Click on pic for the alternative.
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State University administrators decided Thursday morning to put a Christmas tree (not the one in this photo) back in the lobby of Strong Hall, along with other religious holiday symbols. A department head removed the 20-foot tree on Monday after a faculty member who is Jewish complained that it was insensitive to other religions.
After learning about the complaint and the removal of the tree, administrators scheduled a meeting for Friday afternoon to discuss appropriate holiday decorations at the school. That meeting is now canceled.
“We decided this is the right thing to do, and I am glad there was widespread agreement about it,” President Mike. Nietzel said in a news release. “Missouri State is an institution at which many different religions are represented, and we try to be sensitive to the many views people hold.
“After having had a chance to air this out a bit more and consider the various perspectives of our campus community, I am happy that the Christmas tree will be back up along with the many others that were already on campus. I hope we can have it on display before the end of the day.”Courts have ruled Christmas trees are secular symbols if they do not bear religious decorations. The department head who put the tree up said she didn’t use any religious symbols on it.
I thought a Christmas tree was a pagan symbol.
Trying to satisfy all of the religious is an exercise in futility. Who cares anyway?
Again with this? How many years will we have to deal with this? Christmas is non-secular for most people any way. It’s about family gathering and joy. Sure there are plenty of Christians who look at it as the birthday for Jesus, but even lots of them celebrate it in the non-secular fashion. As stated already the Christmas tree came from pagan traditions, so what is the problem?
Ignorance and too much political correctness.
I’m of Jewsih origin. I always found the religious Jews to be so annoying. They just have to ruin it for the rest of us with their liberal b.s… In protest of this douchebag, I’m celebrating Christmas this year, even though I’m an atheist.
#3 – and I find all annoying all the douchebags who think this bullshit is “liberal”
Christmas is a time when people of all religions can come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Ah, the war on Christmas. Has it really been a whole year?
Jeremiah 10:2-4: “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” (KJV).
While the Christmas tree originated in pagan traditions, a symbol is defined by its meaning. The tree is now a symbol of Christmas and its previous meaning is gone. The Christmas tree used to have an even more intricate Christian centered meaning (involving the trinity with the triangular shape of the tree) than simply being a symbol of the holiday, but that seems to have gone as well.
I say get a bunch of friends together and then take turns complaining when its down and when it’s up. They’ll go back and forth so many times they’ll learn not to be P.C.
>>They just have to ruin it for the rest
>>of us with their liberal b.s…
wtf? who decided that this b.s. was “liberal”? I consider myself to be a “liberal” Christian, and as far as I’m concerned, people can put up all the Christmas trees, menorahs, Marks of the Beast, etc. that they please.
For those who enjoy dictionary definitions, that’s pretty much the definition of liberal:
“tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition”
“showing or characterized by broad-mindedness”
“a broad array of related doctrines, ideologies, philosophical views, and political traditions which hold that individual liberty is the primary political value”
“to be open to new ideas and tolerant of others; to emphasize political and economic freedom”
IO SATURNALIA!!!
Drunken Debauchery for all!
That’s what the tree means to me! It’s a symbol of greed. “What’s Santa Jesus gonna give ME this X-Mas?” Jesus is about as much a part of X-Mas anymore as George Washington is a part of President’s day.
>>In my book, P.C. is liberal BS.
Those people aren’t liberals, they’re tight-asses.
You guys know damn well which “liberals” I’m talking about. Look up “Liberalism” in the Wikipedia and see what it says about equality and social justice.
#9 – Oh yes… LIBERAL you know the definition of…
Well, I’m thankful for the small favors…
I’m still trying to figure out what’s offensive or insensitive about a Christmas Tree, or a Menorah, or a Santa Claus? If people have such thin skins about other peoples’ beliefs, then we’re worse off than I thought.
>>Oh yes… LIBERAL you know the definition of…
Hey, I never said I didn’t work both sides of the street.
#13 – I’m a liberal and and atheist and I’ll kick the ass of anyone who bitches about my tree. I know which liberals you mean. You are talking about the imaginary liberal stereotype dreamed up by the right wing in the early eighties, and who outside of bizarre and statistically insignificant numbers, do not exist. There are a million real liberals for every crazy fucknut Rosie O’Donnel liberal.
And with the god of conservatism enjoying an all time record low approval rating, you might want to remember that.
Christmas is the holiday where I buy things for people I like and many of them give me stuff too and we all eat, drink and be merry… Often around a pleasantly scented tree.
Some folks also enjoy church in this season.
(maybe because its warm inside)
I like the pretty lights.
#17 – Those “imaginary liberals” aren’t that imaginary. I live in the Midwest and we have plenty of them here. They are just as bad as the neocons and I find them both to be very annoying. This year they’ll be having eggnog with a side of Gefilte fish for their New Year’s Day Celebration social.
The people who want to do this are far from ‘Liberal.’ Any Liberal will tell you that they want a more INCLUSIVE Holiday Season, and would welcome a Christmas tree, Chanukah bush, Yule log, Saturnalia statue, even a Festivus pole.
The people who do not want the tree are a bunch of exclusionary nutbags who think that their celebration is better than others.
Personally, I think that Xmas has been relegated to a time where you are supposed to spend as much money, on useless garbage for people who you don’t like, and will never use the garbage you buy for them. Just another bit of corporate brainwashing for the masses.
