The "Take Back Christmas" campaign

[velvetpage]

There was an article in our paper this morning about the campaign by a rather large number of people in the States to put the word "Christmas" back into the Holiday Season.

I'm of two minds about this.

First, I would be quite willing to celebrate other religious holidays as well. I would like to learn more about the various holidays celebrated by my students, particularly the Hindi and Islamic ones, because those are the bulk of my other-faith students. I would appreciate having access to the music of these cultures, so that I could teach elements of that music and culture in my arts classes. I have no problem with inclusiveness.

The only time I get annoyed is when a group (educational or political, usually) decides that any faith is allowed to display the greetings traditional to their faith, except mine. So, I cautiously support the lawsuit launched against two towns in Florida that permitted Happy Hannukah displays but not a Nativity scene. Sorry, guys, that's not inclusiveness; that's discrimination against a major religious group, precisely because it is a major religious group.

On the other hand, I understand that most cities don't have the money to be all-inclusive by specifically mentioning every faith, and therefore "Season's Greetings" is a safe and, to my mind, reasonable compromise.

So, my suggestion: if community groups are willing to set up and take down their public displays themselves, and incur all costs associated with them (or, alternatively, be granted the same amount for each religious group that asks, over the course of a year), and if there is space in areas normally reserved for such displays, go ahead and make them religious but inclusively so - that is, any faith group willing to take the time and energy to make the display has the right to space, etc, to set it up. Then the only group that has any reason to be upset is the group that doesn't want to celebrate anything, and I can't see how we could make them happy, too.

Any city that knowingly fails to provide equal space for holiday displays of multiple faiths is guilty of discrimination. (There does, of course, need to be a timeline for applying for that space, and a protocol for granting it, but most cities have protocols in place that could easily be adapted to this use.) These displays do not need to happen only in December, since there are other big festivals in other faiths at other times of the year.

If the city in question wishes to sponsor a sign saying "Season's Greetings," or something similar, after providing opportunities for faiths to set up their own displays, that is their choice and an inclusive option.

I don't want to force my faith down anyone's throat. I do want to be able to celebrate it publicly without being labelled politically incorrect or intolerant for doing so.

Thoughts, please?

Comments

Re: And now, the test case:

[michellinator.livejournal.com]

I feel the need to type it... crucifixes gross me out. They're just creepy. I always see people wearing them and want to point out that there's a dude dying around their neck. ::shudder:: (I grew up attending a UM church - a plain cross and a flame on the wall, no dead guys.)

Re: And now, the test case:

[collie13.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're not alone. Apparently in some Catholic churches there are these little alcoves along the walls which hold life-sized sculptures or dioramas of the saints in their "passion" (I think that's what it's called when the saint is being martyred?). There was one I always had trouble walking past because it was so scary to me as a 7 or 8 year old child -- I think I was later told it was Stephen. Anyway, he had arrows sticking through him and broken bones sticking out of him due to the rocks that had been thrown at him, and this creepy expression with upraised eyes, like he wasn't even really there. Very frightening to a small, young me! ;)

Re: And now, the test case:

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

They bug me, too. In addition to the gross-out factor, they're celebrating the wrong thing. The important fact is not that of the cross WITH the body on it - that happened all the time. What matters is the EMPTY cross, and the empty tomb.

This is the Protestant in me coming out. :)