The Dallas Morning News recently reported that Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, has created a Web site - grinchalert.com - that "outs" businesses that don't fully acknowledge the religious aspect of Christmas.
So what message is Dr. Jeffress sending? Well, maybe my "receiver" is out of whack, but here are the three messages - all of them disturbing - that I hear in his campaign to identify businesses as either "naughty" or "nice." One is that we honor Christ by bringing economic pain and suffering on those who - in our view - don't honor Him. Another is that Christ is all about the economy and commerce rather than personal relationship.
But the message that rings loudest - and that most disturbs me - is that following Christ is something to be coerced, brought about through threatening and taunting and shaming rather than through sharing one's personal faith experience.
Dr. Jeffress boasted that he is "bringing the Gospel into Christmas." Pardon me, Dr. Jeffress, but God already brought the Gospel - the Good News - into Christmas 2000 years ago. And Christmas should be good news to a wounded and hurting world. But it seems to me that Dr. Jeffress is the grinch who has robbed Christmas of its good news for some this year.
That's how I see it, anyway. What are your thoughts?
I agree totally! It's sad when Christians become "bullies" and try to force others into "proper Christmas behavior" at this time of year. Whatever happened to PEACE and GOOD WILL toward men? (And that means ALL people!) Surely there's enought to do in following Christ's commandments to love and care for the needy that we don't have time for such silliness/meanness that just divides and judges people. I don't think Jesus would be that petty...
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