Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Bigger Bullets, Maybe


war, christmas, christian, stupid,

The War on Christmas continues. Today's exchange involves the Gap and "thousands of consumers".



The American Family Association said that despite “tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas” and requests by the organization, San Francisco-based Gap Inc. has refused to use the word.

“Christmas is special because of Jesus,” maintains AFA in its e-mail newsletter. “It’s not just a ‘winter holiday.’ For millions of Americans the giving and receiving of gifts is in honor of the One who gave Himself.


You're buying tshirts at the Gap to honor Jesus? Really? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Oh, noez, I used the maniacal laughter too soon!


"This year millions of Americans will join us to help save Christmas," he said. "If a government entity censors Christmas in violation of the Constitution, then we will first seek to educate but, if necessary, we will litigate. If retailers choose to profit from Christmas while pretending it does not exist, then we will patronize their competitors."


I was unaware the Constitution demanded that the government wish us all Merry Christmas. The little-known Grinch Amendment, apparently. The litigation threat really makes this piece complete, though. They could be using their money to feed the homeless or give poor children a present and a Christmas dinner, but no, they'll be suing the government for not sending out religious-themed Christmas cards. Classic.

7 comments:

  1. Help, please:
    "censors Christmas in violation of the Constitution"

    I stare at the words, I can sound them out, but ... ??

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes giving somebody a T-shirt from the Gap because you love that person does honor Jesus.

    You are mixing the public and private domain. Read the quotations again and see how the AFA distinguishes between the two.

    Christians are already using their money to feed homeless peopld and to buy presents and food for poor children. If they want, they can also use their money to try to preserve a wonderful American tradition.

    That's what you call freedom.

    ReplyDelete
  3. First of all, did we run out of poor people? Secondly, how does buying a tshirt honor the supposed person who supposedly ordered his followers to give away all their possessions to the poor and that it is easier for a camel (or a piece of rope) to fit through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to get into heaven?

    For extra credit, how does the above quotation fit in with OSAS theology?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes giving somebody a T-shirt from the Gap because you love that person does honor Jesus.

    Dammit. And here I thought that when I give presents to the people I love it's because I want to honor them. And sometimes because I'm obligated. Although that really only comes up at Christmas, since Christmas has been turned in to an over-commercialized schmaltz-a-thon...

    But, yeah, it's good to know that nobody can show appreciation for friends, family, and loved ones without having idiots claim that it's all done for the benefit of Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Geds, thanks for demonstrating tolerance. As one of those bigoted Christians, I find it useful to see how tolerance is supposed to work.

    Personal Failure, it is naive to think that giving poor people free food, housing and health care is going to get them out of poverty. It hasn't worked so far. What gets people out of poverty is changes in their own behavior.

    Do you really want to discuss theology, especially Christian theology? I doubt it. But if you want to, I'll do so with you. For a start, find out to whom Jesus addressed the command to give away all of one's possessions. It was not to his followers in general.

    Here's a final thought. If people stopped buying T-shirts at the Gap, wouldn't a lot of other people lose their jobs? Would that be good for getting people out of poverty? Wouldn't that lower revenue to the government in the form of lost sales tax and corporate tax?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did I say you shouldn't buy tshirts at the Gap? No. I said that buying tshirts at the gap does not honor god. and the theological statement that jesus wasn't referring to his own followers is bullshit. are you seriously suggesting that jesus meant that people who did follow him needed to give away their wealth, but people who did follow him could amass all the wealth they wished and not help anyone? after repeatedly admonishing his followers to heal the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked? srsly?

    And "poor people are poor because they are lazy and irresponsible" is another way of saying "it will never happen to me! no it won't! LALALALALA" We don't feed or house poor people in order to make them less poor, we do it because people need shelter and food and allowing people to freeze or starve to death is WRONG.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Renny: Geds, thanks for demonstrating tolerance. As one of those bigoted Christians, I find it useful to see how tolerance is supposed to work.

    Bwuh? I get the impression that you're making an attempt to call me intolerant. What I don't get is how, exactly, me saying that you don't get to tell me why I'm buying presents is a form of intolerance. Please, explain.

    Like, let's say that I said, "Any time you do a push up it's to honor Cthulu." And you say, "I don't believe in Cthulu. When I do push ups it's because I'm exercising to get in shape."

    I might be able to say, "Wow, you're boned now. Cthulu's going to save you for last." But I wouldn't be able to make a reasonable argument that you're being intolerant of my Cthulu-based beliefs by choosing to do push ups for your own health.

    You, uh, you might want to look up the words you use before you splatter them all over the internet.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are for you guys, not for me. Say what you will. Don't feel compelled to stay on topic, I enjoy it when comments enter Tangentville or veer off into Non Sequitur Town. Just keep it polite, okay?

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