American Family Association Wants Christians To Boycott Radio Shack

[aaronclark1989]

One of the largest groups of Christians Bigots in the country the American Family Association wants Christians to boycott Radio Shack because they are displaying Happy Holidays in their stores. After reading this the first thing that popped up in my head was me dressed as Jesus and going into Radio Shack to buy something and then taking a picture of it and then sending it to the American Family Association with the word Happy Holidays written on the photo.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/unfundamentalistchristians/2013/11/the-american-family-association-wants-christians-to-boycott-radio-shack-but-wwjd/

[Lazarus Short]

Let's wait for the WBC to weigh in on this issue... :doh:

[JulieTang84]

Hate can be found when and wherever one chooses to see it. LOVE is everywhere and is warm, peaceful and inviting.

Where one choose to see hate, I and I am sure you all see a reason to love.

Choose love over boycotting, because boycotting builds division, whereas love unites.

Love Julie  :HeartThrob:

[Warhawk17]

Kind of sad how hateful these so-called Christians are. Those kind of groups always have to go around looking for something to complain about, no matter how petty it is. They'd reach a lot more people if they decided to use the holiday season to spread love, not lead a boycott.

[Lazarus Short]

Maybe they're being financed by Best Buy.

[WhiteWings]

While I think they mainly act out of some finger pointing superiority complex I wonder if they are wrong.

Imagine that during the time of Jesus the Pharisees renamed a Jewish feast to please the pagans in their country. Would Jesus commend them on their peaceful action or say something like "This is the feast of Our God, Our Father, and you shall not change it!". My guess is that Jesus picked the second option.

That said there is nothing Christian about xmas shopping. The decorations always were to get more customers not out of religious concerns. And now RS seems to think they get more customers by changing a few things. RC just goes with the nationwide wave of deChristiansation.

[ded2daworld]

I could see the boycott IF radio shack had a sign up that said. "Be miserable this holiday season"

It's awkward that christian groups tell others they are going to be tormented forever after they die and yet, they seem eager to make non-believers miserable in this life as well.  :dontknow:

[aaronclark1989]

While I think they mainly act out of some finger pointing superiority complex I wonder if they are wrong.

Imagine that during the time of Jesus the Pharisees renamed a Jewish feast to please the pagans in their country. Would Jesus commend them on their peaceful action or say something like "This is the feast of Our God, Our Father, and you shall not change it!". My guess is that Jesus picked the second option.

That said there is nothing Christian about xmas shopping. The decorations always were to get more customers not out of religious concerns. And now RS seems to think they get more customers by changing a few things. RC just goes with the nationwide wave of deChristiansation.

Well first off the reason why many retailers like Radio Shack do this Happy Holidays thing is because they are other holidays around this time of year beside Christmas and these retailers are simply trying to appeal to everyone it is part of how marketing works. Also with all the problems that the Pharisees were causing you really think Yeshua would give a crap about them redoing a Jewish feast for their own religious purposes and also do you really think Yeshua cares about weather or not people honoring his death and resurrection through a particular holiday. I only say this as a Quaker who believes the particular events that these Christian holidays are used to celebrate are inappropriate and that these actions and events should be kept in mind and spirit. Jay Preston Eby on his website Kingdom Bible Studies greatly talks about the inappropriateness of Christmas.

http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/Christmas/Christmas.htm

[sheila]

well,beginning in the 70's christmas has been the one single holiday that has caused the most

contention in my household. My husband didn't care what it's roots were..he liked it..the church

said it was a major sin...and I was caught in the middle....can't please them both.......I skirted around

it..to try and cause the least discord. As a nurse I volunteered and worked doubles..christmas eve

and christmas day. Seasonal decorations instead of the tree/etc...snowflakes/snowmen etc

  to just try to get through it!  I dreaded it's approach due to the contention and guilt associated

with it...did I compromise too much..is God satisfied? my husband? how can I have peace of mind

peace in my family and with God over it?

    o Thanksgiving was 'illegal,too' in my church...so I could cook the turkey and fixins for the family..

but then I should not eat it with them..eat in the kitchen by myself..just to make a point....that was

the solution offered to that dilema.

   the church elders stopped by one x-mas day...I guess to see if I allowed a tree in the house[my

husbands house]  I would have been dis-fellowshipped if there was. Good for me he hadn't

put one up that year..some years he felt indignant..and did on the principle that they should not

be allowed to dictate what went on in his home.

   still to this day...I feel like puking around x-mas

  the way this system is set up...x-tra time off from work...time for family to get togather,visit etc.

  and the children just love  presents!!!  it was the only time we ever received a present in my

household growing up..

