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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: Skooz
I refuse to shop for Christmas gifts in a store which refuses to use the word "Christmas."

I am moving in that direction myself. I told LLBean last year that they lost my business because of their aggessive non Christmas advertising.

21 posted on 11/19/2002 6:35:29 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
Another suggestion: Online shopping! It's easy and it's fun.
22 posted on 11/19/2002 6:36:44 PM PST by cyncooper
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To: BunnySlippers
I'm getting on in years ... but I have never EVER seen the department stores rely on a religious (Nativity) scene for sales ... EVER

I remember displays of religious items in secular stores. Nativities, religious wrapping paper, religious Christmas cards, religious ornaments for the tree..

23 posted on 11/19/2002 6:38:15 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
You are lucky, where do you live? Utah?

LOL

Are you pulling our legs? Why on earth...?

No, I don't live in Utah, I live in Arizona and used to live in liberal Wisconsin where one could also find any kind of Christmas ornament or decoration one could wish for--secular or religious.

24 posted on 11/19/2002 6:39:18 PM PST by cyncooper
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To: LiteKeeper
Freepers - your mission, if you chose to accept it

Dadadadada...however the Mission Impossible theme goes... You exactly have my point...let us not become marginalized.

25 posted on 11/19/2002 6:40:21 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr; Prodigal Daughter; Thinkin' Gal; Jeremiah Jr; babylonian; shaggy eel
Skipping over the issue of the pagan origins of Christmas, what is happening currently is that America is being given over to Islam.
26 posted on 11/19/2002 6:40:35 PM PST by 2sheep
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To: JoeFromCA
"..have depicted Christianity as politically incorrect.."

You are absolutely correct. This is what happens when someone spends too much time listening to the elite media and academic establishments. You begin to confuse their propaganda with reality.

I smell a huge profit potential for a brave retail firm. Just as Rush moved in to fill a void in media (because at the time he started, everyone in media assumed that elite liberalism was reality in america), a retail establishment could make it big by publicly pushing for Christmas over the generic and/or multicultural crap that is being pushed at most vanilla retail chains.

27 posted on 11/19/2002 6:41:23 PM PST by quebecois
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To: Skooz
If a store uses the word Christmas in their ads or their store displays, they get my money. The stores selling "holiday gifts" do not. Period.

Same here. It really bugs me when I go for weeks and weeks during Christmas season, and not one ad has the word "Christmas" in it! I kept track last year, and I only saw or heard two ads with the word "Christmas." The ads were for See's Candies and Macy's Department Store. I made it a point to patronize both.

28 posted on 11/19/2002 6:42:33 PM PST by Nea Wood
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To: cyncooper
Online shopping is great. And I do it. But I want my traditions to also be available in the Public Square. Heck there is a Mall in our area which only accepts non Christian religous holiday displays. It is their mall and they own it. They can do what they want. But it is sad and marginalizes me and mine. I have not set a foot in the mall in the six years since that happened.
29 posted on 11/19/2002 6:43:36 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
I see your point, but Christmas survived rather well in places with very little consumerism (e.g., Poland during Soviet occupation).
30 posted on 11/19/2002 6:45:04 PM PST by lds23
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To: cyncooper
Are you pulling our legs? Why on earth...?

I think of Utah as a state with a dominent religious population. No other reason.

31 posted on 11/19/2002 6:45:26 PM PST by mlmr
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To: 2sheep
Skipping over the issue of the pagan origins of Christmas, what is happening currently is that America is being given over to Islam.

How do you see this happening in retail?

32 posted on 11/19/2002 6:46:51 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
"Why are Retailers Embarrassed About Christmas?"

Simple... the spirit of ANTICHRIST is alive and well in America and throughout the world.

The true meaning of Christmas is this: The Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, came into the world for the express reason of dying for our sins and rising again from the dead because we are all spiritually lost, dead in our sins and on our way to hell. Jesus is the "reason for the season."

Satan, and those who follow him, do not want that message to reach the masses, lest they repent and turn to Christ for salvation from their sins. Besides, that would cut into marketers profit margins.

33 posted on 11/19/2002 6:46:54 PM PST by Jmouse007
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To: mlmr
Has anyone seen the TARGET TV ads....???? They actually mention CHRISTMAS, not the "Holidays"......gave me hope.
34 posted on 11/19/2002 6:47:03 PM PST by goodnesswins
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To: Nea Wood
not one ad has the word "Christmas" in it!

I agree. I now patronize the Vermont Country Store Catalog becasue not only did they have a nice letter last year that actually spoke about the true meaning of Christmas ...using the 'J' word I might add...they also have nice stuff.

35 posted on 11/19/2002 6:49:42 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
I see.

Well, good luck finding what you are looking for and

Merry Christmas
36 posted on 11/19/2002 6:49:44 PM PST by cyncooper
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To: LiteKeeper
... fan out, hit the stores...ask, politely, of course, where the religious items are for Christmas ...

Agreed, and may I add, "Actually fork out the cash to buy a few of those religious items".
Asking is a good thing, one reason being that it's free ... but buying something will help assure retailers there is a market for those items.

37 posted on 11/19/2002 6:51:02 PM PST by Camber-G
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To: lds23
I see your point, but Christmas survived rather well in places with very little consumerism (e.g., Poland during Soviet occupation).

I agree. But this is just the opposite. The Poles did not have the consumerism to push out Christmas. Here Christmas is not competing in the marketplace of ideas and products.

38 posted on 11/19/2002 6:52:06 PM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
What an incredible load of crock!

I got upset because the Christmas stuff was on display at my local stores before Halloween!Tons of nativity scenes, angels, and doves.

D@mn Walmarts!

All that peace on earth crap displayed prominently.

ROTFLMAO!

Where do you live?Perhaps in an area where there are far more bars than churches would be my guess!

39 posted on 11/19/2002 6:52:49 PM PST by sarasmom
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To: Jmouse007
that would cut into marketers profit margins

Why do you say that?

40 posted on 11/19/2002 6:53:07 PM PST by mlmr
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