Christmas Trees Removed From Sea-Tac Airport: Thank God!
An international airport is a crossroads of humanity; you see folks from every corner of the globe. It’s imperative that American international airports don’t contain any jingoistic billboards or anything that may offend someone from another culture.
We should seek to welcome foreign visitors — not assault them with religious displays they may find offensive.
Christmas is all about shopping anyway, and most international airports have retail outlets. Stores and shopping centers are the very essence of the Christmas season. For the holiday season airports should decorate their stores with ribbons and leave it at that.
Kudos to the Port of Seattle for removing all of the Christmas trees from the Sea-Tac Airport, after receiving a complaint from a rabbi.
From komotv.com
“The Port of Seattle says it had little choice. It says a Seattle rabbi with the Central Organization for Jewish Learning hired an attorney and threatened to sue if the airport did not erect an eight-foot menorah to balance the message of the Christmas trees.
According to airport spokeswoman the two sides could not reach an agreement before the lawsuit was to be filed, so the trees were removed instead.”
This rabbi didn’t just shake his head at the ostentatious display of the Christmas trees, he threatened to sue. It wasn’t just one Christmas tree, mind you, it was a whole bleepin’ forest of them. Jehovah bless him for being a man of faith and action.
This rabbi is an inspiration to all those who cherish the concept of inclusiveness. The rabbi threatens to sue to get his point across, and this humble columnist writes an essay to express his view.
I write a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Virginia, and I also write for several Web sites. Please leave a comment or send me an email at: rreyes4966@aol.com | More from Robert Paul Reyes
Stumble It!
December 10th, 2006 at 10:46 am
you wrote: “This rabbi is an inspiration to all those who cherish the concept of inclusiveness. The rabbi threatens to sue to get his point across, and this humble columnist writes an essay to express his view.”
Dear Mr. Multicultural Moron,
Get a clue! Haven’t you realized yet that the secular populace in this country HATE the visual representation of Christianity. It’s comments like this that inspired people to excuse that psychopath Hitler. How? Gee, golly, he sure knows how to build a great Autobahn; as if building roads was relevant to capturing an entire continent.
There are forces at play in America that don’t want anyone to get their little feelings hurt.
It seems to me that if your so emphatic that everyone live together in harmony then perhaps you should endeavor to travel to Israel and pressure them to allow Christianity to flourish. After that go to Greece and Turkey and make the same presentation. Every country on this earth presents their own culture, and in most instances are proud of it. However, such is not the case her in America. Here we have people who are always apologizing for being what we are.
Yeah, that Rabbi is an inspiration. To bad someone wasn’t there to go and tell him to be inspired elsewhere. Instead, the ‘Frisco of the North’ decided to role over and spread her legs. What do you think will happen first, the people in Seattle will learn to speak Spanish or Arabic first? But, you don’t really care do you, since you’ll be living in your gated community…till they come for you!
And in closing: “….humble journalist…”? You aren’t referring to yourself are you? If so, then you should know that the mere stating of such virtue (with self application) is a self-negating statement. I would rather apply the concepts of arrogance and self-righteousness to your attitude, leading to self-deception. Get a clue. Get a grip.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
I have to say, I’m a little torn on this subject. On one hand, it is nice not to offend people from other countries at an international airport, but on the other hand our country is what it is. Christmas trees are such an important part of the holidays in America, and I don’t think that they should be banned because someone is offended. I would not go to another country and expect them not to have any religious symbols at their airport. I respect every culture, and don’t get offended just because they believe differently than I do. I would think, in that case it would have been fine to have only one tree, rather than an entire forest. Sometimes a compromise is better than anything else.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Liberals like RPR just love straw-man arguments. Christmas trees have been displayed in all P’sOE for decades, didn’t seem to cause any problems as to the volume of visitors from foreign cultures.