I’m offended by the references to Festivus…. please take them down along with all references to Christmas, Easter, New Year, Halloween, President’s Day, Memorial Day, St. Patrick’s Day (that’s a really bad one) and, of course, Earth Day. Thank you for your kind consideration of my faith/nonfaith (TM).
“A department head removed the 20-foot tree on Monday after a faculty member who is Jewish complained that it was insensitive to other religions.”
Where the hell is Mel Gibson when you need him the most?
#9 MM – OMFG I’m a liberal. I never knew.
steve-o
The Hebrew Hammer Strikes again: http://imdb.com/title/tt0317640/
#19 – Those “imaginary liberals” aren’t that imaginary.
Have your kids been recruited by the homosexual agenda?
Is it illegal to smoke in your garage?
Is there a giant Jesus in a tank of piss on your Courthouse lawn?
Are asked to face Mecca five times a day to avoid pissing off the Muslims?
Are they showing porn to grade school kids then making them act it out to teach sex?
Is hemp your city flower?
Those liberals are imaginary.
#25 – actually, inclusion and respect for other is being cited as the reason to bring down the trees
Pedro… You and I are polar opposites, yet we both know that inclusion and respect are not things you get by excluding and disrespecting each other’s holiday symbols.
I’m Jewish and could care less if they put their tree up and decorate until their hearts content. They put one up at the office today and my reply as they were untangling the mess of lights was thankfully all I have to do is drag out the Menorah and candles. No fuss no muss. Unlike some I can be tolerant of many things. People should be able to co-exist and respect each other beliefs. I don’t do Christmas and Christians don’t do any of my religious holidays. Really simple don’t you think?
The same Jewish moron who complaint about christmas tree’s “insensitivity to other religions” would call it at least “prejudism” if any christian would have complaint about menorrah or David star being displayed.
Im atheist, but lately I just hate all this anti-christian bullshit from religious Jews and Arabs (I never heard of any other than Jewish and Muslims to complain about it).
Christians don’t and CAN’T complain about their holidays (since it would be oh-so-politically incorrect when majority would complain about minorities rituals), so why don’t they just fuck off?
Unbelievable.
Having said that, I wish all religious Jews a Happy Hanukkah, and a Merry Christmas to all religious Christians.
NO “HAPPY HOLIDAYS” to anyone – there is no such celebration in any known religion as “Holiday” 😉
The origins of the Christmas Tree
One day, very long ago, on Christmas Eve, Santa was having a bad day. A very bad day.
First, as the season was winding down, half the elves got drunk. The other half took off work early. And some did both.
Second, Mrs Claus was on the rag. Wanna see her picture? Just look up PMS on Wikipedia and there she is. Whoa, was she in a fine fit that day. The worst part? She just wouldn’t shut her yap.
Then, somehow, the reindeer got out. They were all over hells half acre and then some. Mind you, no one let on they knew anything about how they got out, but several drunk elves were seen near the pens earlier in the day.
Then Rudolph took a crap in Santa’s sleigh. None of those little rabbit pellets either. Rudolph had a massive bout of Acute Deer Runs. And he was sitting right in the middle of the only seat the sleigh had.
Then Santa discovered someone had been into his personal stash of Schnapps. Three empty bottles was all that was left.
The list. The LIST !!! Where the heck was the list ??? Santa looked for it everywhere. When he finally found it it was all covered in Schnapps puke. With some little elf whiskers mixed in.
Then there was a knock on the door. When Santa opened the door there appeared an angel dragging a pine tree behind her. “Hi Santa. The big guy told me to bring this here tree over to ya. Where would you like me to put it?”
And since that day we have had the tradition of a Christmas Tree with an angel sitting on top. Although we no longer use Elf parts to decorate the tree.
*note – lying & sarcasm ahead – the crass comercialization of xmas does that to me, you have been warned*
no… see heres now it went down:
This short fat jewish bitch (with a huge black wart on the left side of her nose) made a big deal about how the jewiah faith is always getting pissed on, and was told to shut the fuck up.
Then someone else decided that since christmas is all about the sprirt of giving, they took away the christmas tree.
This didnt go over so well with everyone else, including the students, who pay for the college in the first place; so a committee was formed and it was decided that a two-fold resolution wwould be implemented.
First, in the name of the spirit of giving, the tree was brought back and decked to the boughs in tinsel and whatnot.
Second, that short fat jewish bitch was dragged out in front of the tree, drenched in gasoline and then burnt as a cheering crowd wept with joy – because they didnt have a yule log, and their hearts were warmed and there was peace in the land.
thats how the shit went down and I dare yall to prove me wrong…
“God bless us everyone.”
Tiny Tim
I wonder how things would come down if Christians suddenly embraced the Christmas tree as being an important religious symbol?
BTW, are secular Christmas trees allowed to have a light at the very top of the tree?
By the by the way, can a CHRISTmas tree actually be a “secular symbol?” Maybe they officially call it a Holiday Tree. Except, “holiday” originates from “Holy Day” so can’t do that. Bacchanalia Tree?
I think I’ll believe in the Secular Tree when religious Jews put one up at home just to get into the spirit of the Winter holidays.
That said, I can’t believe non-stop public Christmas music starting in early November doesn’t drive them nuts… as it probably does even most Christians.
RBG