Christian Group Launches New Attack on Christmas Commercialism

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By AMY SULLIVAN / WASHINGTON

If it's December, then there must be frost in the air, gingerbread in the oven, and ... right on time, Bill O'Reilly and the other defenders of Christmas bemoaning the prevalence of "Happy Holidays" - rather than "Merry Christmas" - greetings.

There's a war on Christmas, O'Reilly recently reminded viewers, driven by those who "loathe the baby Jesus." This season, a holiday-dÉcor company is marketing the CHRIST-mas Tree, a bushy artificial tree with a giant cross where the trunk should be. And the Colorado-based Focus on the Family is continuing its Stand for Christmas campaign to highlight the offenses of Christmas-denying retailers. The campaign was launched, according to its website, because "citizens across the nation were growing dissatisfied with the tendency of corporations to omit references to Christmas from holiday promotions." (See TIME's photoessay "Have a Very Ridiculous Christmas.")

But to a growing group of Christians, this focus on the commercial aspect of Christmas is itself the greatest threat to one of Christianity's holiest days. "It's the shopping, the going into debt, the worrying that if I don't spend enough money, someone will think I don't love them," says Portland pastor Rick McKinley. "Christians get all bent out of shape over the fact that someone didn't say 'Merry Christmas' when I walked into the store. But why are we expecting the store to tell our story? That's just ridiculous."

McKinley is one of the leaders of an effort to do away with the frenzied activity and extravagant gift-giving of a commercial Christmas. Through a savvy viral video and marketing effort, the so-called Advent Conspiracy movement has exploded. Hundreds of churches on four continents and in at least 17 countries have signed up to participate. The Advent Conspiracy video has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube and the movement boasts nearly 45,000 fans on Facebook. Baseball superstar Albert Pujols is a supporter - he spoke at a church event in St. Louis to endorse the effort. (See TIME's video "Bethlehem's Complicated Christmas.")

In the past four years, Advent Conspiracy churches have donated millions of dollars to dig wells in developing countries through Living Water International and other organizations. McKinley likes to point out that a fraction of the money Americans spend at retailers in the month of December could supply the entire world with clean water. If more Christians changed how they thought about giving at Christmas, he argues, the holiday could be transformative in a religious and practical sense.

The idea for their own war on Christmas came to McKinley four years ago, when he was sitting around with some of his pastor friends and they realized they were all dreading Christmas. "None of us like Christmas," he says, adding, "That's sort of bad if you're a pastor." Instead of helping their congregations focus on the season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, the pastors found themselves competing with a secular consumerism that made December the hardest time to make their message heard.

So McKinley and his friends decided to try a radical experiment. They urged congregants to spend less on presents for friends and family, and to consider donating some of the money they saved as a result. At first, church members weren't quite sure how to react. "Some people were terrified," remembers McKinley. "They said, 'My gosh, you're ruining Christmas. What do we tell our kids?'" The pastors had to reassure people that they weren't advocating a Grinchy no-gifts kind of Christmas, but rather one in which people spent a little less and thought a little more, expressing their love through something more meaningful than a gift card. Once church members adjusted to this new conception of Christmas, they found that they loved it. Many, in fact, seemed relieved to be given permission to slow down and buy less. (Read "A Brief History of 'The War on Christmas'")

In many ways, the Advent Conspiracy movement has appropriated some of the traditional arguments of the conservative Christians who see themselves as defenders of Christmas. A popular rallying cry of the foot soldiers in the war on Christmas is, "Jesus is the reason for the season." Often, however, it seems that being able to score a half-price Nintendo DSi and a "Merry Christmas" from the checkout clerk is the real prize. The Religious Right has spent decades casting secular culture as the enemy. And yet instead of critiquing the values of the consumer marketplace, many conservative Christians have embraced it as the battleground they seek to reclaim.

