Burning Crosses - a Symbol of Christmas?

The American Family Association's New Christmas Decoration Sparks Outrage in Blog Circles

It turns out that the American Family Association (AFA) thinks so. To help you get into theholiday spirit, the AFA has released a "Christmas Cross" - what appears to be the shape of a tall cross on a stand covered in strings of white Christmas lights so that it gives the appearance of burning - so you can "Let Your "Light" Shine For Christ This Christmas Season!" The AFA store website reads "Looking for an effective way to express your Christian faith this Christmas season to honor our Lord Jesus?... Decorate this holiday season with the Original Christmas Cross to remind your friends, family, neighbors, and all who drive by your home, office, or church of the real meaning of Christmas."

Apparently the fact that their "Christmas Cross" is reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan's (KKK) infamous cross burning, long used as a method of warning to anyone who stands against the Klan, has escaped someone's notice, but not the notice of irate bloggers in cyberspace. There has been a huge outcry from hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who are incensed at the lawn ornament's unfortunate design, and that outrage is spilling out on forums and blogs across the Internet. H. Lukas Green of PrideDepot.com says "What better way to send a message to gays and people of color than to ignite a "burning cross" with the simple flick of a switch." And John Cole of Balloon Juice had this to say on his blog, "Yes, thanks to the AFA, Christians everywhere can have their very own burning cross in their front yard for a mere $81.85, plus shipping and handling. Oddly enough, this does not seem to be a big seller in African American communities."