Friday, December 15, 2006 at 12:12am
May all your Whatevers be bright!
The great Christmas tree drama at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is over. The trees are back. But a big question remains.
Does a society have a "right" to celebrate the rituals or observances of the vast majority of its members, without including in the same celebration the rituals and observances of every minority member? More to the point, is it appropriate for a society to do so?
Port of Seattle spokesman Bob Parker touches on the question when he says: "We look forward to sitting down after the first of the year with not only Rabbi Bogomilsky but others as well, and finding ways to make sure there's an appropriate winter holiday representation for all faiths. We want to find out a way to celebrate the winter holidays in a way that is sensitive to all faiths."
You may have heard about the airport's decision to remove the trees in the middle of the night after a local rabbi, Elazar Bogomilsky, requested a Hanukkah menorah also be displayed. Port officials said the threat of a lawsuit left them with no time to consider all the issues.
Bogomilsky, who some felt was made to look like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, said he never wanted the trees taken down, only the menorah to go up.
"At the end of the day it's not about trees, but adding light to the holiday, not diminishing any light," he said.
For its part, the Port said if it added Hanukkah lights, then what about all our society's December traditions. How about Kwanzaa? How about the pagan ritual of the winter solstice? What about Muslim December traditions? Or those of other cultures or faiths? How shall we accommodate them all?
Muslims observe the Day of Hajj on Dec. 29, commemorating the concluding revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. This day is observed by those on pilgrimage. Two days later is Eid-ul-Adha, the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice, the most important feast of Islam. It concludes the Hajj, or pilgrimage, and is a three-day festival recalling Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, or God. It is celebrated by both those who have, and have not, made the pilgrimage.
What are we to do about this? In a pluralistic society, what are we to do?
And what about Ghambar Maidyarem, also Dec. 31, which on the Zoroastrian calendar begins a five-day festival celebrating the creation of animals and is a time for sharing of food with those less fortunate? There are many Zoroastrians living in the United States. And what about this month's Karrtika-Purnima festival, which in Jainism celebrates the end of the rainy season? There are thousands of Jains living in the country too.
And how shall we celebrate this month's Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom, which commemorates the execution of the ninth Sikh Guru (1621-1675), who stood up in defense of religious liberty for both Sikh and Hindu faiths against Muslim power in India at the time? And we cannot forget our Buddhist friends, who on Dec. 8 observed Bodhi Day, a celebration of the enlightenment of the Buddha.
And what about legal holidays? Christmas is a legal holiday in the United States by congressional decree. Will the next demand be that we make national holidays of Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Eid-ul-Adha and Bodhi Day? Should we make holidays of every festival or observance of every culture represented in American society?
Keith Ellison has called this to our attention too. The incoming Minnesota congressman is a Muslim — the first person of his faith ever to serve in Congress — and he wishes to take the oath of office with his hand on the Koran rather than the Bible.
The Bible is not his holy book, he says. The Koran is. Can you blame him? Should we stop him, should we tell him he just can't do that?
Christmas is a time in which we speak of "peace on Earth, goodwill to men." In a pluralistic society, what, exactly, does "goodwill" mean? Does it mean treating everybody — and everybody's traditions and belief systems — equally? That is the question we must now consider.
And, for now, have a very merry and happy ChristmasHanukkahEid-ul-AdhaGhambarKwanaaBodhiDayMaidyaremKarrtika-PurnimaMartydomofGuruTeghBahadurJi.
And may all your Whatevers be bright.
— — —
Neale Donald Walsch is a contemporary spiritual writer living in southern Oregon whose latest book is "Home With God in a Life That Never Ends." Visit his Website at www.nealedonaldwalsch.com or send him an email at {email neale@thegroupof1000.com}neale@thegroupof1000.com{/email}. © 2006 by Neale Donald Walsch
Does a society have a "right" to celebrate the rituals or observances of the vast majority of its members, without including in the same celebration the rituals and observances of every minority member? More to the point, is it appropriate for a society to do so?
Port of Seattle spokesman Bob Parker touches on the question when he says: "We look forward to sitting down after the first of the year with not only Rabbi Bogomilsky but others as well, and finding ways to make sure there's an appropriate winter holiday representation for all faiths. We want to find out a way to celebrate the winter holidays in a way that is sensitive to all faiths."
You may have heard about the airport's decision to remove the trees in the middle of the night after a local rabbi, Elazar Bogomilsky, requested a Hanukkah menorah also be displayed. Port officials said the threat of a lawsuit left them with no time to consider all the issues.
Bogomilsky, who some felt was made to look like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, said he never wanted the trees taken down, only the menorah to go up.
"At the end of the day it's not about trees, but adding light to the holiday, not diminishing any light," he said.
For its part, the Port said if it added Hanukkah lights, then what about all our society's December traditions. How about Kwanzaa? How about the pagan ritual of the winter solstice? What about Muslim December traditions? Or those of other cultures or faiths? How shall we accommodate them all?
Muslims observe the Day of Hajj on Dec. 29, commemorating the concluding revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. This day is observed by those on pilgrimage. Two days later is Eid-ul-Adha, the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice, the most important feast of Islam. It concludes the Hajj, or pilgrimage, and is a three-day festival recalling Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, or God. It is celebrated by both those who have, and have not, made the pilgrimage.
What are we to do about this? In a pluralistic society, what are we to do?
And what about Ghambar Maidyarem, also Dec. 31, which on the Zoroastrian calendar begins a five-day festival celebrating the creation of animals and is a time for sharing of food with those less fortunate? There are many Zoroastrians living in the United States. And what about this month's Karrtika-Purnima festival, which in Jainism celebrates the end of the rainy season? There are thousands of Jains living in the country too.
And how shall we celebrate this month's Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom, which commemorates the execution of the ninth Sikh Guru (1621-1675), who stood up in defense of religious liberty for both Sikh and Hindu faiths against Muslim power in India at the time? And we cannot forget our Buddhist friends, who on Dec. 8 observed Bodhi Day, a celebration of the enlightenment of the Buddha.
And what about legal holidays? Christmas is a legal holiday in the United States by congressional decree. Will the next demand be that we make national holidays of Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Eid-ul-Adha and Bodhi Day? Should we make holidays of every festival or observance of every culture represented in American society?
Keith Ellison has called this to our attention too. The incoming Minnesota congressman is a Muslim — the first person of his faith ever to serve in Congress — and he wishes to take the oath of office with his hand on the Koran rather than the Bible.
The Bible is not his holy book, he says. The Koran is. Can you blame him? Should we stop him, should we tell him he just can't do that?
Christmas is a time in which we speak of "peace on Earth, goodwill to men." In a pluralistic society, what, exactly, does "goodwill" mean? Does it mean treating everybody — and everybody's traditions and belief systems — equally? That is the question we must now consider.
And, for now, have a very merry and happy ChristmasHanukkahEid-ul-AdhaGhambarKwanaaBodhiDayMaidyaremKarrtika-PurnimaMartydomofGuruTeghBahadurJi.
And may all your Whatevers be bright.
— — —
Neale Donald Walsch is a contemporary spiritual writer living in southern Oregon whose latest book is "Home With God in a Life That Never Ends." Visit his Website at www.nealedonaldwalsch.com or send him an email at {email neale@thegroupof1000.com}neale@thegroupof1000.com{/email}. © 2006 by Neale Donald Walsch