A movement like the Advent Conspiracy is countercultural on two fronts - not just fighting the secular idea that Christmas is a month-long shopping and decorating ritual, but the powerful conservative notion that the holiday requires acknowledgement from the nation's retailers to be truly meaningful. It's not easy, says one youth pastor whose church is part of the Advent Conspiracy. "When you start jacking with people's idea of what Christmas is and you start to go against this $450 billion machine of materialism and consumerism, it really messes with people," he explains. "It takes a lot of patience to say there's a different way - Christmas doesn't have to be like this."

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[chri'stina 190]

By AMY SULLIVAN / WASHINGTON

If it's December, then there must be frost in the air, gingerbread in the oven, and ... right on time, Bill O'Reilly and the other defenders of Christmas bemoaning the prevalence of "Happy Holidays" - rather than "Merry Christmas" - greetings.

There's a war on Christmas, O'Reilly recently reminded viewers, driven by those who "loathe the baby Jesus." This season, a holiday-dÉcor company is marketing the CHRIST-mas Tree, a bushy artificial tree with a giant cross where the trunk should be. And the Colorado-based Focus on the Family is continuing its Stand for Christmas campaign to highlight the offenses of Christmas-denying retailers. The campaign was launched, according to its website, because "citizens across the nation were growing dissatisfied with the tendency of corporations to omit references to Christmas from holiday promotions." (See TIME's photoessay "Have a Very Ridiculous Christmas.")

But to a growing group of Christians, this focus on the commercial aspect of Christmas is itself the greatest threat to one of Christianity's holiest days. "It's the shopping, the going into debt, the worrying that if I don't spend enough money, someone will think I don't love them," says Portland pastor Rick McKinley. "Christians get all bent out of shape over the fact that someone didn't say 'Merry Christmas' when I walked into the store. But why are we expecting the store to tell our story? That's just ridiculous."

McKinley is one of the leaders of an effort to do away with the frenzied activity and extravagant gift-giving of a commercial Christmas. Through a savvy viral video and marketing effort, the so-called Advent Conspiracy movement has exploded. Hundreds of churches on four continents and in at least 17 countries have signed up to participate. The Advent Conspiracy video has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube and the movement boasts nearly 45,000 fans on Facebook. Baseball superstar Albert Pujols is a supporter - he spoke at a church event in St. Louis to endorse the effort. (See TIME's video "Bethlehem's Complicated Christmas.")

In the past four years, Advent Conspiracy churches have donated millions of dollars to dig wells in developing countries through Living Water International and other organizations. McKinley likes to point out that a fraction of the money Americans spend at retailers in the month of December could supply the entire world with clean water. If more Christians changed how they thought about giving at Christmas, he argues, the holiday could be transformative in a religious and practical sense.

The idea for their own war on Christmas came to McKinley four years ago, when he was sitting around with some of his pastor friends and they realized they were all dreading Christmas. "None of us like Christmas," he says, adding, "That's sort of bad if you're a pastor." Instead of helping their congregations focus on the season of Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, the pastors found themselves competing with a secular consumerism that made December the hardest time to make their message heard.

So McKinley and his friends decided to try a radical experiment. They urged congregants to spend less on presents for friends and family, and to consider donating some of the money they saved as a result. At first, church members weren't quite sure how to react. "Some people were terrified," remembers McKinley. "They said, 'My gosh, you're ruining Christmas. What do we tell our kids?'" The pastors had to reassure people that they weren't advocating a Grinchy no-gifts kind of Christmas, but rather one in which people spent a little less and thought a little more, expressing their love through something more meaningful than a gift card. Once church members adjusted to this new conception of Christmas, they found that they loved it. Many, in fact, seemed relieved to be given permission to slow down and buy less. (Read "A Brief History of 'The War on Christmas'")

In many ways, the Advent Conspiracy movement has appropriated some of the traditional arguments of the conservative Christians who see themselves as defenders of Christmas. A popular rallying cry of the foot soldiers in the war on Christmas is, "Jesus is the reason for the season." Often, however, it seems that being able to score a half-price Nintendo DSi and a "Merry Christmas" from the checkout clerk is the real prize. The Religious Right has spent decades casting secular culture as the enemy. And yet instead of critiquing the values of the consumer marketplace, many conservative Christians have embraced it as the battleground they seek to reclaim.

