Extreme Theology

Christmas Boycott Fail!

Something is TERRIBLY wrong in Conservative Evangelicalism.  Let me explain why I think that.

Yesterday, I was flipping the channels on the T.V. and wasn’t really paying close attention when all of a sudden a commercial for The Gap came on. It was one of those typical holiday commercials with people dancing around in winter clothes and sweaters.  What was most interesting was the fact that the commercial mentioned Hanukah, Kwanza AND it clearly and unequivocally mentioned CHRISTMAS.

So what’s the big deal you ask? As I pointed out in my previous post the American Family Association (AFA) has been getting quite a bit of press lately by urging Christians to boycott Gap, Inc. According to the AFA The Gap refused to recognize “Christmas” by name this holiday season.  Yet, The Gap commercial I watched yesterday VERY CLEARLY mentioned Christmas by name.

So this whole boycott of Gap, Inc. by the American Family Association has a whole lot to do about nothing!!!  I think the term I am looking for is EPIC FAIL!

Something is TERRIBLY wrong in Conservative Evangelicalism!

To help identify and define what is terribly wrong in Conservative Evangelicalism here are some diagnostic questions that I think every Conservative Evangelical needs to face and answer.

1. Where were Conservative Evangelicals and their holy indignation when stories began to break that Gap, Inc. was employing child slave labor in its factories in India?

2. Why is it that Liberals and Emergents, who deny that the Bible is the literal inerrant Word of God, deny the doctrine of the Penal Substitionary atonement, and deny that homosexuality is a sin, why is it that that Liberals understand that Christianity does not exist to make the world a safer place for American Corporations who enslave and exploit the poor in their pursuit of maximizing profits?

3. Why is it that Conservative Evangelicals who emphasize the importance of doctrinal purity and claim to be Christ Centered and Gospel focused keep missing the fact that one of the implications of the gospel is that corporate executive sinners who are enslaving children to make it possible for you to buy a t-shirt at Wal-Mart for $7 must be called to repentance & the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name for their EVIL practices every bit as much as a practicing homosexual, philandering politician or late term abortionist?

4. How long will Conservative Evangelicals threaten to boycott corporations that don’t use the word “Christmas” during the holiday season yet never utter the word “sin” when members of a corporate executive team make a decision that poisons a river or enslaves a child?

5. How long will Conservative Evangelicals selectively turn a blind eye to the sins committed by fellow conservatives and only call out those sins that are committed by their ‘political’ and ‘cultural’ enemies?

As long as those who believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, who zealously wage war with the forces of immorality in the culture refuse to understand that they are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, not the Republican Party, and are called to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name to ALL sinners left and right, socialist and capitalist then there will continue to be something TERRIBLY wrong with Conservative Evangelicalism!

Who Are You Going to Boycott This Christmas?

While preparing for my radio program today I ran across a story in the Christian Post with the headline, "Christians Urged to Boycott Gap Inc. Over 'Christmas' Censor". The opening paragraph reads:

The American Family Association said that despite “tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas” and requests by the organization, San Francisco-based Gap Inc. has refused to use the word Christmas in its ad commercials and promotions. Online Source

Right up front let me say that these types of boycotts against retailers over whether or not they openly promote Christmas or some generic winter holiday IS THE WRONG BATTLE for Christians to be fighting! I could care less if Wal-Mart, The Gap, Macys, the Banana Republic or the Home Depot "recognizes Christmas". NONE of these corporations are Christian so why should I expect them to proclaim Christ?

My question for my Christian Brothers and Sisters is whether or not they are going to Boycott those Churches and Mega Churches where Christ is not preached, and there is no cross on their campus, yet alone in their worship services?

The bigger threat to Christianity are so-called "Christian Pastors" who preach so-called sermons to "meet the felt needs" of pagans rather than preach God's word in context and proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name. (Luke 24:46-47)

If Christians should boycott anything they should be boycotting churches where Christ and Him Crucified for our sins is not recognized and proclaimed.

The list of churches that refuse to recognize Christ and the Cross is fairly large and growing.  Ironically, many of the Christians that will be boycotting the Gap, attend and support churches that have long ago taken down their cross and censor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the name of being relevant.

But remember this one fact: The Gap will not stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ because The Gap is NOT a person.  But, those pastors who refuse to proclaim Christ and have removed the cross from their sprawling mega-church campuses and from their sermons will one day have to give an account to Christ for their rebellion against Him.