And A 'Merry Pluralism' To All (WI Liberal Christmas Bashing)

Wisconsin State Journal ^ | December 2, 2005 | Bill Wineke

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Now it's our friends in Dodgeville, WI who are feeling the wrath of the pro-Christmas lobby.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Wednesday took out after Lands' End for refusing to use the word "Christmas" in its catalog.

The mail order company told the league that it doesn't refer to Christmas because it has customers from a variety of faiths.

"We find ourselves in a difficult position with this issue," Lands' End spokesman Merlin Gorline said in a letter to the league. "As a result, we have adopted the 'holiday' terminology as a way to comply with one of the basic freedoms granted to all Americans: freedom of religion. We recognize that Christmas is a Christian holiday and one of the foremost teachings of the Christian faith is a love for one's fellow man - no matter what his race, religion or creed. If we knew which customers feel as you do, we would be delighted to send them catalogs with 'Merry Christmas' splashed throughout the pages. However, we don't."

Well, it's probably not wise to lecture a religious polemicist like league president Bill Donohue on the teachings of Christianity, but Gorline has a point. Lands' End has a lot of customers who exchange holiday gifts but who are not Christian.

But that doesn't move Donohue, who is asking his members to write Lands' End and complain.

"Freedom of religion is an important constitutional right, but to say that fidelity to that right demands that retailers censor the term Christmas at Christmastime wouldn't even be believed by the judges of the Ninth Circuit (a liberal appeals court located in California)," Donohue snapped. "Nor is it good customer relations to tell Christians who desire to buy Christmas gifts and Christmastime that they are a loveless bunch of bigots who have an impoverished understanding of their own religion."

I couldn't quite see how Donohue got that interpretation from the Lands' End letter, but the dispute indicates a growing and increasingly bizarre controversy over a season meant to honor the birth of the "prince of peace."

Nevertheless, it is the latest example of a campaign to convince people that Christmas is under siege.

Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly is a leader of this campaign. He has referred to supposed efforts to limit Christmas (there really haven't been any verified efforts to do so) as an "anti-Christian jihad" and has suggested that "if they could, secularists would cancel Christmas; that's how much they fear the exposition of the philosophy of Jesus."

Another Fox News-er, John Gibson, has written a book on the subject. Target Stores are under attack because they've banned Salvation Army bell-ringers.

You'd think there was some effort to ban Christmas in our society. But there isn't. No one is telling you that you can't wish friends - or even strangers - a "Merry Christmas." No one is saying you can't put a creche scene on your front lawn or that you can't sing "Silent Night" while out caroling.

There is no effort to ban Christmas.

What these guys are really upset about is that retailers, recognizing that the country is becoming increasingly pluralistic, are trying not to alienate large groups of non-Christian customers and that schools and governmental leaders, recognizing their citizens are becoming increasingly pluralistic, are trying not to alienate the people who vote them into office.

But if Christianity needs to be recognized in a Lands' End catalog in order to disseminate its message of "peace on Earth, good will to men," then Christianity has already lost the battle.

There was a time when church people decried the commercialization of Christmas. Now is not the time to insist upon it as a means of preserving the faith.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This guy is so clueless. Feel free to contact him at:

bwineke@madison.com or at 608-252-6146.

[Vaquero]

"festivus for the rest of us....."

http://aofg.blogs.com/airing11.gif

[Restorer]

Private companies have every right to do this if they please.

And if you don't like it, stop buying from them and let them know why.

But to call this censorship is ludicrous. Censorship is when the state enforces certain language.

[Vaquero]

"festivus for the rest of us....."

[icwhatudo]

If we knew which customers feel as you do, we would be delighted to send them catalogs with 'Merry Christmas' splashed throughout the pages. However, we don't."

Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? I'm calling 1-800-963-4816 to request mine now for next year. LOL

[andyk]

Nevertheless, it is the latest example of a campaign to convince people that Christmas is under siege.

If he doesn't think that Christmas is under siege, it's either because he agrees with the secularists who wish to put it on equal footing with Kwanzaa, or he's just plain nuts. As for me, I'll continue wishing strangers and friends alike, a hearty "Merry Christmas!".

[Billthedrill]

I'm offended by "Merry Pluralism." It discriminates against the chronically depressed.

[atomicpossum]

What these guys are really upset about is that retailers, recognizing that the country is becoming increasingly pluralistic, are trying not to alienate large groups of non-Christian customers

...and just alienate the Christians.

[andyk]

And if you don't like it, stop buying from them and let them know why.

I think that's the plan, and it's indicated in the article. To focus on the use of the word "censor" - it wasn't called censorship in the article, misses the point, IMHO. In this case, what they did is to censor their literature. It's not a loaded term. They removed what they considered to be objectional material from their literature. They censored the term Christmas.

[Izzy Dunne]

But to call this censorship is ludicrous.

It certainly IS censorship - SELF-censorship on the part of Land's End.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Hey, there are many non Christians who celebrate other holidays around this time. It also includes New Years. I am Christian and not offended by all this at all. I say Merry christmas and I say Happy Holidays to those I know are not Christian. What is this ENFORCED "Merrry Christmas" hoopalla! My Christianity is not "challenged" by the Land's End catalogue.

