For shame...

Dear Dr. Robert Jeffress,

I remember Christmas as a good time in my youth. My parents taught me the wonder of the season and it was always a fun time of opening presents and sharing our faith amongst ourselves. We attended midnight mass, as many do in the Catholic faith, and enjoyed a gift exchange. Great food was consumed, many fond memories were made, and I learned the values taught by our church.

Today things have changed. Many in the Christian community have this persecution complex where if they don't see others celebrating the holidays in the exact fashion they're accustomed to they cry foul at their fellow citizens. Somehow this has become the new cross to bear for those on the right and it's something I'll never understand.

As a lad I got many gifts from my parents, but they constantly warned me about the over commercialization of the holiday overshadowing the religious and charitable aspect. Charles Schultz reminded youngsters the country over through his timeless cartoon about the dangers of retailers exploiting faith in order to sell a shoddy product. Many others taught their children the same values and should I have wee ones I shall carry on the tradition.

You sir seem to want to destroy those values with your new public shaming of private businesses who don't show Christmas displays. With your website you've decided to call upon the masses to out anyone who doesn't display a tree in their lobby or use the term 'Happy Holidays' in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. You even want others to boycott said places of retail. Are you against Hanukkah signs as well? Do you really want your flock to bring shame to the chosen people?

I find it refreshing when corporations don't use my faith, or lack thereof, to get me to be a more avid consumer, but you strangely want Christmas to be more commercialized. If you opened your history books, at least not the revisionist one you seem to subscribe to, you'd know that most of our holiday traditions have little to do with the birth of Christ, or Christianity as a whole for that matter. One of the nations founding Christians, the Puritans, were against any kind of celebration what so ever. Then again I doubt little things like facts matter at all to you.

You haven't shamed anyone in this campaign but yourself and your followers. You seem insecure in your faith if you ask private businesses to express traditions that are loosely tied, if at all, with the birth of Jesus. Texans already have an image problem with much of the nation referring to them as simpleton idiots. You sir have made it more difficult for a citizen of the state to express their faith in the manner they deem fit. I would hope you and your congregation would be more charitable this Christmas instead of ridiculing those who don't share your views, but that appears to be asking too much of you.

Although I'm tempted to just simply call you an ignorant ass clown I shall try to be more like the Lord and Savior and wish you and your family a safe and Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,
Wiwille

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Gandhi