Religous Holiday Displays: love 'em or hate 'em?  

Across the United States, city and state governments,and even private companies are wrestling with how to decorate for the holidays. If they put up a Christmass tree, should they be required to also display a Menorah, and maybe a kinara (Kwanzza candle holder) on top of that? And what about the fact that the Christmas tree isn't about Christ at all, any more than Easter eggs or bunnies are, the ubiquitous tree, holly boughs, evergreen wreaths, and yule log-- are Pagan in origin.

Recently, the Seattle-Tacoma airport put up holiday decorations, inluding those Christ- I mean Pagan trees. A local rabbi approached them about putting up one menorah, next to the largest tree. He threatned to sue if they wouldn't allow it. So the SEATAC airport took down all the trees in public areas. The rabbi was shocked at their actions, and after getting death threats, withdrew his minorah demand. The airport got a lot of bad press, and the trees went back up. What a waste of everybody's time.

As a pantheist, I believe the many faces of diety. I love holidays, celebrations, and decorations. I don't object to those lovely, lit-up trees, that have come to symbolize the Christmas season. I don't fault anyone else's religous beliefs or practices, and certainly not their holiday decor. Put 'em all up, I say. The Washington governer's mansion, by the way, had a tree, and a menorah-- but no kinara. I smell a lawsuit.