You're a Mean One, Grinch Alert

[paft.livejournal.com]

Robert Jeffress:

Well, you know every year people bemoan the War on Christmas and I thought, “Let’s do something positive about it,” so we created this website, Grinchalert.com, it allows people to go on our website and, uh, if they’ve encountered a business that shuns Christmas they can talk about it and put that business on the naughty list but if they find a business that celebrates Christmas, they can put that business on the nice list. It’s just a fun way to say to businesses and organizations, “You don’t have to bow to political correctness. It’s okay to say, “Merry Christmas…”

John Roberts: What if businesses who are on the naughty list lose customers?... Would it be a good idea to affect people’s business at this season, which can be make or break for some people, and in this economic climate?

Jeffress: John, let me make it clear, we have never even hinted at a boycott…

"Never even hinted at a boycott?" Really? Here’s what Jeffress said on Fox:

Jeffress: One great example in the Dallas area, there was a bank that took down a Christmas tree because they said it would offend customers. Well, there was another bank that got put on our nice list, the Providence Bank, because they put up a nativity scene. The CEO told me yesterday that there were customers changing from the bank that removed the Christmas tree, and they’re flocking to his bank.

Gretchen Carlson: You are not calling for a boycott of any of these businesses….

Jeffress: Oh, not at all, not in any way! You know, there’s a Mexican restaurant you mentioned that was saying Happy Holidays, but our family still goes there every week…

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

So it’s all about reassuring businesses. Honest! It’s all about making them feel nice and safe. He’s not advocating a boycott.

But he’s delighted to share as an example that little story of a bank losing customers because they took down a Christmas tree.

See, here's what mystifies me about this... Jeffress likes the idea of forcing other people and businesses to utter "Merry Christmas" and post signs saying "Merry Christmas" who are uncomfortable doing it. Do the people at "Grinch Alert" really imagine that businesses and retailers intimidated into towing Grinch Alert's line are acting in the spirit of the season?

And here's one more video, especially for the Reverend Mr. Jeffress:

Thanx to Juliebogen

Crossposted at Thoughtcrimes

Comments

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

He should have just answered this question straight:
What if businesses who are on the naughty list lose customers?... Would it be a good idea to affect people’s business at this season, which can be make or break for some people, and in this economic climate?

Yes, it's a good idea. That's the point of a good list and a naughty list. Letting people know about the businesses they shop at so they can make a more informed decision.

See, here's what mystifies me about this... Jeffress likes the idea of forcing other people and businesses to utter "Merry Christmas" and post signs saying "Merry Christmas" who are uncomfortable doing it.

Here's why you're mystified. He's not forcing anyone to do anything. He's putting out information about businesses. You're free to use that information or not, along with everyone else. Your attempt to make him out to be evil based on your imaginings of his intentions is silly, although par for the course for you.

[qnetter]

So his encouraging people to shop at businesses that are assertively Christian... certainly legal, but pretty douchebaggy too, don't you think?

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Why is it douchebaggy? I remember the whole "Shop Blue" movement after the 2000 election. Everyone does it, it's not bullying or douchey.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

You didn't get a kick out of the economic fallacy presented in the OP?

That being it's bad to do this during bad economic times. As if the consumer will just not spend money because of a single shop or even several being undesirable. All it does is shift money in the market. I'm sure shops that do openly celebrate Christmas are glad to see the extra dollars.

Yet the OP only sees negative economic activity.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think that. It's a weird metric to be using for determining if the business is Christian, but if that's what some people want to use, that's up to them.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Baloney. He's trying to get businesses to say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" out of a fear of losing business in a bad economy and at a very important time of the year for retailers.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

So? What alternative method would you suggest he use to pressure businesses to listen to their customers?

[paft.livejournal.com]

So your claim that he's not trying to force people to do something is bogus.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Your definition of "force people" is what's bogus.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

So, what feedback mechanism do you suggest for customers to use, since businesses don't have one?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Sure, but that's a totally different issue.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is a totally different issue. The issue is that someone has a website that is for informing people about businesses that do a particular thing and paft seems to think that someone forces people to behave in some manner. Your issue with Christians is not the issue.