This push for the disenfranchisement of Christmas and Christian worship is the product of the Marxist movement in America. Socialist and Communists alike know that in order to institute their preferred system (enslavement of the people) they must first destroy those icons which hold the society together. They therefore seek to foment “diversity” and discontent among those who prior to the late 60’s felt no discomfort in seeing Christmas icons displayed prominently and publicly.
Unlike some, I don’t respect every culture. Some cultures are not worthy of respect. Those who would indulge in human sacrifice, ritual beheading, cannibalism, and terrorism are primative, barbaric and in need of elimination.
As far as I am concerned, Ann Coulter got it right in her discussion of the Islamic world. Until they openly and forcefully repudiate the hatred being taught in their Madrassas, condemn all acts of terror, and begin to behave as though the deserve respect, they will remain a little people; brutal and barbaric, in need of civilizing, at the point of a nuke if needs be.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Well Robert- You claim you want ‘multi-culteralism, yet deny the Christians their rights to express their faith in public? Yuo claim you don’t want people ‘offended’ and ‘assaulted’ when they come off the plane to OUR country? Gosh- what a travesty to ‘offend’ anyone by showing our culteral herritage. After all- people travelling to other nations are ‘offended’ when they step off planes and see their governments sponsered religions- so offended in fact that they drop to the floors- rendered imobile- unable to carry on in life-
Yup- folks- we’re almost at the point of total sissification in this world- We’re so politically correct that we can’t show our national herritage for fear of ‘offending’ people- peopel travelling here to our country, stepping off the planes and seeing that we celebrate Christmas and Christ is such a shock to their systems that they’ll never be able to function ever again!
Where’d I set that tiny violin? Let’s give the sissified whining about ‘offenses’ a rest, eh?http://sacredscoop.com
December 10th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
RPR,
You remind me of why their is “Christ” in Christmas! People who have no moral grounding in right and wrong, but think they do, are usually the first to run to anothers fight as they are to cowardly to fight on their own. This rabbi, as are many in this world, without knowledge of the one true G-D. His displeasure is the same expressed by the Pharisee’s in the time of Jesus…they knew the message was simple and a threat to their way of life! G-D Himself said it was His Word that offends and divides. While the tree has no real meaning, it is the meaning attached to the name given to it that causes this offense…you and those like you will NEVER bring about an end to the name Of Jesus Christ!
What I see with this rabbi and with you, are people who want the world to continue in a hapless and hopeless way. This furthers your views about the need for “rules and laws” to guide the actions of men…how pitiful a person you become by limiting the outward expression of a holiday with an inatimate object such as a simple tree!
I hope that G-D will allow you to see clearly why Jesus Christ came into the world and also reveal to you who Jesus truely is. Please do not point out poor examples of christians as your reason for feeling this way about the public display of Christmas trees. Why? There are many people with no “belief system”(isn’t that a belief system itself?) that are week, wretched, committing adultry, lifeless, hopeless, hollow and in some cases just boring people, just like the christians they seek to displace from outward displays of their faith in G_D. People…and people who believe in Jesus Christ are mere men, subject to passions and moral failings..
I thought and still believe that belief in G_D was something to be proud of! Yet there are those of you that do not understand, or are uncomfortable with MY comfort in that relationship, and as a result, seek to annul my right to this outward expression! We are not talking about threats to blow up you or those like you, as other “belief systems” seek to do. Simply, a display of a symbol! Interestingly to me, the rabbi displays his mennorah during the festival of lights, and no one seeks to have this SYMBOL removed from public view and it is everywhere for the public to see!
December 10th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Will Malvin said: “Unlike some, I don’t respect every culture. Some cultures are not worthy of respect. Those who would indulge in human sacrifice, ritual beheading, cannibalism, and terrorism are primative, barbaric and in need of elimination”…
I agree with you there. Destructive cultures like that are not respectable.
December 10th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
This whole business of ‘offense’ is offensive. People take offense where none is intended. Then they hold others to ransom with threats. What is the difference between this Rabbi and a thug on the street who shouts in your face ‘What are you looking at?’. He is picking a fight and the best response is a knee in the balls and a punch to the ear. That’s what he should have got from the airport managers.
