Christmas Trees Pulled From Washington's Sea-Tac Airport Following Complaint

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As I recall, one of the reasons the pilgrims came was to establish freedom of religion. (Have the history books been re-written?) They did succeed. Now there are those who want to totally eradicate all religion or push their religion onto everyone else. Why do we have so many who want to change our belief systems, take away our rights? Those who don’t want Christ in Christmas talk about 'freedom". We are supposed to give up our beliefs and traditions to accomodate theirs? There is enough room for all to practice religious faith of our choice, or none at all if that is our belief, without stepping on anyones toes. 'Tis the season when we should be merry and not spending our days defending the reasons we worship as christians.

Love and peace,
Mom of 5
 
Dee_Dee_King said:
why do jews complain about christmas?? more disturbing is why we listen to these complainers. most americans are christian and most celebrate christmas and not chanukah. why would they expect us to catter to them when jews are only 2% of the population.

this is equivelent to catholics complaining in isreal about some jewish holiday display, or in mecca about some islamic holy day. why are we americans so stupid.
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% of people is irrelevant to our system of jurisprudence. If one person has their rights infringed, that is enough cause to overturn a law even if that law works for the other 300 mil Americans.

As for religious rights in Israel and Saudi Arabia, they are not subject to our 1rst Amendment so they are irrelevant to the States.

In Chicago, there is a manger in Daley Plaza. There is also a menorah and a star and crescent. I’m sure if other religions wanted their items in, they could press a claim. In fact my pagan friends say their symbol is there, it’s the Christmas tree. I think the rabbi is right. Add a menorah. It sounds like that will be there for 2007. Perhaps the Seattle authorities can ask people to submit requests (and funding) to add whatever elements they want. Seattle is one of the less religious cities I’ve been in. The Catholic missionaries never got that far north and the prairie mission riders never got that far west.
 
Tom317 said:
Christianity was the force behind forming Europe, Europeans formed the United States…that is the simple answer. Take away Christ, you take away Europe as we know it and you take away the United States.
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Might as well say if it wasn’t for Judaism… or if it wasn’t for Adam and Eve…
 
Regarding the Pilgrims, they were Puritans and not exactly a tolerant group. They were basically fanatics who were being persecuted at that point in history by the Church of England. Oliver Cromwell was Puritan and was famous for his persecution of Irish Catholics. The Puritans did not come to our shores to establish religious freedom for anyone but themselves.
 
a_cermak said:
The Catholic missionaries **never **got that far north and the prairie mission riders never got that far west.
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Not to jump OT, but this is not an accurate statement.
A quick online search will show both Catholic & Protestant missionaires converting souls in the PNW.
 
Valke2 said:
Might as well say if it wasn’t for Judaism… or if it wasn’t for Adam and Eve…
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In a way you are correct. If it were not for Adam and Eve’s fall, God would not have a need for a chosen people, and if the Jews were not chosen, then Jesus would not have arrived and Christianity would never have happened…yet of course if Adam and Eve had not fallen, then the path of salvation would not be needed.

It was the Christians who created Europe and it was European Christians who created the United States. Take away Christianity and the world would likely be pagan or Islamic, but the world as we have known would not have existed.
 
Maria3m said:
Not to jump OT, but this is not an accurate statement.
A quick online search will show both Catholic & Protestant missionaires converting souls in the PNW.
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So what happened? Sea-Tac is easily the most secular community I’ve ever been in.
 
I don’t think the rabbi did anything wrong. He was just trying to get equal time. He may have mentioned a lawsuit to get action but I am sure he never thought they would respond by pulling down the trees. Both the Christmas tree and the menorah have been deemed secular symbols of the season by the Supreme Court.

Chabad places menorahs here in Omaha at the malls and I asked the malls if the Knights of Columbus could place a nativity up and was told , No. They place a Christmas tree, have a place for Sanat and the menorah but as a private company the mall can say no nativity scene. That’s fine but my choice is to eliminate or minimize shopping there. I did not try to or threaten to sue even for effect. The mall was VERY SLOW in responding to me. I had to keep calling and calling to get an answer. I am sure this is what rabbi ran into with the airport.

In closing, Christmas should be allowed in public. Increasingly it is being diminished and it is NOT just a figment of Fox News’ imagination. When CHURCHES and supposed CHRISTIAN charities ask for holiday gifts and print Holiday 2006 Newsletters, it is clear that there is a strong sentiment against offending someone. Christians must use Chrsitmas when they ask me for charity. Non-Christians do not but I will not support a pansy Christian.
 
Essentially the Rabbi played the Grinch, although he pretended shock when others said this. Here’s an idea: let’s tell the fringe groups and village atheists to take a hike, if they don’t like Christmas then they don’t celebrate it in any way, shape, or form. But they have to tolerate us doing it. If that offends them…to bad, they can deal with it. Time for us to simply say “no” to the grinches, whoever they might be. We celebrated Christmas for decades without imposing our religion or creating a theocracy. This whole argument is just plain bogus and a smokescreen for anti-Christian sentiment. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, so let’s practice it.
 
cestusdei said:
Essentially the Rabbi played the Grinch, although he pretended shock when others said this. Here’s an idea: let’s tell the fringe groups and village atheists to take a hike, if they don’t like Christmas then they don’t celebrate it in any way, shape, or form. But they have to tolerate us doing it. If that offends them…to bad, they can deal with it. Time for us to simply say “no” to the grinches, whoever they might be. We celebrated Christmas for decades without imposing our religion or creating a theocracy. This whole argument is just plain bogus and a smokescreen for anti-Christian sentiment. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, so let’s practice it.
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Why do you assume he “pretended shock”? I think it was obvious he was hoping to have a Menorah displayed, not christmas trees removed. I think Christmas is tolerated remarkably well in this country. Do you really feel that you are being denied your right to celebrate?
 