     How about everyone share how they have dealt with it with their family?

   

[Seth]

For me, I have come to the conclusion that Holidays are fine, and I treat them as secular days. I don't believe in setting aside days, months and years for the Lord, as I believe every day is unto the Lord. So, I treat Holidays as something to enjoy with family without connecting it to a faith validation. The one thing that has disappointed my wife is that I tell my kid that Santa Clause is not real. I have no problem with Santa Clause until he gets credit for the good things that Jesus brings. And I don't like the idea of telling her that Jesus provides things through a fictional ambassador, because it rubs me the wrong way to put them both on the same level like that.

[Warhawk17]

For me, I have come to the conclusion that Holidays are fine, and I treat them as secular days. I don't believe in setting aside days, months and years for the Lord, as I believe every day is unto the Lord. So, I treat Holidays as something to enjoy with family without connecting it to a faith validation. The one thing that has disappointed my wife is that I tell my kid that Santa Clause is not real. I have no problem with Santa Clause until he gets credit for the good things that Jesus brings. And I don't like the idea of telling her that Jesus provides things through a fictional ambassador, because it rubs me the wrong way to put them both on the same level like that.

I think Martin Zender said that he never did Santa Clause with his kids because he thought if he lied to them about Santa Clause, how could they believe him about God? Interesting way to look at it. I'm not sure what I would do with Santa Clause if I had kids, but kids are always way more excited about Santa Clause than they are about Jesus at Christmas, and there is no denying that. That is the biggest concern I would have.

[Seth]

I think Martin Zender said that he never did Santa Clause with his kids because he thought if he lied to them about Santa Clause, how could they believe him about God? Interesting way to look at it. I'm not sure what I would do with Santa Clause if I had kids, but kids are always way more excited about Santa Clause than they are about Jesus at Christmas, and there is no denying that. That is the biggest concern I would have.

Yup that's exactly right and is how I look at it. I see Santa Clause as yet another way the world tries to get away from Jesus. Once it's clear to the child that Jesus is real and Santa is not, they are free to enjoy Santa as one would a fictional book or movie. What I have learned from the Bible, particularly Apostle Paul, is that everything is a matter of faith. It all a question of why you do what you do.

[mplsfitter539]

Yup that's exactly right and is how I look at it. I see Santa Clause as yet another way the world tries to get away from Jesus. Once it's clear to the child that Jesus is real and Santa is not, they are free to enjoy Santa as one would a fictional book or movie. What I have learned from the Bible, particularly Apostle Paul, is that everything is a matter of faith. It all a question of why you do what you do.

Seriously did you just say free to enjoy Santa, fiction, or movie?

Paul also spoke about how some things were profitable and other things are not.

[Seth]

What's wrong with enjoying fiction? You don't think that's profitable? Fine, don't take part. I don't have a weak conscience about it though. It's all about faith. It is what proceeds out from the heart of a man that defiles him.

[Warhawk17]

Agree Seth. I think the real danger is when people believe that fiction is reality or that reality is fiction. I did Catholic school growing up, and the school was extremely determined to make us keep Jesus first around Christmas. Every day in December we would do something Advent related. We also usually did some sort of service project in our community which was always a good time.

However, once school was done for the day, I would start thinking about Santa and all the things I wanted him to bring me. I think a lot of my classmates and I looked at it like we were just doing our time in religion class and church, and when that was done we could forget all about it. I think the adults in the church set that example too because so many Christians just go to church on Sunday to "do their time" and then go on with their secular lives. Religion can't teach you how to live fully in Christ.

Once I figured out the truth about Santa Clause roughly half way through grade school, I was able to open my eyes and focus more on Christ and the love God showed for us by sending His son. I'm honestly not really about that anymore either since there's no way he was actually born in December, and many of the traditions Christians have are actually paganized. I'm not hugely opposed to it. I go along with and enjoy the lights, decorations, upbeat music, and just being with my family and having a break from school and work. I just don't think that we need these special days to worship Christ and forget about him for all the other days.