RPR, you need one too. ‘Inclusivity’ indeed! Fatuous nonsense.
December 10th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
Your funny, Robert!
Robert, here’s a challenge. Specify once and for all the absolutely universal, unequivocally equal, nondiscriminatory, mindlessly-tolerant and accomodating, Godless, colorless, bone-dry world in which you and the brotherhood of self-deprecation envision as our nirvana.
This universal constitution cannot be simply a description. It must be an axiomatically complete system, a la set theory, and an attempt of the kind Russell and Whitehead put before themselves in crafting the Principia. You must first define a perfect language (ensuring, of course that consonants are not more numerous than vowels), and then prove that the language is logically consistent and complete. Then you must embark on a similar programme for the theory written in that language. Absolutely everything must be specified, fixed, and changeless. Your theory must include everything, from humans to minerals to atoms and quarks–and Christmas trees!–and must be valid at all scales. Absolutely everything must be equal, with no logical room for any belief, as that might allow people to wonder about God, which your theory, of course, will prove not to exist. There must be absolutely no paradoxes in your theory, and you must prove that there can be no paradoxes.
Christmas trees instead of shrunken skulls!! The horror. The horror.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:21 am
Will Malven wrote:
“Unlike some, I don’t respect every culture. Some cultures are not worthy of respect.”
I couldn’t agree more, I despise Islamic culture. I despise theocracies.
My hope is not that the Seattle airport will be coerced into displaying religious displays from all over the world. My hope is that there will be ZERO religious displays.
I’m glad the rabbi sued. Next year there may be a menorah in the Seattle airport. But if pagans sue for a grove to be included, eventually the Seattle airport will be forced to do away with all religious displays. That’s exactly what I want.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:23 am
Furball, you are an articulate writer, but your personal attacks diminish your argument.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:27 am
I would like to welcome KVolz to this forum, she makes some insightful comments.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:28 am
Does anyone find it ironic that Christians are fighting for the right to display trees: An ancient pagan phallic symbol?
December 11th, 2006 at 12:33 am
jjtaup said,
“Robert… Specify once and for all the absolutely universal, unequivocally equal, nondiscriminatory, mindlessly-tolerant and accomodating, Godless, colorless, bone-dry world in which you and the brotherhood of self-deprecation envision as our nirvana.”
America has the potential to become that nirvana, if it follows the Constitution(including the important doctrine of separation of church and state.)
December 11th, 2006 at 1:15 am
RPR asks: “Does anyone find it ironic that Christians are fighting for the right to display trees: An ancient pagan phallic symbol? ”
Americans are notorious for not quite getting a handle on irony. There is nothing ironic about it Robert. It is honouring the past and integrating traditions. It is turning something of ancient and originating worth into something of trancendant worth. I suppose you will have a go at pig-iron next just because we use it to make steel. But maybe you see tall buildings as phallic symbols too. You have a strange perspective, Sir.
December 11th, 2006 at 2:09 am
I’m wondering: do Americans get to be offended by people coming to their country then taking offense at American culture?
Just a thought.
December 11th, 2006 at 2:12 am
From: LINK
Jeremiah is really talking about pagan “tree worship” that the Israelites of his time had taken up. The palm tree (which is an evergreen like most Christmas trees today) was being decorated with gold and silver spiral ribbons like those that come forth from the working of a lathe and also with blue and purple cloth ribbons. Such trees were known as asherahs. They are mentioned several times in the Old Testament and often are translated by the English word “grove.” But the word asherah has been shown to refer to a single tree that can be living, cut out of the forest, or depicted in various abstract forms. Indeed, the most ancient form of all pagan religion is simple “tree worship.” Long before most nations of the world took up depicting their gods and goddesses in human or animal form, it is known that well-nigh the whole of the world’s population (civilized or savage) were thoroughly engrossed in various forms of “tree worship.” The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics has a large article that shows the universal proclivity of all ancient peoples (including the Hebrews) to indulge in the worship of living trees and those they had cut out of the forest for religious reasons (vol.12, pp.448-457).