Yes, kids can’t sing carols for the “Winter Holiday”, creche scenes are banished from sight, you can’t say Merry Christmas without someone having a hissy fit…

People need to get over it and practice the tolerance they always moan about. Somehow it always ends up being our holiday that gets shorted or omitted.

I do think he knew what would happen. You send a scare letter and threaten a lawsuit and then act “surprised” at what happens? Please.

I like Jews, but I can do without the annual Christmas war. Jews have nothing to gain by joining the secularists and atheists on this one.
 
genealogist said:
I don’t think the rabbi did anything wrong. He was just trying to get equal time.
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Equal time don’t work on someone someone else’s birthday, lets have a recall ? who’s birthday is it, Oh ! yes it’s the birthday of Jesus, who was a also, Rabbi, a Jew.

What is the reason for the holiday season ?
 
Northern Ireland poster, in the USA we have a sizable Jewish population and Hanukkah has been upgraded because of its proximity to December 25th on the calendar. No one treats it as Jewish Christmas but tolerance allows a symbol commemorating a holiday that is described in Maccabees and John gospel states that Jesus celebrated it. The airport should have allowed both the trees and the menorah but they want to avoid any chance of a lawsuit. Sad.
 
genealogist said:
Northern Ireland poster, in the USA we have a sizable Jewish population and Hanukkah has been upgraded because of its proximity to December 25th on the calendar. No one treats it as Jewish Christmas but tolerance allows a symbol commemorating a holiday that is described in Maccabees and John gospel states that Jesus celebrated it. The airport should have allowed both the trees and the menorah but they want to avoid any chance of a lawsuit. Sad.
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I agree, they should have allowed the Menorah and kept the Christmas trees also. The Rabbi said he had no idea of forcing the Christmas trees down, he only wanted equal recognition of his Jewish holiday. Why not recognize both in a public place that people of all religions are using, and pay taxes to support?
Until I heard his expanation of what happened, I thought some nut case ACLU person had caused the uproar, hearing the story from the Rabbi, made it clear the the nut cases were the Airport authorities who took down the trees rather than recognize Hanukah.
Gpa Don
 
% of people is irrelevant to our system of jurisprudence. If one person has their rights infringed, that is enough cause to overturn a law even if that law works for the other 300 mil Americans.
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i’m not following your logic. we have freedom of religion in this country, freedom of expression. what does the 1st admendment have to do with it?

christmas decorations are more common than chanukah decorations because for one, it’s a more important holiday for christians, and two, the huge majority of americans celebrate christmas and are mostly christian.

what makes sense to me is to tolerate peoples’ faith, especially if it is the dominate one. i didn’t take it personal when i got of from school on roshashana and not on the feast of the immaculate conception. i tolerated it because i lived with a majority of jews. so why does this guy care?

as for the northwest being secular, catholicism makes up the largest christian denomination and overall faith, but heathens out number catholics.

can you believe that 25% of people in washington are on a high way to hell???
 
cestusdei said:
Yes, kids can’t sing carols for the “Winter Holiday”, creche scenes are banished from sight, you can’t say Merry Christmas without someone having a hissy fit…

People need to get over it and practice the tolerance they always moan about. Somehow it always ends up being our holiday that gets shorted or omitted.

I do think he knew what would happen. You send a scare letter and threaten a lawsuit and then act “surprised” at what happens? Please.

I like Jews, but I can do without the annual Christmas war. Jews have nothing to gain by joining the secularists and atheists on this one.
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There is no christmas war. There’s just a media looking for something to do. Last night I saw three commercials where merchants said Merry Chirstmas. There’s a christmas tree half a mile high in Rockefeller Center. Christmas trees are in every town in America, usually displayed in the town square.
Nativity scenes are all over the place. I like christians but I can do without the annual overreaction to the one or two non-news stories that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. Stop the self pity party and enjoy your holiday.
 
The trees are back, seems all the rabbi wanted was to put a menorah up at the airport, which seems perfectly reasonable to me. Airport officials over reacted.
 
Valke2, there is a movement against outwards sign of faith especially with Christmas. True mechants this year are more pro-Christmas but schools have completely rolled over and ther are no Christmas breaks and Easter breaks but seasonal breaks. Yes we aways get the weeks around 12/25 and 1/1 off but why not call it what it is? It is because we have become hypersensitive to minorities.

I would say that minority groups who do not celebrate Christmas should just offer it up and get on with life. I hate the term Happy Holidays at this point. I also hate Holiday sales, Holiday parties and Holiday decorations. They have become a substitute for Christmas sales etc. No Jew buys red and green M & Ms and thinks gee I am so glad they are Holiday and not Christmas! Thank G*d they are are kosher.

Weshould be inclusive when we need to be but the norm is Christmas for the overwhelming number of Americans. Holiday is not a proper substitute.
 
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