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Full-Size Christmas Trees to Return to Seattle Airport [all trees going back up!]
Fox News Online ^ | 12/12/06 | AP

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Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky says he never asked that the trees be taken down, and the threat of a lawsuit was withdrawn.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 ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: airport; antichristian; bahumbug; bigotry; christmas; culturewar; freep; freeping; hannukah; menorah; merrychristmas; onepercent; portofseattle; rabid; scrooge; seatac; seattle; suecrazy; suescenareo; waronchristmas; xmas
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To: TheBigB

What? The "threat" of a lawsuit forced that sissy to remove the Christmas tress in the first place?


221 posted on 12/12/2006 9:15:54 AM PST by Minutemen ("It's a Religion of Peace")
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To: CharlesWayneCT

I don't think the outcry was so much an objection to the menorah as an objection to the removal of the trees, occasioned by a threatened lawsuit. Especially those Christians who read the Bible are very well aware of our Jewish spiritual heritage through our treasured Old Testament, the Jewish Bible.


222 posted on 12/12/2006 9:17:00 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: 7thson

Times change. Not to mention the Bill of Rights does have a say in this. Go back a short time before 1870 and blacks were slaves and women couldn't vote.


223 posted on 12/12/2006 9:17:54 AM PST by TL04
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To: Alouette

I would buy a "Grafted in" necklace in a heartbeat, Alouette. Thanks...!!!


224 posted on 12/12/2006 9:19:34 AM PST by Brad’s Gramma (Get right with God....eternity is a long time.....)
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To: SJackson

Woodwork, rocks, the netherworld...


225 posted on 12/12/2006 9:19:38 AM PST by veronica (http://images20.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/106521/3848737/gladysPSCP-vi.jpg)
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To: E Rocc
Israel's a Jewish state. America is not a Christian nation.

That may be, but it is a largely Christian society, and mathematically, it will remain so for the foreseeable future. If we are to avoid the fate of government intervention into absolutely every moment of our lives, we must fight to maintain a large private sector and uphold the ability of private communities and private organizations to express their views.

There has been a much-needed period of decades where the government forcefully entered the private zone and violated the church-state divide in the church's direction in order to establish both the laudable goals of racial integration and the damnable objectives of socialist secularism.

But now, with a determined enemy pointing at our culture and its roots abroad, it's time to give ever-smaller segmentation a rest and reflect on what we will lose if we continue to tear apart the very meaning of words and the very fabric of culture in a cheap attempt to mollify those of cultures whose objective is to destroy our Constitution and our Judeo-Christian cultural foundation.

Many other groups such as Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist and Shinto persons have blended peacefully into our society without threatening to use the courts to obliterate all that has gone before.

226 posted on 12/12/2006 9:32:08 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: sageb1

See post 111.


227 posted on 12/12/2006 9:33:35 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: GovernmentIsTheProblem
The United States is a "non Christian country." There are many who claim Christian affinity but they sure don't act Christian - CINO, let's call them.

While you may be right about those who are falling short, our government is neutral, which is a different thing than "non," and our society is still traditionally and in many current ways a Christian society. Also a different thing. As for those who do not behave according to the teachings, their presence does not erase the large component of Christian history and practice.

228 posted on 12/12/2006 9:37:41 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: Billthedrill

Merry 'Blessed' Christmas.


229 posted on 12/12/2006 9:41:42 AM PST by Texagirl4W (Jesus came to forgive sin, not to accept sin.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
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 indeed the religion practiced by its founder.

-Eric

230 posted on 12/12/2006 9:48:16 AM PST by E Rocc (Myspace "Freepers" group moderator)
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To: #1CTYankee
...maintenance staff would restore the 14 plastic holiday trees... Hmmm, I wonder what Holiday the[y're] referring to?

Polyeaster.

231 posted on 12/12/2006 9:49:15 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: moondoggie

"The "jerkyness" is from other religions that want "equal time" even though they don't even celebrate Christmas."

That wasn't especially clear.

Why would people of other religions "celebrate Christmas?"

Last time I checked, Christianity wasn't the "official relgion" like we have an official flag, official national anthem, and official critter. (the Bald Eagle)


232 posted on 12/12/2006 9:50:04 AM PST by GovernmentIsTheProblem
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To: CharlesWayneCT
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.

We need LESS government interference in the workings of communities. We need LESS government dictatorship achieved through carpet-bagging ACLU agitators. We need to demand that our Senators and Congressmen pass bills to deny taxpayer funding to the ACLU.

233 posted on 12/12/2006 9:53:01 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: SJackson
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=492&invol=573
ALLEGHENY COUNTY v. GREATER PITTSBURGH ACLU, 492 U.S. 573 (1989)
JUSTICE BLACKMUN delivered the opinion of the Court
...The Christmas tree, unlike the menorah, is not itself a religious symbol. Although Christmas trees once carried religious connotations, today they typify the secular celebration of Christmas... The widely accepted view of the Christmas tree as the preeminent secular symbol of the Christmas holiday season serves to emphasize the secular component of the message communicated by other elements of an accompanying holiday display, including the Chanukah menorah.

"Christmas Trees are associated with Christmas, what's wrong with recognizing that? "
It would have required the court to apply their Lemon Test and strike down every public Christmas Tree in the country.

Seapac could have displayed the menorah with the trees- along with all other symbols if done in a way that the whole display did not endorse a religion- but they were not required to and obviously avoided a lot of problems by not doing so.

234 posted on 12/12/2006 9:53:09 AM PST by mrsmith
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To: CharlesWayneCT
That's what actually happened, with all the bull left out.

Oh, you were there?

235 posted on 12/12/2006 9:54:05 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: TNdandelion
If they were smart, they'd offer up "ad space" for groups to rent and put their displays up. They'd have the ability to weed out any obscene or hateful displays while giving everyone equal opportunity to pay and display.

At last, a useful and practical suggestion in the tradition of Benjamin Franklin! Showcase windows that could be rented by churches, synagogues, etc.

236 posted on 12/12/2006 9:56:27 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: GovernmentIsTheProblem
No....Christianity isn't the "official religion" but Christmas is the "official holiday".

Maybe your argument is with President Grant who made it a national holiday?

237 posted on 12/12/2006 10:00:20 AM PST by moondoggie
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To: musician

Great post. Happy Hanuka over there, musician!


238 posted on 12/12/2006 10:00:23 AM PST by Albion Wilde (...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17)
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To: TheBigB
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky says he never asked that the trees be taken down,***

someone always has to spoil the party.
239 posted on 12/12/2006 10:02:10 AM PST by Cucumber
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To: Albion Wilde

It accurately potrays the events as reported, based on facts, without the speculation and opinion which was injected into most of the earlier reports.


240 posted on 12/12/2006 10:10:58 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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