Amfortas, my perspective is not strange or unusual. If you Google “Phallic+ christmas+tree” you will get tons of hits.
The misuse of the word “irony” to mean coincidental is one of my pet peeves. I beg your pardon, but I used the word “irony” correctly.
December 11th, 2006 at 8:13 am
What’s interesting to me about RPR’s comments is that, like most things emanating from the left, it is one-sided. And in this case, it is not merely one-sided, but unconstitutional as well.
While attempting to eradicate religious displays under the mantra of “the non-establishment” clause, liberals like RPR blatantly ignore the “free-exercise” clause which immediately follows. This is classic liberalism — picking and choosing the legal principles which fit their socialist / humanist / Marxist religious beliefs, and ignoring the legal principles which don’t. And in the meantime, they hope the rest of us don’t catch the legal sleight of hand used to reach their conclusions.
The proper response to a public Christmas tree display is not to remove it, but rather to allow religious displays from other religious groups as well. THIS is what the Constitution meant when it said the government should not establish or favor any particular religion over another, while at the same time not preventing the free exercise thereof.
December 11th, 2006 at 8:49 am
“America has the potential to become that nirvana, if it follows the Constitution(including the important doctrine of separation of church and state.) ”
Be careful what you wish for. What the big “G” gives no man can take, what government gives can be taken, when you fall out of favor.
The ‘Nirvana’ of America is that we have ‘Freedom OF Religion’, not ‘Freedon FROM Religion’.
December 11th, 2006 at 9:02 am
Robert asked in #12, “Does anyone find it ironic that Christians are fighting for the right to display trees: An ancient pagan phallic symbol?”
to which amfortas gave a sensible reply in #14,
and to which Robert added an insightful link in #16, and now to which I further add…
It’s beyond me how exclusively, rigidly, syntactically, and with such tunnel-visioned zeal for mutual exclusion people can define the acts, festivities, words, and bodies of faith whose ultimate goal is to elevate man to divinity and in communion with God. Nothing’s new under the sun. Christians didn’t invent the Christmas tree, nor did God command them to decorate one during the winter solstace. Likewise, Muhammed didn’t invent Islam. He was inspired to much of it by Christianity. Likewise, Hindus did not invent the notion that nature harbours the soul of God, leading to their veneration of the cow. And Buddhists were not the first to recognize the limitations of logic and to pursue non-attachment. I’m fairly certain that even the animals have some fleeting sense that there is wonder in the universe beyond that which they can grasp.
Why then should I feel guilt at bowing like a pagan before a symbol of God? I am a human with five senses which I’m fairly certain God has given me through which to reach Him. If incense, altars, and Christmas trees allow me to focus my consciousness on that which they represent, then I believe God is quite satisfied with this. I have no regrets for having to beg, borrow, and plunder the pantheon of those who have come before. Why should Christians shrink from using a pagan phallic symbol to represent the rebirth and renewal of the world that is most poignantly revealed through the birth of a child?
Idolotry can take as its object much more than entities embedded in space-time. Sexual excess, love of money, love of intoxication, love of “success.” But it is easiest for most minds to grasp to speak in terms of objects, like golden calfs. God warns us not to mistake the map for the territory. The objects, like Christmas trees, which remind us of what lies beyond the physical plane, are very necessary to this end.
Robert, regarding your response in #13, there is no universal land or notion as described, nor will ever be. The clay and iron of our world are just symbols, as are the words with which we describe the perfections to which we aspire. If Buddhists must hide their temples, Hindus, their pantheon, and Christians (the target de jour), their trees, then the messiahs of religion-hate must also yield their notion of a magical fabric void of any scent or color of God, mythos, and meaning, of which reality and, specifically, our world is fashioned.
In this case, the two really are mutually exclusive. There is no compromise.
