Posted on 12/09/2006 10:56:18 PM PST by Coleus
There will be no more Christmas trees at Sea-Tac Airport this season after the Port of Seattle received at least one complaint about them. For more than 25 years, the airport has celebrated the holidays with Christmas trees over its entrances. But overnight, the Port of Seattle ordered all 15 trees removed.
"I think it's very unfortunate. Why lose the Christmas spirit? Christmas is for kids," said passenger Lisa Jones. The Port allowed "holiday" decorations to remain but decided to take down all the Christmas trees after a Jewish religious leader complained they were offensive.
"It's a Christmas tree! It's not like they were displaying crucifixes or menorahs or anything religious, but Christmas trees that have been around here for years," said an employee who asked not to be identified.
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. Angry airport employees have started a campaign urging people to call the Port of Seattle to complain. The Christmas trees are now in storage or hidden in unused areas of the airport where they won't be seen.
The airline companies, which lease space in the airport, are not being required to remove decorations from their check-in counters. Rachel Garson with the Port of Seattle said they would revisit the issue of Christmas trees after the holidays are over. "Since this is the busiest time of year we decided to take the decorations down now and consider a new policy after the new year." said Garson.
I agree very much with your comment #39 and see your reasoning.
Hippies and their kids need to be rounded up in those camps they're always afraid someone is going to be rounding them up in. Now.
I'm not even Jewish, though, and can't say as to whether a rabbi should publicly denounce what he believes to be idolatry or ignore it and avoid strife with those of other religions.
Oh I see what you are doing. You are still full of it. You are taking the actions of a isolated few acting on their own and trying to turn it into a conspiracy.
Other than the presbyterian church that is.
looks like you share some common feelings with the Rabbi.
Thank you for sharing that commentary. It was both funny and sad! But laughing at extreme hardships help some of the best and toughest people to get through them. Those who've at least been through three-month initial training for combat (combat) specialties have at least a little insight. We will light a menorah as non-Jews, saying different blessings, and as guided by an authority (Orthodox Rabbi).
As much as I love and respect all things Jewish, this kind of thing really burns me up.
So what!
Let 'em sue.
In fact, I hope some legal right-thinking group sues THIS Jewish group for violating the American right to practice one's culture and/or faith.
I always thought Christmas was a season of giving and love as a way of celebrating God's gift of Jesus to mankind.
I am amazed that a liberal cesspool like Seattle would have ever put up trees to begin with.
I am so happy to now be living in a country with no PC crap.
I go to the Christmas market in the main city square
where I can hear groups on stage singing Silent Night.
People enjoying the Christmas season with hot wine and good eats.
In Slovakia, Christmas starts in the last week of November.
For those interested..Here are pics of Bratislava in Christmas.
http://www.vvpg.net/bratislava/Christmas.htm
Could never give up Christmas.
It's ingrained in my Christian/American soul.
It's imprinted on my DNA, the same as a bird who flies south for the winter or a deer who ruts his antlers.
No digging up required. I study medieval iconography--welll study it now as a hobby.
Call it B.S. if you want, but in medieval Europe, the whole world was seen as a manifestation of God's presense. The light passing through stained glass was literally God's light to man, shining through the stories of the Gospels.
See Abbot Suger of St. Denis.
Thank you for this eye opening list of hateful Christians, the ones who apparantly have animosity in their hearts for Jews.
I plan to do whatever I can to disrupt and thwart these 'Christian' groups in whatever way I can, starting with letters to their organizations.
Actually, I think 'familyop' has a valid point.
There are still isolated Christians in America who obviously hold animosity toward Jews, just as their are isolated Jews in America who hold animosity toward Christians.
It doesn't make right what that idiotic Rabbi is doing re: the Christmas trees in the Seattle airport.
But it does make me ashamed that I've ever had respect for those Christian 'anglican' or Presbyterian groups who likewise wish for Israel's demise.
Thanks for the link. I will be writing the POS. I am going to use my thing I wrote on another post about Chinatown's Lantern Festival. That is a Buddhist memorial celebration.
Non-Jews can learn about and follow Judaism but not as Jews (except for those who convert). According to Judaism, non-Jews have a place in the world to come and an easier way to get there. It is a very misunderstood way--a way that is very interesting to learn about.
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