December Dilemma Watch 2007

The American Family Association is sponsoring a program to make sure that “Merry Christmas” doesn’t disappear from the American lexicon this December. “Project Merry Christmas” invites churches to “proclaim to our communities that Christmas is not just a winter holiday focused on materialism, but a ‘holy day’ when we celebrate the birth of our Savior.” To this end, churches can purchas and distribute to their members magnets and buttons that say “Merry Christmas: God’s Good News.” The AFA reports that approximately 15,000 churches are participating in the campaign so far.

Lowes, the hardware mega-store, made an early December Dilemma appearance when its Holiday 2007 catalog advertised “Family Trees,” not “Christmas Trees.” The American Family Association, a conservative Christian organization, sent out an action alert to its members, prompting Lowes to email the chain en masse, and ask why the term “Christmas” is not used to describe the trees. “Lowe’s evidently did not want to offend any non-Christians, therefore they replaced “Christmas tree” with “Family tree.” Of course, if Christians are offended that is evidently ok,” the alert said.
Within days, Lowes responded, saying that the oversight was a “breakdown in its proofing process,” an editorial error that got missed in the catalog’s publication process. Lowes reassured the AFA that magazine and television advertisements, as well as print flyers, refer to the trees as Christmas trees.
A visit to Lowes’ website reveals that in some cases, they may be trying for a middle ground: this item description simply calls it a Saratoga Spruce Pre-Lit Tree, while a similar item listed here calls itself a Saratoga Spruce Pre-Lit Christmas Tree.

So we all know that the holidays are not all boycotts and arguments – in fact, the great majority of us find ways to live with our neighbors of all faiths in meaningful and even spiritual ways. As a companion to this blog, we’ve started a group in the Beliefnet community to give you a space to share your stories of cooperation, kindness, and interfaith good will.
Has a group of interfaith clergy come together this holiday season to work on a social justice project? Has a Jewish child made a special presentation about Hanukkah to his or her class? Log in and join the group by clicking here, and share your stories, post photos, and warm your heart.

Well, it’s official. Though the holiday season seems to have begun the day after Halloween, the December Dilemma’s time is just starting, hitting its peak as it always does, in that hectic period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What is the December Dilemma, you might ask? It’s the conundrum that retail stores, public parks, public schools, and political leaders–not to mention families–face each year when considering how to handle the confluence of the winter holidays, principally Hanukkah and Christmas. If we have one religious symbol up in the town square, do we have to have symbols representing all faiths? If we avoid all religious symbols this winter, will people of faith feel discriminated against? If we wish our customers “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” will a national boycott be launched against our store? Does our condo association allow us to put a creche on our lawn?
These and other questions are on many lips during these few weeks. And as we have the past three years, Beliefnet is watching. This blog will chronicle, observe, report, and give you a chance to talk about the melee that might (or might not) churn up in spots both predictable and surprising around the country. Because when we take the time to notice what happens when religious holidays meet a diverse, pluralistic culture, we always learn something about America.
Let the watch begin….