December 11th, 2006 at 9:06 am
RPR,
GOOGLING does not necessarily get you a thorough history or balanced presentation of the aforementioned tree argument. History is full,…very VERY full, of recast and reused traditions and symbols. Take any culture you wish and within it you will find this to be true. Is the reason for Christmas the tree or the giving of gifts(non-indulgent) or Jesus?
The answer you wrote is “it’s all about shopping”. That’s an interesting answer from a guy who most likely enjoys giving “gifts” and perhaps even “receiving” them also. You present some arguments built with logic, yet you fail to account for the spirit of man. In that we are made by the Creator in His likeness, the giving of GIFTS is a way of going beyond ourselves and recognizing the NEED of others. The account you present reflects many in a culture that lives mindlessly day to day without any thought or acknowledgment to a Creator greater than themselves. And, this is unfortunate. Shopping is not the reason, nor is the excessive giving of gift.
Love is the foremost reason we celebrate the season! G-D’s love to mankind and the acknowledgment that law alone was not enough to provide guidance to a broken soul in the form of a redeemer for that broken soul. We have souls broken from the presence of G-D and you wonder why there are so many issues wrongly addressed in our world? Why do I elaborate? You clearly want a world without expression,…but you do,…so long as it is yours! Thanks, but no thanks…that’s akin to a world full of muslims who deny that their holy book does not promote THROUGHOUT it’s pages death to those who do not agree thoroughly with it’s tenants!
December 11th, 2006 at 10:00 am
KRS (#17): Would that only people were as broadminded as the likes of you and our founders. They thoroughly intended for relgious expression and discussion in the public square.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
America is worried about insulting foreigners arriving in OUR country?? Next to the CHRISTMAS tree that should be displayed at every point of entry should be a sign (in 250 different languages of course so as to not insult anybody) that reads,†If YOU are insulted by OUR country, F@#k OFF and follow the signs to the DEPARTURE gates. Have a nice Dayâ€.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
In Reply to commment 22: Let’s hope that wheresmy40 (ounce?) comes nowhere near the Statue of Liberty
December 11th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Hey, makes me want to decorate myself as a big Christmas tree, with electric lights flashing, and hang some angels on myself, along with a small speaker system attached—which would play Christmas Carols, and go walking around the Sea-Tac Airport.
Would I be arrested? Could I be sued?
Would I make the five o’clock at CNN?
Could I say I thought it was Holloween?
Do I have the money for this act? No…but it sure would be fun.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Its just a tree.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
In Reply to comment 24: Joyanna, I’ve seen your nice photo. You are welcome to station yourself in my living room as my Christmas (Holiday) Tree.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
In reply to comment 25: A cigar is sometimes more than a cigar and a tree is sometimes more than a tree. symbols are important.
December 11th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
If it was hemp all you hippies like RPR would be defending the airports right to keep the display.
December 11th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
In response to RPR #23: Hey Numbnutz, did YOU ever defend this country or do you only reap the benefits of other’s actions? You wrote your opinion, I wrote mine. I paid to write mine. And you?
December 11th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
As others point out, the concern about “offending” or even “assaulting” people due to Christmas trees comes across as emotional hyperbole. The same people who might be offended usually come from cultures that have no problems with asymetrical displays that exclude minority faiths. (If anything, their cultures probably openly assault minority faiths with more than just displays of Christmas trees.)
(This ties in nicely with people who enter the U.S. often illegally and then demand special racial privileges to make up for “racism” even as the cultures they left have no problems with engaging in open police corruption and racial discrimination against foreigners.)
In other words: Hypocrisy.
Look at this Rabbi: He says he wanted the menorah up to “balance” out the display. But this assumes that only Christianity and Judaism are faiths that celebrate during the winter holiday. His demand was only 1/2 as closed minded as the original Christmas trees being put up.
Later, he blamed the airport for doing precisely what he threatened: take down the tree. Gosh, isn’t it awful when people call one’s bluff? He could have, well, just _asked_ nicely or even donated a menorah. Naw.