A movement like the Advent Conspiracy is countercultural on two fronts - not just fighting the secular idea that Christmas is a month-long shopping and decorating ritual, but the powerful conservative notion that the holiday requires acknowledgement from the nation's retailers to be truly meaningful. It's not easy, says one youth pastor whose church is part of the Advent Conspiracy. "When you start jacking with people's idea of what Christmas is and you start to go against this $450 billion machine of materialism and consumerism, it really messes with people," he explains. "It takes a lot of patience to say there's a different way - Christmas doesn't have to be like this."

link

To the bolded. However I do find it very annoying that for instance most of the TV movies about Christmas are about Santa - you would think the people who would be offended at Christmas existing would also not want to see something about Santa. Yet he is more acceptable and in SO many of the TV specials that are on. Maybe because every adult knows the Santa that is known today is made up and they want their kids to behave with threats of being on the naughty list? Charlie Brown's Christmas movie is the only one I had seen so far that even mentioned the Christian aspect of Christmas. I'm tired of hearing about Santa!

As for money, no one needs to be spending big bucks or going into debt bc of Christmas. I am making a lot of gifts this year. Not everyone has the time to make gifts or knows how to sew and etc, but can cut back.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Charlie Brown's Christmas movie is the only one I had seen so far that even mentioned the Christian aspect of Christmas. I'm tired of hearing about Santa!

Stina, you're not watching the right ones then... those Rankin-Bass specials - one is the Little Drummer Boy, and the other, Santa Claus is Coming to Town both show Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.

[PlatyPius 5]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays". Not everyone is Christian (shocking, I know!), and there are several other holidays at or near the same time. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, New Years....they're all around the same time.

Still, I won't beat you if you say Merry Christmas to me....just don't get all pissy if I reply back with Happy Holidays.

[chri'stina 190]

There's always part respect and part consideration in wishing people things for me. Even though for me this season is more about celebrating Christ's birth(and I know he wasn't born on Dec 25th!), I'm not going to say Merry Christmas to someone if I definitely don't think they celebrate it. When I worked at a school there were some Muslim families and when their mom came to pick up their child right before Christmas, I didn't say Merry Christmas to them. I thought of saying have a nice holiday season or happy new year. Though if I said Merry Christmas I don't see it being a huge deal either. I might say Happy Holi or Happy Diwali to my Hindu in laws in India even though I am not hindu, when it's their celebrations going on. And they always wish a very merry Christmas.

Edited December 16, 2009 by chri'stina

[Peikko 1,575]

Are there really people who hate christmas? We all know that December was chosen by Rome as the date to celebrate christ's birthday simply because there was already a winter solstice holiday at this time of year and the assimilation of pagans into Christianity was easier if these holidays were clouded over with christian symbolism. I always assumed that most people muddled along with this regardless of their belief because we essentially need a holiday at this time of year. I certainly don't begrudge this holiday although I don't think anyone should tell anyone else how they ought to celebrate it - or even if they should.

Don't expect the commercial aspect to disappear, at least not while the great consumerism reigns supreme. Consumerism isn't a sustainable economic model but it's the one that most people like because of this notion that anyone, given the right set of circumstances is capable of gaining enormous personal wealth. That's the hope most people chase after, and that's not about to change.

[alienlovechild 75]

There's always part respect and part consideration in wishing people things for me. Even though for me this season is more about celebrating Christ's birth(and I know he wasn't born on Dec 25th!), I'm not going to say Merry Christmas to someone if I definitely don't think they celebrate it. When I worked at a school there were some Muslim families and when their mom came to pick up their child right before Christmas, I didn't say Merry Christmas to them. I thought of saying have a nice holiday season or happy new year. Though if I said Merry Christmas I don't see it being a huge deal either. I might say Happy Holi or Happy Diwali to my Hindu in laws in India even though I am not hindu, when it's their celebrations going on. And they always wish a very merry Christmas.

