Posted on 12/10/2005 8:36:10 PM PST by LdSentinal
Supervisor apologizes after outcry over his angry response to prayer that invoked Jesus
MELVILLE, N.Y. — When the Rev. Nick Zientarski uttered the name of Jesus Christ during his traditional blessing of the official Christmas tree lighting in Manhasset last week, he had no idea he had signed on as a soldier in the Christmas wars. Even as he spoke, the Roman Catholic priest said, he could hear North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman angrily objecting behind him, "this is inappropriate." Then, Kaiman got up and told the crowd, "I just want to make it clear that this is no way a religious ceremony."
A collective gasp was heard from the 200 adults and children gathered around the gazebo across from Town Hall. And nothing has been the same since in well-heeled Manhasset, which counts at least a dozen houses of worship in little more than two square miles.
"I have to tell you that Manhasset is in an uproar," said Christine Roberts, who is Jewish and attended the ceremony with her two sons. "It really was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. There is a lot of hostility going around. Angry letters to the editor of the local paper. Angry conversations. Insanity has absolutely overtaken this town."
(Excerpt) Read more at insidebayarea.com ...
NYC Tizzy Alert!
:)
lol. Carve it in stone, paint it gaudy colors, make copies.
I don't know if this guy, Kaiman, is stuck on stupid or not, but nobody this clueless should be elected to office in a town full of Christians.
Edward Rowe Snow wrote many true accounts about shipwrecks. A priest had come down to the dock in Southern England in a past century to bless a ship before it embarked. The sailors were drunk and jeered and mocked the priest, all but one. At sea, the ship sank, and all lives were lost but the one sailor who had not mocked the priest who somehow managed to cling onto some debris and either made it safely to shore or was rescued.
I'm not sure, but Snow was probably of the Protestant persuasion from a long line of old New England families which is neither here nor there.
I agree. When he told the crowd that the ceremony was not religious, they all should have shouted back; OH, YES IT IS!!!!!!
A Catholic Priest mentions Jesus Christ at a blessing. Who'da thunk?
The headline of this article is not only poorly written but patently false (typical of the media).
After reading the article it's clear it wasn't the "priest's tree blessing" that sent the town into a "tizzy." It was the clueless local politician who felt the need to announce "this is not a religious ceremony" at a Christmas tree lighting.
The headline is very misleading.
Ditto to that !!
New York Newsday -- liberal trash.
Being a Christian in America will be like being a Christian under Communism or Islam or whatever. We will soon have to start having secret church gatherings for fear of being arrested.
***When the Rev. Nick Zientarski uttered the name of Jesus Christ during his traditional blessing of the official Christmas tree ***
Well, it wasn't like he blessed a menorah! So, what's the problem!
Would not bother me at all because I would not be attending.
So you have a Reverend, blessing a Christmas tree, which is OK. But, should the Reverend utter the name "Jesus" it's suddenly not OK.
We, collectively as a people in the US, have become deeply stupid, I'm afraid. Especially when I read anything such as this.
Merry Mas!
D'oh!
It's not like he'd asked the priestess of the local Unitarians to preside.
People, all here, please read the article. The townsfolk are upset at the supervisor NOT the priest. This is the way it should be, it is good news, they want to take back Christmas from the PC cops.
If the good citizens of this little hamlet don't like Christianity, they should try Yemen. They should try it soon. I would offer to pay for one of their tickets--one way. Anyone else ready to antie up?
Bold mine
"The reaction is beyond anything I could have imagined," Zientarski (the priest) said Thursday. "People feel so strongly about this. Between yesterday (Wednesday) and today, I've gotten 150 to 200 e-mails personally to me, all of it expressing support. And it's not just Catholics. I've heard from Jews, Greeks, people from other Christian denominations."
The reaction also has stunned Kaiman (the PC guy) . "I overreacted and handled the situation poorly," he acknowledged.
"The townsfolk are upset at the supervisor NOT the priest."
I only read the excerpt posted and didn't follow the link. My mistake. The headline is certainly underhanded and misleading, which was no doubt their intent.
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