December 11th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
This is a Christian Country Founded on Christian principals – the constitutions requires that you not be forced to accept a government sponsored religion. – not that you like the dominate religion of this country. If you don’t like the dominate religion to bad. I for one and many am tired of whiny bitchy divisive multi – culture aholes who think that the predominate Christian Americans should change our culture to suit anyone. Where is the ACLU when you need them.
December 11th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
RJR,
If symbols are as important, as you have taken great effort to point out, then to what symbol would you atribute your point of view? The great depths of the oceans or the absolute vacuum of space or perhaps the endlessness of time? Better yet, symbols were used in the both the Old Testament by the Hebrews and the nations they fought against who worshiped many other diety’s, as well as the New Testament references to the new converts to Christianity brining with them pagan symbols attempting to integrate that degenerate form of worship into worship of the one true G_D.
So, you are right about symbolism but your agruement reeks of taht of a petulant child! Symbols are evrywhere…the GOLDEN ARCHES, JACK IN THE BOX and the ever present TB(run for the border)for the fast food industry, GOLD and PLATINUM ALBUMS depicting sales achievements in the music biz, Barbie and GI Joe, the list being endless. The Advertising and Marketing biz realised this after WWII, not because of what they saw as a class of spenders in the vets after the war, but what had been gleaned from the boxes upon boxes of seized documents from Hitlers endless research about sociology and psychology. The same crap the US govt has been using since that time on and against the citizens of this country. Why then do you not raze about the image of Santa, the Easter bunny, Uncle Sam at the 4th of July celebrations, the elephant and ASS of the political parties….
December 11th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
Threats of lawsuits are hardly the way to “bring light” or promote inclussion and goodwill among all cultures. If I want my culture to be considered, appreciated and respected then the last thing I would do is to force it upon others by legal means.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
us1rick said,
“Threats of lawsuits are hardly the way to “bring light†or promote inclussion and goodwill among all cultures. If I want my culture to be considered, appreciated and respected then the last thing I would do is to force it upon others by legal means.”
I am glad we settle our disputes through legal means, unlike other countries where conflicts are decided by violence.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:41 pm
jaustin9698 said,
“This is a Christian Country Founded on Christian principals.”
America is a democracy founded on the Constitution — which by the way doesn’t mention God or any specific religion.
December 12th, 2006 at 12:10 am
Robert Paul Reyes said:
“I am glad we settle our disputes through legal means, unlike other countries where conflicts are decided by violence”
If you want to compare our country to the most uncivilized cultures. You’re right. But why not compare ours to other countries where people celebrate the Holidays without getting the lawyers involved. Travel a little and you’ll see what I mean.
December 12th, 2006 at 1:06 am
BAD NEWS: The Christmas Trees Are Going Back Up
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/295567_trees11ww.html
“Christmas is coming twice this year to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
After days of controversy — and national media attention — surrounding the Port of Seattle’s decision to take the decorative holiday trees down, port staff will be working Monday night to reinstall them throughout the airport.
It will no longer be “Treeless in Seattle,” as CNN reported round the clock.
The initial decision to remove the trees came the day after Port commissioners were informed that a local rabbi intended to file a lawsuit if an eight-foot menorah was not constructed beside the largest of the trees. But Port officials Monday night were assured the rabbi would not file a lawsuit and the Port then decided to put the trees back up”
December 12th, 2006 at 2:20 am
From RJR,
“America is a democracy founded on the Constitution — which by the way doesn’t mention God or any specific religion.”
FYI –
First, America is a Representative Republic not a Democracy.
Second, We were founded as a christian nation to argue otherwise is just not sane, please see below for just a small sample, oh and if our rights are not founded on Natures God as the founding fathers put it, who do we get are rights from? Government, that’s right and its a hellish place to get rights from!
Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.
It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation. Doesn’t sound like an act of a bunch of athiests to me!
How about our first Supreme Court Justice John Jay,
He stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians. “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
Notice those little words “Christian Nation”.
On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”
In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: “The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.”
