Walgreens Retracts Its Description of Christmas Decorations as “Holiday” Ones

[mandym]

Orlando, FL – Just one day after coming under a firestorm for selling “holiday” gifts and providing “holiday” shipping for gifts to arrive by December 25th, Walgreens has worked to regain their “nice” status on Liberty Counsel’s “Naughty or Nice List” which catalogs more than 50 national retailers which either censor (“naughty”) or recognize (“nice”) Christmas.

Tiffany Washington, a spokesperson for Walgreens stated, “During the month of December, there will be greater use of ‘Christmas’ in our store and online. We completely agree that while others celebrate different holidays, we should use the word ‘Christmas’ to describe items we are selling for Christmas decorations and gifts. As Christmas draws closer, there will be plenty of messages in our store and online that say ‘Merry Christmas.’” In addition, Liberty Counsel has received a report of Christmas music being played in Indiana Walgreens stores in response to a directive from its headquarters.

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1131

 

[Arbo]

That excerpt has the same ring as our President when he talks about the need for deficit reduction. Pretty words to cover up a mess made.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

So we praise Walgreen's for merchandising the name of Christ?

 

[preachinjesus]

So we praise Walgreen's for merchandising the name of Christ?

Thanks for this. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Walguy]

So we praise Walgreen's for merchandising the name of Christ?

I don't understand your point. Are you saying it's actually BAD for companies to use the word 'Christmas' because they are selling things? Please clarify your position.

Next month I will mark my 13th anniversary as a Walgreens employee. I have worked in two different locations under four different store managers and two different district managers. I can tell you that in my experience, Walgreens has always been very 'Christmas friendly.' Not only have I never once been told not to say 'Merry Christmas,' but I have always been allowed to wear my 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season' button every year. While most of our merchandise for the season is secular, we always have some Nativity based items too. It is a Christian friendly environment not just at Christmas but all the time. There may have been a labeling mistake made this year at the corporate level, but it is not reflective of the general attitude of the company toward believers, which in my experience has always been positive and tolerant.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

I don't understand your point. Are you saying it's actually BAD for companies to use the word 'Christmas' because they are selling things? Please clarify your position.

I am saying that it is silly to make a 'naughty and nice' list based on whether a store sells Christmas lights or holiday lights. It is all marketing.

 

[Walguy]

I am saying that it is silly to make a 'naughty and nice' list based on whether a store sells Christmas lights or holiday lights. It is all marketing.

Fair enough. But companies (and society in general) are under constant pressure by the anti-God crowd to secularize more and more. I don't think there's anything wrong with nicely pushing back and keeping Christ's name in the season more. He's what it's all really about, whether individual people consistently acknowledge Him or not. At least if people hear 'Christmas' instead of 'holiday' it gives them another chance to remember the baby in the manger amidst all the bustle and distraction of the season.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

I disagree - Christmas as practised by the world is a secular holiday. We do all of the fun trappings as well. I am not opposed to them, but a lost salesperson saying 'Merry Christmas' is hardly going to have any true Christian influence on a shopper. 'Happy Holidays' is not an offensive or Christ denying statement.

 

[Walguy]

I disagree - Christmas as practised by the world is a secular holiday. We do all of the fun trappings as well. I am not opposed to them, but a lost salesperson saying 'Merry Christmas' is hardly going to have any true Christian influence on a shopper. 'Happy Holidays' is not an offensive or Christ denying statement.

I guess we just look at the world differently. I concentrate on the positive with an optimistic attitude and look for the good in things, whereas you seem to be much more cynical and pessimistic. I don't think a blanket statement can be made that in a country of 300 million people, saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays isn't going to have a positive effect on ANYONE. Not saying it's going to change the world, but it could very well be a positive thing at least here and there, and it certainly couldn't hurt anything. So I see no basis for such a negative attitude about it.

 

[mandym]

I guess we just look at the world differently. I concentrate on the positive with an optimistic attitude and look for the good in things, whereas you seem to be much more cynical and pessimistic. I don't think a blanket statement can be made that in a country of 300 million people, saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays isn't going to have a positive effect on ANYONE. Not saying it's going to change the world, but it could very well be a positive thing at least here and there, and it certainly couldn't hurt
anything. So I see no basis for such a negative attitude about it.

