Update: Lowes Apologizes; Christmas Under Assault: Dumping the Christmas Tree for a ‘Family Tree’
Posted on November 15, 2007
Update via Jay: Lowes backs down and says it was a mistake!
Via Hot Air
In a further erosion of our American traditions and holidays, Lowe’s Hardware stores has decided that they aren’t in the business of selling Christmas trees anymore. They have decided, instead, that the big seller for 2007 will be the erstwhile “Family Tree” — that Christmas thingie being so gauche and offensive and all, you see. In fact, in their 2007 holiday catalog, Lowes uses the word Christmas a grand total of two times. And on their website, the tree listings all avoid the word in their descriptions.
Take a look at the first page of their “Family Tree” section in their new print catalog:
One of their tree products is even upside down for some unfathomable reason. Described as the “Holiday Living 7.5′ Pre-lit Switchit Cashmere Hard Needle Bavarian Fir tree,” this tree has what is generally the top of the tree affixed to the stand so that the wide base is what ends up in the air.
I suppose this might be considered funny by some and might be a novel thing to have to such folks, but it certainly does not evoke the Christmas spirit and absolutely doesn’t run along traditional, nor respectful, lines.
Now, obviously this is a simple business decision made by Lowe’s made in order to keep the militant atheists off their backs. Who can doubt that the Lowe’s folks are doing their best to avoid the costly nuisance lawsuits so commonly filed by these anti-American trouble makers? After all, Lowe’s is a large Corporation, but their pockets aren’t so deep that they can afford such idiotic lawsuit filings — efforts that prove we should have a “losers pay all fees” system instead of what we now have. In a way, one can sympathize with Lowe’s for making the effort to avoid the trouble those hateful of American traditions and religions cause these days. It almost makes smart business sense… at least smart where it concerns the legal department.
But is it the sort of thing that we want America to be? Do we want to cast aside our entire history, our traditions and ideals just to avoid a lawsuit instituted by a tiny but loud minority? When do we stand up and say “enough is enough”? When do we find politicians with the guts to pass tort reform legislation? When do we find politicians who will appoint judges who are interested in the law as opposed to activism and getting themselves in the newspapers? How long are we to put up with this nonsense? How long do we turn our faces away while people with ideas antithetical to America run rampant throughout our courts and halls of government?
It is time to stop this, America.
Christmas has been under assault for the better part of a decade, now, and obviously with this Lowe’s decision to avoid the word Christmas altogether, as well as renaming their Christmas trees, “Family Trees” we can see that the holiday season for 2007 will serve us no respite from that assault on our American traditions.
For its part, Lowe’s is claiming that the original printing of the “Family tree†catalog was a mistake. They told the American Family Association the following:
Randy, Thanks for taking my call this morning. Let me reiterate my apology that we had an advertising error that created a stir. Here’s a statement that we’d appreciate your posting on your web site, if possible:
Lowe’s has contacted the AFA and assures us that it is proudly committed to selling Christmas trees this year, as it has done for more than 60 years. The company apologized for the confusion created in its 2007 holiday catalog when it headlined the page of Christmas trees “family trees.” The error was not caught before the publication was distributed, and Lowe’s says it is disappointed in the breakdown in its proofing process.
Lowe’s assures us that they refer to trees as Christmas trees in this season’s television and magazine ads and in its advertising flyers. The company says it is redoubling its efforts to proof its catalogs in the future to prevent this issue from recurring.
We appreciate Lowe’s for listening to its customers and responding appropriately to our concerns.
Be that as it may — and it is certainly hard to believe, it is far more likely they are hedging their bets both ways — Christmas is still under attack if not by direct, anti-Christian design, then by the cultural neglect born of the legal department by many of our corporations. The fact that they are merely doing it for their own protection does not make it any less an erosion of our culture and traditions.
Get ready, folks. The “Holidays” are a comin’, just don’t expect to hear much about “Christmas,” though.
» Filed Under ACLU, Christmas, History, News
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22 Responses to “Update: Lowes Apologizes; Christmas Under Assault: Dumping the Christmas Tree for a ‘Family Tree’”
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Please provide a link to one law suit against anyone for merely calling a tree a Christmas tree. If it is business decision or an advertising error, who are you to tell Lowe’s how to run their business or accuse them of attacking Christmas.
Turn off the Hannity and read a book.
Here’s an idea “Libertarian,” actually KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS and you’ll see how CHRISTmas is under attack all across the country. This site is called Stop the ACLU and we’ve had such things many times here.
While you are reading that “book” you are so fond of, you might want to pull it and your head out of the sand you keep them in.
I think all the Christian activists need to stop the whining and get a sense of balance. Whether they advertise it as a Christmas tree or a Family tree doesn’t change the holiday – which the Christian faith co-opted from the pagan celebration of Yule, by the way. Just as several OTHER Christian holiday traditions were borrowed from other religions (q.v. the easter egg and bunny).
Get over yourselves and switch to decaf. You are only making yourselves look like ignorant asses, and embarrassing other, less fanatical, Christians. You are not being persecuted; some companies just want to appeal to people of other faiths.
First they came for the Christians and no one said anything. Then they came for the Republicans and no one said anything. THEN they came for the secularists… and everyone wondered where our liberty went!?
Warner, if you search the Lowe’s site to which you link, you will find the search term “christmas tree” yields three pages of results. The term “family tree” yields none. It may be an honest, albeit stupid, error by some nitwit anti-Christmas employee who “forgot” to change it before it went to press. Or something.