I saved my favorate for last!!!!
My fav since I am a decendant of his, Patrick Henry…
“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.”
December 12th, 2006 at 2:26 am
lumaj and jaustin9698 I refer you to my 2/17/2005 MND essay entitled “America Is Not A Christian Nation”
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/r/r-misc/reyes021705.htm
December 12th, 2006 at 3:14 am
oneShef said,
“RJR,
If symbols are as important, as you have taken great effort to point out, then to what symbol would you atribute your point of view?”
Rodan’s “The Thinker”
December 12th, 2006 at 6:10 am
I refer you to my 2/17/2005 MND essay entitled “America Is Not A Christian Nationâ€
It was wrong in 2005. Why would that change now?
December 12th, 2006 at 9:34 am
It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a christian nation or not. They celebrate christmas and have christmas tree in most place in the world, including Japan, Thailand, and many places which are not christian by any definition. I doubt that a christmas tree can really be considered a christian symbol.
Still, I would consider that since most people in US are christian, it’s perfectly normal to have a christian symbol there. When you invite people to your home, do you remove the wallpaper because they don’t like the color? The only thing I’m intolerant about is the intolerance of others.
Just to say, the removal was in the newspaper, here in Switzerland, with the subtitle: “you have to read it to believe it”…
December 12th, 2006 at 11:02 am
It should be kept in mind that many Christmas trees have Christian religious ornaments. I would be curious to know what type of ornaments the trees at Sea-Tac have.
December 12th, 2006 at 11:14 am
I cannot count the foreign cultures, religions and their customs that I have encountered while traveling, but I have yet to be “offended” by any of them.
“The rabbi threatens to sue to get his point across, and this humble columnist writes an essay to express his view.”
Actually, the rabbi was threatening to sue to get a Jewish symbol erected instead, and he has maintained that it was never his “point” to get the arguably Christian symbols removed.
I might also point out that airport employees have since raise the private funds to replace some of the trees. I wonder if the rabbi considered that approach before retaining counsel…
December 12th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
It would appear that the Christmas trees going back up is not bad news if the Rabbi himself said it was ok.
About The Thinker: Check out wikipedia. It is a symbol of Dante in the front of the gates of hell. (Quite an irony there, don’t you think?)
December 14th, 2006 at 7:34 am
I just LOVE #22. Fabulous! Have a nice day. Hahahahahaha.
December 14th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
Everyone approached this in the wrong way. Seeing that the “official” policy of the airport was to decorate for Xmas, the rabbi should have offered to PROVIDE, not DEMAND, a Menorah, even if he had to go out and raise funds for it. Only if that had been refused should he have started making noises about suing.
The airport officials overreacted by taking down all the trees without negotiating. Instead of asking the rabbi to provide appropriate displays, they created a situation where they could point their fingers at him and say “Nyah, nyah, it’s all HIS fault.
This time of year gives a lot of people plenty of opportunities to reveal what blithering asses they really are. In my opinion, Christians should be just as offended by the commercialism of the season as by the use of secular greetings and decorations. The ppeople making the loudest noises are people who wear their faith on their sleeves, not in their hearts.
P.S. Before anyone decides to jump on my for my use of “Xmas”, review the history of early Xtianity, especially in ancient Greece.
December 15th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
America is a democracy founded on the Constitution — which by the way doesn’t mention God or any specific religion.
The preamble is part of the constitution, and it most definitely speaks of “our creator”. That isn’t religion at all, just an acknowledgment that all rights flow from a higher being. Rights “given” by men can be taken away. Even “smarter-than-average” liberals (like you) should be able to understand what that means.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Yeah, in the name of “tolerance” lets be intolerant. Why would a Christmas tree “offend” someone? Isn’t it funny, that if I complained about a Jewish symbol or Islamic symbol I would immediately be branded “anti-Semitic” or accused of “Islamophobia”. But, doing away with any symbols of Christianity is completely acceptable by the very same who are constanstly harping about “diversity”.