Wisconsin Capitol Building's "Holiday Tree"

skylark · #1 12-26-2007, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If "Christmas" is so offensive for whoever out there, I fully expect them to be at work on December 25th.

I think you're missing the point. I don't think anyone is out there saying "christmas is offensive." They just don't want it being sponsored by government by being in a public building. I certainly hope you can appreciate the important distinction... and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

AlphaFrog · #2 12-26-2007, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

I think you're missing the point. I don't think anyone is out there saying "christmas is offensive." They just don't want it being sponsored by government by being in a public building. I certainly hope you can appreciate the important distinction... and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

If I lived in a predominatly Jewish/Muslim/etc country/area, I would fully expect to see decorations up for their religious holidays, and I wouldn't find it offensive. And if I did, I suppose I would leave or get over it. (Yeah, that's oversimplified, but whatever).

skylark · #3 12-26-2007, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

If I lived in a predominatly Jewish/Muslim/etc country/area, I would fully expect to see decorations up for their religious holidays, and I wouldn't find it offensive. And if I did, I suppose I would leave or get over it. (Yeah, that's oversimplified, but whatever).

Would it matter if you and your family were born there v. you as a foreigner moving there?

AlphaFrog · #4 12-26-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

Would it matter if you and your family were born there v. you as a foreigner moving there?

Probably not, although I'll give you that it's easier for me to say because I'm not in that position. But it only goes as far as tolerance of other religions - I would NOT be okay with a government/society that promotes only one religion and forbids practise of other religions.

ETA: I had a very MILD chance to be in that position - I had a 3rd grade teacher that was Jewish, and she brought a Dreidel, Hanukiah, and we learned the songs "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and "Chanukah, Oh Chanukah". I thought it was pretty cool, and didn't feel at all threatened as a Christian.

skylark · #5 12-26-2007, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

ETA: I had a very MILD chance to be in that position - I had a 3rd grade teacher that was Jewish, and she brought a Dreidel, Hanukiah, and we learned the songs "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and "Chanukah, Oh Chanukah". I thought it was pretty cool, and didn't feel at all threatened as a Christian.

Wow. I cannot imagine this happening today in a public school (I don't know if that applies to your school). In law school we had a jewish professor take off every year for a week to celebrate passover about 2 weeks before finals. Students complained that she shouldn't be allowed to do this because she should have to be available to answer questions in person and that it made her office too busy for one-on-one time the week before finals. I think that experience opened my eyes to just how ridiculous people can be in expecting the non-christian world to revolve around the Christian religion without making adjustments for minorities.

PhiGam · #6 12-26-2007, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

Wow. I cannot imagine this happening today in a public school (I don't know if that applies to your school). In law school we had a jewish professor take off every year for a week to celebrate passover about 2 weeks before finals. Students complained that she shouldn't be allowed to do this because she should have to be available to answer questions in person and that it made her office too busy for one-on-one time the week before finals. I think that experience opened my eyes to just how ridiculous people can be in expecting the non-christian world to revolve around the Christian religion without making adjustments for minorities.

And they can't fire her... pretty funny. It sucks that she doesn't care about her students though.

RACooper · #7 12-27-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

And they can't fire her... pretty funny. It sucks that she doesn't care about her students though.

What?!?

Seems your just like the students that expect the world to revolve around their faith, and can't understand or respect the observances of another - I'm sure the students were informed well in advance that she'd be taking days of for religious reasons, and if those students weren't smart enough to make arrangements to allow for this then it reflects poorly on them not the professor.

VandalSquirrel · #8 12-26-2007, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

Wow. I cannot imagine this happening today in a public school (I don't know if that applies to your school). In law school we had a jewish professor take off every year for a week to celebrate passover about 2 weeks before finals. Students complained that she shouldn't be allowed to do this because she should have to be available to answer questions in person and that it made her office too busy for one-on-one time the week before finals. I think that experience opened my eyes to just how ridiculous people can be in expecting the non-christian world to revolve around the Christian religion without making adjustments for minorities.

I think it just proves how ridiculous some of those law students are, and that they think the world revolves around them

Of course we live in a state that is super religious, and mostly of the Mitt Romney variety, but I'm a Christian Protestant and even I couldn't believe the Christmas trees and other decorations in public buildings. In a private business or home, sure, but on government property I find it questionable. Where I work they used to close from Christmas to New Years, and now if people want to work (other than Christmas and New Years Day) they can. I was the only person scheduled to cover the office today and that's fine, heck I would've worked yesterday as long as I could attend a morning service.

CutiePie2000 · #9 12-26-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

....if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

No matter where I lived, I would go by the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy.

RACooper · #10 12-27-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

No matter where I lived, I would go by the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy.

It's a shame that more don't follow that philosophy, and accept a pluralistic view of faith in society... of course I suspect that wasn't your point.

PiKA2001 · #11 12-26-2007, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

No, I would be happy just to be alive. Besides a lot of those countries ban Christianity anyway.