Posted on 12/11/2006 10:13:29 PM PST by TheBigB
SEATAC, Wash. — The Christmas trees are going back up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Port of Seattle officials had ordered the trees taken down over the weekend after a local rabbi threatened a lawsuit if a menorah wasn't also displayed at the airport.
Airport officials say they took that action out of concern that if they allowed the addition of a menorah, they would also have to display symbols of other religions and cultures, which was not something airport workers had time for during the busiest travel season of the year.
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky says he never asked that the trees be taken down, and the threat of a lawsuit was withdrawn.
With the threat of the lawsuit gone, airport spokesman Bob Parker says all 14 trees will go back up -- hopefully by tomorrow morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
oh, the blessings of multiculturalism and being PC.
Making a list, checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Sorry, Rabbi, but the Menorah, like the Cross or a Nativity Scene, is an overtly religious symbol and Christmas tress are not.
If you want the Jewish equivalent of Christmas trees put up at the airport, you are going to have to settle for giant dreidels.
Have Chabads efforts inspired community activism, you bet. Here's an FR thread without the thousand plus posts the Holiday Trees generate, in fact other than mine you can count them on their fingers. And yes, this is what the Sea-Tac Holiday Trees and the banning of the Menorah are about.
Hanukkah Menorahs Light Path for Nativity Displays-Christian Activists Cite Campaign as Precedent
If it's truely a Holiday Season, a secular event, then Sea-Tac should have a Menorah, and a Creche, and if they want it court decisions say the Muslims get a crescent. In addition to the Holiday Tree for the local pagans.
Hmmm, I wonder what Holiday their referring to?
As I posted yesterday I think she just wanted a reason to take the trees down.
"yet another attack against christianity. Time to start keeping a scorecard, and watching more closely."
TaraP says they're "Holiday Trees" as do many other Christian freepers.
How is an attack against a "Holiday Tree," claimed by most posters to be a "secular symbol," an attack on Christmas?
It can't be both ways. You Christians need to sort this one out.
I would agree, but the courts have consistantly disagreed with that position for decades. Both have religious and secular characteristics, I admit the secular for the Menorah (and Creche) is beyond me.
The dreidel is sometimes suggested. Personally I think it would be a poor choice, given it's origin in religious persecution. In at least one case, Allegheny I believe, the court rejected it because a large dreidel would look "silly". Go figure.
I disagree with you - again. I see the United States as a Christian nation. Why do you not see it as such? I am not trying to impose anything on you - and people like you. Whatever religion you are, go celebrate it and be happy. However, Christmas is the National Holiday - as signed by President Grant in 1870. Not Hannakuh. As I said, regardless you call them Christmas or Holiday trees, the main point is the decorated tree is a symbol of Christmas - not the menorah. Have a Jewish special day signed into law and you can put up the menorah and all other Jewish symbols. And so can the airports and whoever wants to do so. But do not impose your symbols on Christmas. You do not seem to understand that. And with that, I bid you farewell and Merry Christmas.
Good.
This "season" is not set aside at all. Every religion has religious days they have assigned, and there are several religious days in december.
I still don't see a logical explanation of how seeing a menorah ruins your Christmas. In fact, that seems especially so given that the menorah is a symbol of a religion that is the precursor to the religion of Christmas, and the celebration of the Menorah is one of the devine intervention of the same God who sent his son to earth and for which we celebrate Christmas.
Threatening a lawsuit was wrong, and the Rabbi apologized for that. I'm opposed to using lawsuits as a substitute for cogent arguments and the swaying of public opinion. For that indiscretion, he has been punished, and there will be no talk of a Menorah this year.
But that is a separate issue from whether Christians should oppose the placement of a Menorah in a public place as a celebration of the heritage shared by a small but significant minority, a minority that for the most part has NOT in any way opposed the celebration the majority of us publicly hold each year for OUR religion.
My opinion? We need MORE open use of public spaces for positive potrayals of the heritage of our citizens, not less. We need government opening up, not picking and choosing based on majorities or sensibilities or threats of lawsuits.
Did you forget the sarcasm tag?
Excellent. PRetty much sums up exactly what happened here, in a way that might open the eyes of some people.
It wasn't sarcasm. That's what actually happened, with all the bull left out.
I say this as an Evangelical Christian.....
Other than on the basics, when have you known Christians to agree on anything?
Churches have split over the color of hymnals!
If the airport had a nativity display, I could understand the rabbis point.
Govt. is the Problem .... signed on Dec.5, 2006
You may agree with it, but to say it is what 'actually happened' is inaccurate.
Some christian was complaining when a shopowner in a small town bought "holiday" flags for the citiy to put up on the light poles. The complaint was that the flags were tapered, so they looked like Draedals, the flags were blue with white snowflakes that looked like a jewish flag, and a couple of the snowflakes were shaped like the Star of David.
We need to celebrate, and allow the celebration, of positive things, not be at each other's throats. MORE speech, not less.
How long before someone else threatens to sue..
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