[SunStar]

There is no effort to ban Christmas.

You are a fool if you believe this. "Holiday tree" and "Holiday Parade" will eventually be completely normalized terms. Christmas has been completely removed from schools and public organizations, and I believe that in the near future, Christmas trees won't even be allowed on public property. To say that this is a right-wing political conspiracy to dupe people is absolute stupidity.

[untenured]

What these guys are really upset about is that retailers, recognizing that the country is becoming increasingly pluralistic, are trying not to alienate large groups of non-Christian customers and that schools and governmental leaders, recognizing their citizens are becoming increasingly pluralistic, are trying not to alienate the people who vote them into office.

Or the retailers are hysterically overreacting to a mostly imaginary (outside of Op-Ed pages) population of non-Christians who are "alienated" by an employee saying "Merry Christmas."

[icwhatudo]

http://www.landsend.com/cd/frontdoor

"Contact Us By Email" is at bottom left of the link

My email:

In reference to the absence of Christmas in your catalog, your spokesperson stated:

"We find ourselves in a difficult position with this issue," Lands' End spokesman Merlin Gorline said in a letter to the league. If we knew which customers feel as you do, we would be delighted to send them catalogs with 'Merry Christmas' splashed throughout the pages. However, we don't."

---

I am so happy you are willing to do this-it shows you really do care about your customers! How do I go about this, will an email suffice or do i need to fill out a form? Please let me know so I can spread the word-Thanks again!!!

[Lester Moore]

one of the foremost teachings of the Christian faith is a love for one's fellow man - no matter what his race, religion or creed.

Postering as if the religious teachings & beliefs of hellbound, spiritual degenerates is equal to the Gospel of Christ is not love.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

It is an act of love for one's fellow man to proclaim to him that there is no other way, no other truth, no other eternal life and no other way to God the Father outside of Jesus Christ.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Actually, i think he is right on...

As a business owner, I will be mailing out "Holiday Cards" to my customers. I have one client that I know of who is Muslim, another who is Jewish. I am not sure of my others.

I think people like Bill Donahue are just as hyper-sensitive as the people who want to get rid of public nativity scenes.

[IronJack]

The mail order company told the league that it doesn't refer to Christmas because it has customers from a variety of faiths.

Customers from a variety of faiths, who all happen to buy sleigh-loads of presents on or about Dec. 25 every year ... a date that just randomly coincides with an important Christian holiday.

Why would a Christain celebrate the birth of Christ by buying presents from merchants too embarrassed to honor Him?

[negril]

Gee whiz, why do you think Land's End and all other retailers salivate at this time of year? Was it because someone somewhere many years ago decided this would be a good time of year for people to buy and give gifts? Or is it because someone somewhere years ago decided to celebrate the birth of Christ? Answer obvious. If a retailer won't even acknowledge the person responsible for their profit, then I won't patronize that retailer.

[andyk]

What "enforced Merry Christmas" "hoopalla" are you talking about? If I know someone doesn't celebrate Christmas, like you, I won't throw a superfluous "Merry Christmas" at them. However, I certainly don't see anyone forcing anything on anyone in this article.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

I can't recall a year passing since I trusted the Lord
without hearing at least several messages in one place or
another decrying the commercialization of Christmas. So, I'm
puzzled by the outcry about commercial enterprises
eliminating Christmas themes from their ads and displays. If
I were inclined to write a letter to one of these places, I
would probably say something like this:


Dear retailer:

Your removal of Christmas themes from ads and store
displays is an answer to prayer. For years, we have been
decrying the commercialization of Christmas, praying that
someone would "put Christ back into Christmas", and now your
marketing plans have brought about a great opportunity for
this to come to pass!

May my brothers and sisters in Christ use this
opportunity you have given them in this holy season to
express their gratitude to their Savior by avoiding yet
another orgy of consumption, and instead lifting Him up to
each other, and their neighbors, by word and charitable
behavior. Let their gifts to one another be modest
expressions of love, paid for with cash, and not credit, and
may their leftover cash (if any) be directed to those in
great need.

Again, thanks for the steps you have taken to increase the
circumstances that will facilitate a favorable response to
our years of prayer. I will be visiting your store after New
Year's day to check out the bargains but, don't worry! I
won't be buying anything I don't need. There are too many
other good uses for whatever financial resources the Lord
has directed my way. Perhaps (if you receive a number of
letters like this) you will want to rerun your forecasts of
future sales and revenues. Best wished for the New Year!

Sincerely,
a Christian customer


Of course, the recipient would be likely to chuckle at the "Sincerely", trusting that no matter how much they complain, or make pious statements about handling of their finances, check books and credit card records of the bulk of professing Christians will continue to tell another story, more favorable to the retailer's hope: "Fourth Quarter Profits make for a profitable annual report, even if we lose money for the rest of the year".

Short of "doing the truth", efforts to "send the Light" will do little to divert many from getting on about the business of pursuing their "love of the darkness" (Jo 3:19-22), especially when they can't see much difference from themselves in how the "senders" manage their resources .