Posted on 12/11/2006 11:32:10 AM PST by Aggie Dad
SEATAC, Wash. - The official Christmas trees are still down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few little trees have popped up at airline counters.
An employee at Frontier Airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall trees for the counter.
The initiative followed a decision by airport officials to remove its nine Christmas trees instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.
Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.
“We decided to take the trees down because we didn’t want to be exclusive,” said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. “We’re trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year.”
Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.
“Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season,” said Bogomilsky, who works in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I can only hope that the Chabad organization will take this "Rabbi" to task for giving their organization a black eye in this incident. It's bad enough that half the world tries to blame the Jews for all the evils of the modern age, we don't have to give those ba$tards extra ammunition!
Honestly, I'm getting sick of being mad about people bashing and banning Christian and Jewish stuff. Really, Christmas in America has as much to do with Jesus' birth as fruit cake has to do with fine cuisine. So who cares, it's all about Santa and buying crap for everyone.
----News Alert----
The only good that comes out of celebrating Christmas these days is the great month of billing Visa has in January.
Let 'em kill it, we could just go back to basics and celebrate Christ's birthday without all the merchandise. And the Jews can celebrate hannuka and the muslims can celebrate Ramadan. Maybe it is a good thing in The LORD's eyes that they are taking Christmas out of the public square, we certainly took Christ out of it years ago (I admit I'm as guilty as any of this btw).
The Christmas tree, John Paul said, is "an ancient custom that exalts the value of life," because the evergreen tree remains unchanged through the harshness of winter. When gifts are arranged under the tree, the Pope continue, it because a symbol of "the tree of life, a figure of Christ, God's greatest gift to all men."
The Holy Father made a point of saying that the gifts exchanged at Christmas should not be purely material and commercial. The "tree of life," he said, points the way toward an exchange of spiritual goods: of brotherhood and love.
The Pope observed, before making his remarks on the Christmas tree, that the most important symbol of the season is the Christmas crèche, about which he spoke at his previous Sunday public audience. His remarks on these symbols come at a time when the European nations-- particularly Italy and France-- are caught up in debates about the display of Christian symbols in public places.
The problem is that the rabbi didn't show up with a polite request. He showed up from the beginning with a lawyer and a threat of a lawsuit. What did he expect to happen? When you start throwing around threats of litigation from the outset, people tend to retreat to the most defensible legal positions. That's what the airport did.
I'm not really sure it started out as a symbol, but it's become one.
You underestimate the power of PC. One of their non-Christian (or maybe even Jehova's Witness) employees could claim that creates a hostile work environment.
It may have started pagan, but if people want to see symbolism in it, they will.
I do. Its a religous symbol! A Christmas tree is secular and is a German idea, not a Christian one. Personally I think this Rabbi should be made to feel like a sack of steaming dogcrap and made an example of for the next liberal schmuck wanting to open their big mouths and use lawyers.
Still, it's perfectly legal for a municipality to display Christmas trees (I can see the City and County of Denver display from my window). What would have landed SeaTac in trouble is if they displayed trees but told the Jews they couldn't display a menorah.
Christmas trees are not a religious symbol, but perceptions are the key. A Christmas Tree is merely decoration to all of us, but if some else thinks(perceives) it religious then it must be religions. Go figure.
Show me a verse in the Bible that equates a Christmas tree with Christ.
The Pope observed, before making his remarks on the Christmas tree, that the most important symbol of the season is the Christmas crèche, about which he spoke at his previous Sunday public audience.
At least the Creche actually has some basis in scripture. Christmas trees do not and what time we waste to defend their use doesn't bring out nation one step closer to the true meaning of Christmas or lead individuals one step closer to a relationship with the Messiah.
If you don't like Christmas trees, don't have one.
"Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows."
What else is the airport to do? Ten lashes with a dirty noodle for Rabbi Bogomilsky.
They made the best argument they could for taking it down, I think. It wasn't that they did not want to put up a Menorah. They claim that they were concerned that the Muslims would be next, then the Hindus, etc.
That's why people hire lawyers--hired guns. I guess you wouldn't feel any intimidation...? I know people and businesses ruined by lawyers.
I'm sure, but it seems an illusory concern. Ramadan is over and I'm not aware of any major Hindu holidays this time of year. The pagans tried to force Denver to allow a winter solstice acknowledgment on the Christmas display, but the 10th Circuit ruled they didn't have to.
This is a pretty good argument against letting government own the means of production.
I saw a bumper sticker a few days ago something like this: Government - fixing things that aren't broken until they are.
Wrong. From the article: "He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn’t add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows."
This "rabbi" is an asshat of the first order. Can't bear to see some people enjoying their religion/holiday without kowtowing to his. Way to go, Rabbi Idiot. You've done more to fan dislike of Jews in the US with this one moronic act than all the anti-Jew bile spewed by Islamiacs in their "there was no Holocaust" conference combined. You are a moron, plain and simple.
Anyone want to let this rabbi know what you think? Here is his e-mail address: rabbi@chaiseattle.com
Anyone who reads my posts regularly knows that I am not an anti-Semite. Far from it. I applauded and agree with John Paul II's statement that Catholics and Jews are "brothers" in faith. However, people such as this asshat of a rabbi make my blood boil. Not because of their religion, but because of their PCness and desire to force their will upon others. Not incidentally, his idiotic act will surely be used as ammunition by anti-Semites. Good going there, ya moron, alienating some of your faith's strongest supporters (Christians who agree with the Pope) and helping out your faith's adversaries. Frankly, the Jewish faith would be better off without people like you.
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