To Dave Newton, this issue isn’t about Christianity in particular: it’s about tradition. This issue is about the removal of tradition from all public venues to make everyone feel better, and that’s completely stupid. We’re becoming such a society where seemingly innocuous traditions are offensive or are not sensitive enough to the extent that we’ve lost sight of the truly offensive and have made our culture so ambiguous that it’s difficult to get excited about holiday at all. Thanksgiving can no longer be a time of thanks: it has to be a time where we focus on the conflicts between English settlers and Native Americans. Christmas can no longer be about giving or a jolly old soul: it has to be about–well, winter and snowflakes. People may not be taking away your freedom, but they are taking every advantage to discourage enjoying it. Why must everything be neutral to be accepting? Do you honestly believe that that is a logical prerequisite for tolerance?
Chris, huh?
Warner, I have heard the other “attacks” on Christmas. Every Christian family I know has a wonderful Christmas celebration. No one has been attacked or even threatened with attack.
I have no Christmas tradition related to Lowe’s. Everyone loves Christmas.
You all just want to be victims. It makes you feel important that “they” are out to get you.
THANK YOU STOP THE ACLU FOR READING THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE BIBLE THAT MENTIONS THAT JESUS TOLD EVERYONE THAT YOU MUST HAVE A CHRISTMAS TREE LEST YOU BURN IN HELL. ITS SECULAR PROGRESSIVES THAT RUIN THIS FOR EVERYONE. JUST LIKE THAT HOMO FASCIST BING CROSBY WHO IN 1945 STARTED THIS COMMUNIST MOVEMENT BY SINGING “HAPPY HOLIDAYS”!!
I’m sorry, who again said that Christmas trees are in the Bible?
Oooohhh, I get it. No one did but the Christian haters and anti-Americans who visited this post and commented.
I see.
Neeeever mind.
CLEARLY WARNER TODD HUSTON YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A CHRIST HATER HOMOSEXUAL DEVIANT WHO WANTS GAY MEXICANS TO ILLEGALLY IMMIGRATE AND KILL BRAINDEAD LADIES. WHY DO YOU HATE FREEDOM!1!11 DID YOU FORGET 911
I’m starting a movement to end the national holiday for Christmas (I want to weep just typing that word). After all, it’s the only US holiday that’s explicitly Xtian, and what do all the poor non-Xtians do on that day? They’re forced to go to Chinese restaurants and movies…what if they need to go shopping? If the God-bags are so protective of their holiday, they can use a vacation day (another Liberal idea, thank you!) All the useless presents that are exchanged can be shipped to the poor in Africa or Detroit.
Or, instead, the government can declare a Winter Solstice holiday, since all the Xtians are going to insist on not working anyway. New Year’s can be abolished next, since it’s based on Western Xtian thinking anyway. I can get bombed without a New Year celebration anytime I want!
Hard to argue with the insane, I realize. EVEN WHEN THEY TYPE ALL IN CAPS.
It is getting so rediculous. I´m glad I´m not living in the
U.S. anymore. It just ain´t what it used to be. There is no
Thanksgiving Day here in El Salvador but by God there is no
no problem about Christmas. Feliz Navidad!!
Warner, please list the Christian haters and Ant-Americans that you refer to in your post of 2:05AM. Thank you.
Please try not to personally attack me in your response.
… so calling you what you are is an attack?
Interesting.
Please provide your basis for calling me a Christian hater and anti-American.
Fellow Christians, if a corporation or government has the ability to take Christmas and/or its meaning out of your heart, then maybe you just didn’t get it in the first place. Don’t be distracted by the traditions and imagery or the lack thereof and celebrate in peace.
Thank you for providing sniveling anti-religion and tradition bigots like me a place to shop for our family and holiday needs. Oh, wait, sniveling bigots don’t tend to have family or celebrate holidays — so exactly who is it that you wanted to attract?
People just have too much time on their hands, go take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, are you really for real?
Tom, good question.
Thank you, Bryan, I love Christmas, except for the commercial part.
I love Christmas too, and the birth of Christ is part of it. Yes, it’s based on pagan celebrations, which DOES NOT EQUAL EVIL. If you are exposed to Christianity, and don’t believe Jesus Christ is your saviour, like me, you can at least appreciate the 10 commandments as a good way to run your life, and run a society. – Mary
Some of these postings are very sad. Jesus is the reason for the season. The most important
question you will ever have to answer is What will you do about Jesus? You have several choices.
He was either a Lunatic, a Liar or He was who he said he was. Everything he did, he did publically
in the light for all to see. He claimed to have the power to forgive sin and only God can forgive sin.
He claimed that He and the Father were one. He claimed to be The Way, The Truth, and the Life.
I believe he is who he said he was. He fulfilled over 300 propheises made from 450 years to
several thousand years before he was even born.
Here is another question to consider. Would you die for what you know to be a lie? People will
die for a lie if they believe it to be the truth, but people will not die for what they know
to be a lie.
All of Jesus’ disciples, except John (who was exiled to the island of Patmos), and over 500
others who Jesus appeared to after his resurrection were willing to die instead of denying their
faith.
They were eyewitnesses. They knew what they had experienced and they the Truth – and they turned
the world upside down.
I would be honored to provide any of you with some great resourse materials on the historical
evidence for Jesus Life, Death and Resurrection.
I was once a skeptic, but was unable to refute such great evidence. I was once like many of you,
and I in no way look down upon or think you are stupid.
We were born with a hole in our soul, and that hole cannot be filled with riches or power or
drugs or anything else, although we try. It can only be filled by the one who created us.
My email is chuck0410@hotmail.com if you would like to converse on this issue.