The Christmas wars are officially off and running. The latest attack comes from the American Family Association, a Mississippi-based right-wing Christian group that has successfully boycotted various companies they deem too friendly to gays and too hostile to Christians. The newest target of its ire? The Gap, a company that has officially declined to use the word “Christmas” in any of its holiday promotions this year. The AFA apparently thinks this is real blasphemy and is urging its members and supporters to boycott The Gap and its affiliates, Banana Republic and Old Navy. They write:
We want you to stand with us and other Christians in proclaiming that Christmas is special, not just any winter holiday. And the gift buying that Americans do for one another is because of Christmas. People don’t exchange gifts on Thanksgiving or New Year’s Day.
As part of its campaign, AFA is urging its supporters to don buttons that read “God’s Gift: Merry Christmas” to show their support for Christmas. Naturally, the buttons can be procured from AFA. A “suggested donation” of $55 will get you 100 of them. However futile such campaigns may seem, the tiny AFA has actually been fairly successful in many of these boycotts. Three years ago, the group successfully convinced Sears to back off its commitment to nondenominational advertising. This year, Sears is going whole hog on the birth of Christ. AFA notes approvingly on its website that Sears is even offering a “Christmas Club.” AFA doesn’t seem to mind that Sears has launched the club even before Halloween. Those sorts of complaints will apparently be left to the atheists.
