By now the whole world knows that the authorities of the SeaTac airport removed about a dozen Christmas trees in the dead of night. The Port of Seattle Commission feared a lawsuit from a local rabbi if they did not remove the trees. And they feared the indignation of the public if they did remove them. Hence, the graveyard shift workers took the trees down when no one would notice.

But you might not know that the rabbi never wanted the trees removed. In fact, when the trees were restored, Orthodox Rabbi Bogomilsky said, “Like people from all cultures and religions, we’re thrilled the trees are going back up.”

So how did this mess occur?

The situation began quietly back in October, when Mitchell Stein, who is Jewish and a construction consultant for the Port of Seattle, contacted a Port staffer saying he’d like to sponsor a large menorah near the Christmas tree in the international arrival hall. Over the next several weeks, though, he was referred to several different people on the staff, who gave him contradictory information. But nothing was resolved and no action was taken until last week.

The rabbi’s attorney sent the Port Authority a legal document as a way of spurring action and to let the Port know the legal precedents involved in the issue. Though the rabbi claims he did not intend the letter to be threatening, it was. The Port Authority panicked. They interpreted the letter to mean that they needed to respond to the group’s demands, or they would file suit the next day. “At the time, it seemed to be a reasonable solution to remove the Christmas trees,” according to Port Commissioner John Creighton.

That decision might have been a legally correct “solution,” but it didn’t please anybody. The Port Commission was swamped with e-mails supporting the Christmas trees. And local Jewish organizations began getting hate mail. And Rabbi Bogomilsky? He was appalled that the trees were removed. He never asked for the trees to come down: he simply wanted to add a menorah. As he put it, “At the end of the day, it’s not about the trees, but adding light to the holiday, not diminishing any light.” The rabbi and his attorneys agree that the letter, with its mention of a lawsuit, was a mistake. They had intended it as a spur to some kind of decision, which the Port Commission had postponed for months.

So what are the lessons here?

Lesson 1: That the past seasons of the Christmas Wars have gotten everybody wound as tightly as a Christmas drum over the fear of litigation.

Lesson 2: That our public officials are afraid to make decisions for fear of offending ethnic or religious groups.

Lesson 3: That the public is sick of the Christmas Wars, and wants unabashed display of symbols of the holiday.

Lesson 4: And one more thing: religious Jews are easier to work with than secularists.

Rabbi Bogomilsky doesn’t feel threatened by Christianity or Christian symbols. As Port Commission President Pat Davis said, “The rabbi never asked us to remove the trees; it was the Port’s decision based on what we knew at the time. We very much appreciate the rabbi’s willingness to work with us as we move forward.”

I somehow doubt the ACLU would have been so generous or accommodating to allow this Christmas tree story to have a happy ending.

The Christmas tree's pagan roots

With likely origins in European pre-Christian pagan cultures, the Christmas tree has gained an extensive history and become a common sight during the winter season in numerous cultures.

Among early Germanic tribes the Yule tradition was celebrated by sacrificing male animals and slaves by suspending them on the branches of trees.

According to Adam of Bremen, in Scandinavia the pagan kings sacrificed nine males of each species at the sacred groves every ninth year.

According to one legend, Saint Boniface attempted to introduce the idea of trinity to the pagan tribes using the cone-shaped evergreen trees because of their triangular appearance.

The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of the ancient pagan idea that the evergreen tree represents a celebration of the renewal of life.

wikipedia.org

Replacing the Bible with the Koran for congressman's swearing in ceremony evokes strong responses

When newly elected Democratic congressman Keith Ellison announced that he would use a Koran rather than a Bible at his swearing in ceremony, radio show host Dennis Prager was one of the most vocal critics of Ellison's decision. Prager's comments set of a firestorm of reaction on both sides of the issue. Prager responded by restating his original concern, rebutting accusations and distortions by critics and offering a solution that would diffuse the anger of those who disagree with Ellison's decision.

"I am for no law to be passed to prevent Keith Ellison or anyone else from bringing any book he wants to his swearing-in, whether actual or ceremonial. But neither I nor tens of millions of other Americans will watch in silence as the Bible is replaced with another religious text for the first time since George Washington brought a Bible to his swearing-in. It is not I, but Keith Ellison, who has engaged in disuniting the country. He can still help reunite it by simply bringing both books to his ceremonial swearing-in. Had he originally announced that he would do that, I would have written a different column -- filled with praise of him. And there would be a lot less cursing and anger in America."

townhall.com

Beyond Belief Media touts their DVD ridiculing belief in God as this year’s perfect Christmas gift

Since last year’s formal declaration of war on Christmas Beyond Belief Media has continued efforts to market their DVD featuring Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins as part of their campaign to expose “the Christian myth” that dominates U.S. culture.

President Brian Flemming vows, “No Christmas pageant or Nativity display is safe from our troops,” “Wherever the mythical figure Jesus is celebrated as if he were real, we will be there with an information barrage. We will undercut the idea that there is any point at all to celebrating the ‘birth’ of a character in a fairy tale.”

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