Reminds me of seeing people in Taiwan celebrating Christmas even though the Christian population is pretty small. The Chinese do it for commercial reasons IMO.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays". Not everyone is Christian (shocking, I know!), and there are several other holidays at or near the same time. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, New Years....they're all around the same time.

Still, I won't beat you if you say Merry Christmas to me....just don't get all pissy if I reply back with Happy Holidays.

I think I love you. There, I said it.

[PlatyPius 5]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays". Not everyone is Christian (shocking, I know!), and there are several other holidays at or near the same time. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, New Years....they're all around the same time.

Still, I won't beat you if you say Merry Christmas to me....just don't get all pissy if I reply back with Happy Holidays.

I think I love you. There, I said it.

Love = Homemade Tamales

Just sayin'....

[Chica Yeyé 41]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays". Not everyone is Christian (shocking, I know!), and there are several other holidays at or near the same time. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, New Years....they're all around the same time.

Still, I won't beat you if you say Merry Christmas to me....just don't get all pissy if I reply back with Happy Holidays.

I think I love you. There, I said it.

Love = Homemade Tamales

Just sayin'....

don't push your luck White Boy.....

[SMOKE 1,426]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays".

its Christmas. check your calendar dec. 25 every year.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays".

its Christmas. check your calendar dec. 25 every year.

Just did. Thank the Gods for Pagan calendars mine has the Yule on 12/21.

[SMOKE 1,426]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays".

its Christmas. check your calendar dec. 25 every year.

Just did. Thank the Gods for Pagan calendars mine has the Yule on 12/21.

lemme know when you get paid days off for it.

[Nasturtium 500]

Are there really people who hate christmas? We all know that December was chosen by Rome as the date to celebrate christ's birthday simply because there was already a winter solstice holiday at this time of year and the assimilation of pagans into Christianity was easier if these holidays were clouded over with christian symbolism. I always assumed that most people muddled along with this regardless of their belief because we essentially need a holiday at this time of year. I certainly don't begrudge this holiday although I don't think anyone should tell anyone else how they ought to celebrate it - or even if they should.

Don't expect the commercial aspect to disappear, at least not while the great consumerism reigns supreme. Consumerism isn't a sustainable economic model but it's the one that most people like because of this notion that anyone, given the right set of circumstances is capable of gaining enormous personal wealth. That's the hope most people chase after, and that's not about to change.

*raises hand proudly* I do. I hate (and I do mean that with as much spitfire and venom as I can muster-- and Platy has heard me talk about people, he knows what that means! Flaming badgers and moats for Christmas!!) every single thing about it. It is a disgusting affront to G-d and idolatry and there is not a single redeeming thing about it. I feel sorry (but not surprised) that the majority of "Christians" don't realize it, see the problem, or care. Christmas=pagan, through and through. Leave it for the pagans. Same with Easter. I have no idea why people so rabidly defend it, nor do I have any idea why they are so adamently co-opting it. We have our own holidays. Granted, people are breaking the eternal (yes, it says eternal-- is eternity over yet?) commandment and not celebrating them, but we do have our own. I don't care about having it as a paid day off or anything. I have always worked on it and this year I have it off-- and feel sad that I can't just defy it in my own one-person protest. would, and always have, work on it-- no problem.

You did ask. LOL. I normally don't get all up in this kind of stuff.

PS--I hope you are enjoying your book and found it useful!

Edited December 17, 2009 by julianna

[PlatyPius 5]

No, it really IS "Happy Holidays". Not everyone is Christian (shocking, I know!), and there are several other holidays at or near the same time. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, New Years....they're all around the same time.

Still, I won't beat you if you say Merry Christmas to me....just don't get all pissy if I reply back with Happy Holidays.

I think I love you. There, I said it.

Love = Homemade Tamales

Just sayin'....

don't push your luck White Boy.....

Aww... why ya gotta be that way, Novia?

blah blah blah... Flaming badgers and moats for Christmas!! blah blah blah...

Yes, several please!

And yes, give Xmas back to the Pagans....we miss it.