Dear Christian consumers, Christmas light-decorating aficianados, and people from the American Family Association who come up with products that are completely tone-deaf when it comes to American culture:
1. Crosses are appropriate yard decorations for those wishing to express their devotion to Jesus. Even crosses that are 5.5 feet tall.
2. Christmas lights are appropriate yard decorations for those wishing to participate in a holiday tradition. Even Christmas lights expressing a religious theme.
3. Brightly lit crosses, placed in the yard, are probably NOT appropriate decorations given our nation's racial history. If you must buy one, please keep it out of the yard. Keep it out of your neighbor's yard, too.
Just a helpful holiday and/or racial harmony tip from your friendly Pocket Guide author.
From the "Christmas Cross" product description at the AFA online store:
Looking for an effective way to express your Christian faith this Christmas season to honor our Lord Jesus? Now you can.... with the "Original Christmas Cross" yard decoration. Light up your front yard, porch, patio, driveway, business, organization or church this holiday season with a stunning Christmas cross.
Yep. I'd say "stunning" is probably the right word.
7 comments:
And once again the AFA fails to represent the desires of the up and coming generation of believers.
More than half the time they annoy me on some sort of personal level ;)
If my putting a lighted cross up for Christmas upsets anyone - then I consider that their problem.
We as Christians are losing our rights faster then anyone and personally I am tired of it.
I for one do not want a santa or a deer or whatever in my yard, it is a nativity set and a cross - the true meaning of Christmas.
Without Jesus we would not have a Christmas.
Hey, Sandy. Thanks for the comment. I don't quite understand, though, how you made the jump from this post to the idea of Christians losing their rights. Nobody's advocating anything like that. All I'm saying is that a big lit-up cross probably has some negative connotations with a lot of people -- and rightly so, whether it's just "their problem" or not -- and I think it's strange that the AFA seems not to realize this.
Naw... Having a simulation of a burning cross in your yard is a perfectly normal thing... if you have robes and hoods in your closet, that is. Geez
I'm thinking the whole connotation went right over their heads (just as, apparently, it did Sandy's).
Lord haste the day when it's lost on *everyone*, but I don't think we're there yet.
Maybe colored blinking lights wouldn't look quite so bad on this one... I'm glad they didn't add the crown of thorns at the top, in those bright lights that could look just like the noose Robert mentioned.
yikes. agreed - bad idea. when i saw it, i thought that this WAS a burning cross. oh boy.
re: sandy - christians have traditionally flourished in times of persecution. while this doesn't really equal roman christians being fed to lions, maybe increasing liberalism is actually pointing to a new revival in the church. one can only hope (not for persecution, of course, but for revival)...
either way, i'm not sure that putting a santa or a cross or a baby jesus in my front yard means much of ANYTHING about what i believe any more. sad, but (at least where i live) pretty true.
however, i do believe that burning a cross (or giving the impression) in my front yard (which is owned by my apartment complex, anyway) WOULD communicate something.
ironic, no?
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