[Lazarus Short]

...there's no way he was actually born in December, and many of the traditions Christians have are actually paganized.

Yes, it is true, as my Wiccan daughter likes to remind me.

[Warhawk17]

...there's no way he was actually born in December, and many of the traditions Christians have are actually paganized.

Yes, it is true, as my Wiccan daughter like to remind me.

I feel like most atheists realize it is a pagan holiday, and they laugh at Christians that are opposed to them celebrating it. I have known some atheists that even hate the holiday because they think Christians take the holier-than-thou act to a new level around this time, and they think everyone but them deserves to have a miserable Christmas. This article would be a good argument for his case.

Honestly though, I'm still torn on what to do about Christmas. For now I kind of just go along with it and enjoy the time off with family, and I don't see how that is harmful. But if God decides to change my views on it, so be it. Kind of like Halloween. Obviously a pagan holiday with dark roots that can be spiritually damaging if taken seriously, but I don't see the problem with kids dressing up in cute costumes and collecting candy in their neighborhood.   

[Seth]

Warhawk and Lazarus Short,
I pretty much see it the same way. To me Christmas is nothing more than rudiments. Getting together for a meal with family. Opening presents. Music. Fun. Movies. Etc. Those are not harmful of themselves. What can be harmful are the agreements you make in your heart. Many people might tell you not to enjoy these things, because they think they are more spiritual based on what they deny themselves, even when what they deny is not inherently harmful. That doesn't make someone more spiritual.

Regarding meat sacrificed to idols, Paul said when an unbeliever (a pagan for example) invites you over for dinner, go eat. But don't ask questions about the meat. If the unbeliever informs you anyway, don't eat it. Why? Not for your own sake, because the meat itself is not harmful or defiled in themselves. Abstain, rather, for the sake of the person who told you.

In other words, not to give the impression that you agree with paganism so as to reinforce the wrong thing for the unbeliever. You would abstain for love of the other person, not to save your own conscience. If you believe in God, your conscience is clear on that.

If you are ALONE however, and you have meat you know has been sacrificed to idols, you could heat it up in the oven, and share it with your family no problem. The meat will not hurt them because it's all a matter of faith. The meat is nothing but a rudiment, not the actual religion.

I approach Christmas the same way. Nobody I know celebrates Christmas to agree with paganism, or to worship a Christmas tree in place of God. I wouldn't participate in a pagan holiday around pagans not because I think the very idol itself is anything to fear, but simply so as not to reinforce the false belief.

This is why it takes an assessment of the situation, whereas in the Old Covenant, you didn't assess anything. You obeyed ordinances in a blanket manner without any need to use your mind to find out what is profitable or not. That's because the Law is NOT of faith. Once faith enters the picture, it becomes everyone's duty to stand on it, to regard each situation and make decisions based on the one commandment that fulfills all the Law: Am I loving my neighbor?

[Lazarus Short]

This pro-boycott organization has made an idol out of Christmas, and oddly, without Christ.  Oddly, it reminds me of conservative pro-lifers who make such an issue of protecting the unborn, but once born, they seem to have no problem with sending these former babies off to die in some war after 18 years.  Pro-lifers need to be pro-life across the board and Christians need to be Christ-like across the board, not using fleshly tactics to try to further the spiritual.

[Warhawk17]

This pro-boycott organization has made an idol out of Christmas, and oddly, without Christ.  Oddly, it reminds me of conservative pro-lifers who make such an issue of protecting the unborn, but once born, they seem to have no problem with sending these former babies off to die in some war after 18 years.  Pro-lifers need to be pro-life across the board and Christians need to be Christ-like across the board, not using fleshly tactics to try to further the spiritual.

And a lot of the pro life conservative Christians support the death penalty too. That's always been a bit tough to wrap my head around. The worldliness in me would say that we should kill all the bad criminals so good citizens don't have to pay taxes to keep these criminals alive. But my renewed mind questions if Jesus would support capital punishment? I don't think so in any case. War is becoming tough to wrap my head around too. No one likes war, but it is obviously part of God's bigger plan and a necessary evil for this eon. I really feel bad for the families that have loved ones serving overseas. That would be incredibly tough.