Study: Christmas Trees Make Those Who Don’t Celebrate Holiday Feel Excluded

Fox News New York ^ | 12/20/2010

[SeekAndFind]

(NewsCore) - So much for a holly, jolly Christmas.

A newly released study found that Christmas tree displays can “harm the emotional well-being” of those who do not celebrate the holiday.

Researchers at Canada’s Simon Fraser University (SFU) studied the psychological effect that Christmas displays have by asking test participants to work in a room that either contained a Christmas tree or did not.

The results showed that for those participants who did not celebrate the holiday, being in a room with a Christmas tree made them feel less sure of themselves.

The result was the opposite for those who did celebrate Christmas, as they reported feeling more positive after spending time in the presence of a decorated tree.

Participants with non-Christian religious backgrounds – Sikhs and Buddhists, for instance – reported less self-assurance and feeling less included at the university when they were in the presence of a Christmas tree.

[SeekAndFind]

Same story here :

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2010/12/memo_your_chris.php

Your Christmas Tree May Be Offending Someone Right Now

By Jen Doll

EXCERPT:

Today in over-the-top political correctness seemingly supported by science: Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have undertaken a study to see how Christmas trees hurt the feelings of impact people who aren’t Christian. They asked 77 Christians and 57 non-Christians to fill out a survey both when a 12-inch Christmas tree was in the room and when it was not. The people who didn’t celebrate Christmas “reported fewer positive feelings and less self-assurance in the Christmas room. Christians were mostly cheered by the tree.”

Of course, all of this assumes an actual connection between Christmas trees and Christianity, which a sampling of our immediate group of diversely religious peers would indicate is tenuous at best. Some even argue that the origin of the decorated evergreen is actually pagan! (Personally, we’re more offended by the hiring of Christmas tree stylists and the outright obesity of Santa these days.)

Michael Schmitt, the psychologist behind the research, said:

“We’re not suggesting ‘no Christmas’ or ‘no Christmas displays at all,’ but in contexts where we really do value respecting and including diversity in terms of religion, the safest option is not to have these kinds of displays.”

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST

[NowApproachingMidnight]

My 2cents? - Make sure your tree is HIGHLY visible from the windows of your home...

[dirtboy]

Talk about Mamby-Pamby land...

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

Yeah. Whatta bunch of jackwagons...

[SeekAndFind]

Also here :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/8214222/Christmas-trees-make-non-Christians-feel-excluded.html

TITLE : Christmas trees ‘make non-Christians feel excluded’

Christmas trees should be removed from public places to avoid making non-Christians feel “excluded”, scientists have suggested.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST...

[A CA Guy]

Well that 7% need to be tolerant of the other 93% IMO.

[MissesBush]

Oh wahhhhhhh. People can chose to be offended or not. We’re not some bag of helpless brain chemicals with no control over our emotions. We’ve got to stop ordering our society to please people who CHOSE to be offended at things where no offense was intended.

[KoRn]

If you choose to not take part in something(Christmas), why would one feel “excluded” when they see others participating in it?

Stupid.

[Ol' Sparky]

These sort of nonsense is merely a smokescreen to justify that Marxist attempt to stamp out religious freedom.

Don't like Christmas trees, avoid them. Better yet, find God because the lack of a relationship with God is why you're depressed.

[icwhatudo]

"Having abandoned its sombre dress for a scintillating splendour, it is transfigured and becomes the messenger of a light that is not its own but bears witness to the true Light that comes into this world. This tree's destiny is comparable to that of the shepherds: while they were watching in the shadows of the night, here they are illumined by the Angels' message. This tree's destiny is also comparable to our own, for we are called to bear good fruits to show that the world has truly been visited and redeemed by the Lord. Standing beside the crib, this fir, in its own way, demonstrates the great mystery that was present in the simple, poor place of Bethlehem. To the inhabitants of Rome, to all the pilgrims and to all who will visit St Peter's Square through the television images broadcast across the world, it proclaims the coming of the Son of God."

The Pope On The Christmas Tree

[beethovenfan]

There’s always Festivus. (Where’s the aluminum pole?)

[FlingWingFlyer]

The muzzies are coming! The muzzies are coming! Hide your Christmas tree!

Whatever happened to that flippin' "melting pot"? Now, we've got the be like the losers who ran away from their home countries that THEY screwed up.

[NoKoolAidforMe]

To those who are offended by my Christmas tree:

Up yours and Merry Christmas.

[MrB]

A tree is a tree.

It cannot make anyone feel anything.

[RC2]

“made them feel less sure of themselves.”? They’re not sure of their feelings? They have more problems than dealing with Christmas. Time for them to grow up and handle it. Just like everyone else does that doesn’t celebrate Jewish holidays and others.

[MissesBush]

Exactly. And if a tree does cause you to feel something then you’ve got bigger problems than the tree.

[pfflier]

Someone who prostrates themselves six times daily to the east does the same to me!!

[dirtboy]

Participants with non-Christian religious backgrounds – Sikhs and Buddhists, for instance – reported less self-assurance and feeling less included at the university when they were in the presence of a Christmas tree.

Well, tell ya what. The next time American Christians are in the Punjab or in Tibet, they should be sure to demand that the locals alter their customs and religious displays so that the Christians don't feel excluded.

Yeah, that'll go over really great, won't it?

What ever happened to respecting the cultural norms of other countries and cultures when you are among them? Why is it that the West is the only area expected to go to the extreme of cultural castration to accomodate the sensibilities of other visiting cultures?

Could it be that the goal of the visiting cultures (and their liberal engablers) is to degrade the West? Nah, can't be.