​In response to Focus on the Family’s "Stand For Christmas" campaign, which calls for Christians to rank retailers according to how “Christian” they are during the Christmas season, I submitted the following comment to the site:

Lowes: Christmas-Offensive 

"I walked into my local Lowes expecting what any good Christian would expect this time of year—a worshipful retail experience that sufficiently meets my spiritual needs. So you can imagine my distress when the first thing I saw when I walked through the door was a completely secularized inflatable snowman. He carried a broom, not a Bible. He wore a scarf, not a cross.  Worst of all, there was no sign of an inflatable baby Jesus to remind me of the real reason for the season. How will people know?

I then noticed that for the approximately 10 minutes I was in the store, the only CHRISTmas songs I heard were “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” (which clearly condones premarital public displays of affection) and “Joy to the World,” (a song with which I have eschatological differences).

Deeply offended, I simply grabbed my box of icicle lights and headed to the check-out line. Before I could leave, the cashier (who wore a star of David necklace) had the nerve to say, “happy holidays.” And so I did what Focus on the Family and Jesus would want me to do. I made a big stink about it. I demanded that she use the word “CHRISTmas” like they did in Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born. When she refused, I asked to speak with a manager. When the manager told me I could visit the store’s Web site and submit a complaint there, I informed him that I would never shop at this establishment again—unless, of course, I really needed more of those glass globe plant feeders.

All in all, it was a terribly offensive experience. But at least I can say I stood up for what was important—keeping shopping sacred." 

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[I actually had to submit a shorter version to the site, as it has a 100-word limit. They also have a moderator, which might explain why my comment hasn’t shown up yet. I posted as “Christie Christianson."]