Last year it “took on a life of its own,” Robert Jeffress told me recently. The church was trying to find a “fun way to make a serious point that Christmas is unique.” But a lot of people — many local Evangelicals included — didn’t think it was so fun. When Jeffress started the site GrinchAlert.com, it made national headlines and, as Jeffress put it, “caused more of a controversy than the Muslims or the homosexuals or anything else that I have talked about in the last few years.” He said he was genuinely surprised by the strong reactions, especially from Christians. This is what Jeffress told his congregation about it at the time. This is what he told CNN. The “Naughty List” was never supposed to be about boycotting. He still takes his family to Mi Cocina, even though the local chain appeared early on the list, Jeffress explained. “I just check my enchiladas twice.”
Either way, this year: no list. The site, as you can see, is down. It would appear that, for at least a few people, Christmas has come early this year.
