Prometheus 6

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Assn., said he was delighted with the revenue from "War on Christmas" merchandise, which supplemented the ministry's $13-million annual budget. All 500,000 buttons and 125,000 magnets were sold out by early December. "It was very successful for us," Wildmon said.

'War on Christmas' has a new jingle: money
Christian groups raise funds as they sell items to counter a perceived assault on the holiday. By Stephanie Simon
Times Staff Writer
4:16 AM PST, December 23, 2006

The "War on Christmas" has never been so profitable.

For the fourth year running, conservative Christian groups have spent much of December mobilizing against what they see as a liberal plot to censor Christmas.

But this year, it's more than a cause. It's a heck of a fundraiser.

The American Family Assn., a conservative activist group, has rung up more than $550,000 in sales of buttons and magnets stamped with the slogan "Merry Christmas: It's Worth Saying."

Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit law firm affiliated with the religious right, has taken in more than $300,000 with its Help Save Christmas Action Packs. The kits include two buttons, two bumper stickers and "The Memo that Saved Christmas," a guide to defending overt religious expression, such as a Nativity scene in a public school classroom.

Also for sale through conservative websites: Christmas bracelets, tree ornaments and lapel pins intended to send a defiant message to those who would turn December into a multicultural mush of "winter parties," "seasonal sales" and "Happy Holidays" greetings.

Christmas warriors can also download — for free — lists that rank retailers as either "naughty" or "nice," depending on how often their ads refer to Christmas rather than a generic holiday.