01 PM PST by VermiciousKnid
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To: VermiciousKnid
Free tuition would be a blessing.

It is. My daughter has attended a great private Christian school since Kindergarten. My wife taught there for 7 years and we received free tuition. My wife changed jobs this year and now we are paying the full amount. Quite a change! I had taken that free tution for granted.

245 posted on 11/20/2002 7:37:33 PM PST by Skooz
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To: mlmr
A few years ago I suggested to my son's eighth grade English teacher that she have the class read A Christmas Carol. She was looking for short texts that junior high school kids could understand and enjoy. I thought this would be a great introduction to Dickens -- and I'd been assigned it in seventh grade. All the students loved it.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said. "Since Christmas is a religious theme and I think that's not permitted."

246 posted on 11/20/2002 7:44:58 PM PST by shhrubbery!
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To: shhrubbery!
Christmas is a scary place for some public school teachers!!
247 posted on 11/20/2002 8:11:12 PM PST by mlmr
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To: FeliciaCat
Even if your not Christian but you celebrate Christmas why would the religious part of it be offensive?????

I don't know when Christianity became offensive, but in some sectors, it is...

248 posted on 11/20/2002 8:12:50 PM PST by mlmr
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To: VermiciousKnid
I think Christmas is a day of love. It makes us happy to get presents, but the best present of all was the one God gave us: Jesus. And Mary helped, too.

How delightful... and true too!

249 posted on 11/20/2002 8:14:55 PM PST by mlmr
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To: Skooz
I remember seeing a news story on one of the networks about 10-14 years ago about how the Japanese were trying to embrace Christmas, but had no idea what is was about.

10-14 years? HA! I remember a segment by David Brinkley on the Huntley-Brinkley report back in the early sixties about Christmas in Japan. I particularly remember his wrap-up. "People complain ... about Christmas losing its religious meaning ... but here ... it never had any ... Over to you, Chet."

250 posted on 11/20/2002 8:20:18 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: JavaTheHutt
6300 more results

Ooops, got distracted, didn't do my pruf-reeding on that post. Should be 5900. Sorry, I got distracted while typing.

251 posted on 11/20/2002 8:40:05 PM PST by JavaTheHutt
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To: JavaTheHutt
>I prefer to do my research in the oldest library in the world, specifically in the book of St. Matthew (another saint, you wanna go ahead and call him a pagan like you did St. Nicholas?

Satan has a twist for everything in the Bible and I suspect you haven't even read yours.  There is no St. Nicholas in my Bible.  Seriously, seek deliverance!

252 posted on 11/20/2002 11:19:17 PM PST by 2sheep
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To: HIDEK6
If the secularists want Christmas all to themselves, why don't the churches get together and redefine the date that Christ was born. With today's scholarship, you'd think they could pin that down retty close.

Many already have. I'll give a link. Messiah Yeshua(Jesus) was born 6 months following John, probably on Tishri 15(early Fall), the first day of the Feast of Sukkot and was circumcized on Simchah Torah(Rejoicing in Torah), the 8th and final day of the Feast. The same Feast will be commemorated annually in the Messianic Kingdom to come as the anniversary of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. All of the Fall Feasts of the Lord will be fulfilled at His second coming, as the Spring Feasts were fulfilled during His first coming.

Messiah's Birth at Sukkot

253 posted on 11/21/2002 2:48:10 AM PST by Zack Attack
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To: 2sheep
Satan has a twist for everything in the Bible and I suspect you haven't even read yours. There is no St. Nicholas in my Bible. Seriously, seek deliverance!

Duh, of course St. Nicholas isn't in the bible. Every time you attempt to prove your intellectual superiority, you end up doing the exact opposite.

I would seriously like to hear your explanation for the satanic twist that you allege for Matthew chapter 2.

254 posted on 11/21/2002 5:15:12 AM PST by JavaTheHutt
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To: JavaTheHutt
Bump

for your holiday shopping pleasure

255 posted on 11/27/2002 6:18:19 PM PST by mlmr
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