Ditto. Very will put

 

[Martin]

These "outrages" come every year (like clock work). Personally, I don't see the big deal. Christmas is not a Biblical holiday. The fact is Scripture never tells us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, that does not mean we should not (I certainly do) but it does mean that Christmas is not a Biblical mandate. When I celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas I do so in church (not in the stores). I really don't care that secular stores celebrate a secular "holiday" at the same time. Christmas today is much more of a secular holiday with Santa Clause, merchandise, and other stuff. Not that I am against any of that that in its proper place. That is that version of Christmas that stores like Walgreens celebrate and use to make money. Let's also remember that Christmas is not a historical holiday. Throughout history not all Christians have celebrated Christmas. A perfect example of that is the Puritans and Pilgrims of early colonial history. So, at the end of the day, I don't care if they say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", or "Seasons Greetings", or just "thank you, have a nice day".

But, thats just me....

 

[Mexdeaf]

I am sure God is impressed and will bless Walgreens for their contributions in proclaiming the Christmas Gospel.

 

[Gina B]

I wonder what everyone pushing the use of "Holiday" instead of Christmas will do if they ever put two and two together and realize the base of holiday is Holy Day.
Then they'll have to find yet another one and all the retailers will have to pay to redesign packaging once again.

Poor retailers. :laugh:

 

[lilyvalley]

I am saying that it is silly to make a 'naughty and nice' list based on whether a store sells Christmas lights or holiday lights. It is all marketing.

I agree with this. People get so bent out of shape about this issue. There are bigger things to worry about. Saying happy holidays does'nt deny Christ as the reason.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

These "outrages" come every year (like clock work). Personally, I don't see the big deal. Christmas is not a Biblical holiday. The fact is Scripture never tells us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, that does not mean we should not (I certainly do) but it does mean that Christmas is not a Biblical mandate. When I celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas I do so in church (not in the stores). I really don't care that secular stores celebrate a secular "holiday" at the same time. Christmas today is much more of a secular holiday with Santa Clause, merchandise, and other stuff. Not that I am against any of that that in its proper place. That is that version of Christmas that stores like Walgreens celebrate and use to make money. Let's also remember that Christmas is not a historical holiday. Throughout history not all Christians have celebrated Christmas. A perfect example of that is the Puritans and Pilgrims of early colonial history. So, at the end of the day, I don't care if they say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", or "Seasons Greetings", or just "thank you, have a nice day".

But, thats just me....

Could not agree more. I celebrate the Incarnation this time of year with our church and that is all that really matters.

Sure, we still do the 'Christmas' bit as well, but I don't expect a world who has never made the Incarnation efficacious to celebrate it with me.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

I guess we just look at the world differently. I concentrate on the positive with an optimistic attitude and look for the good in things, whereas you seem to be much more cynical and pessimistic. I don't think a blanket statement can be made that in a country of 300 million people, saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays isn't going to have a positive effect on ANYONE. Not saying it's going to change the world, but it could very well be a positive thing at least here and there, and it certainly couldn't hurt anything. So I see no basis for such a negative attitude about it.

Nothing negative at all - I just don't think there is a need to get worked up about how the world celebrates or fails to celebrate the Incarnation.

 

[webdog]

I guess we just look at the world differently. I concentrate on the positive with an optimistic attitude and look for the good in things, whereas you seem to be much more cynical and pessimistic. I don't think a blanket statement can be made that in a country of 300 million people, saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays isn't going to have a positive effect on ANYONE. Not saying it's going to change the world, but it could very well be a positive thing at least here and there, and it certainly couldn't hurt anything. So I see no basis for such a negative attitude about it.

You find it positive for a company to exploit the name of Christ to gain customers like yourself? Its not like they are doing it out of respect, they are doing it solely for marketing reasons! As a believer I don't expect lost people to act like we do, why do you?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The bible is so clear on statues, displays, decorations, even images in HIS name, it boggles my mind why Christians even celebrate Christmas in the first place, let alone get all amped up about how the world acts around it. You may argue that Christmas didn't start out as an evil pagan mixing of several religions, but you certainly cannot argue about what it has become. To me, you could make a better case that we should celebrate the passover, than this holiday.

Please don't take what I said personally.:flower:

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

The bible is so clear on statues, displays, decorations, even images in HIS name, it boggles my mind why Christians even celebrate Christmas in the first place, let alone get all amped up about how the world acts around it. You may argue that Christmas didn't start out as an evil pagan mixing of several religions, but you certainly cannot argue about what it has become. To me, you could make a better case that we should celebrate the passover, than this holiday.

Please don't take what I said personally.:flower:

I can certainly see this point of view.

Our family celebrates the Incarnation at church.
Celebrates the family time and fun at home.
Ignores the rest.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I don't think there is anything wrong with taking advantage of the time off, and getting together with family, or even exchanging gifts.