It seems that the governor of Kentucky and his administration recently ticked off some of the locals when they announced they were looking for a tree to display at the state's Capitol during the holiday season. The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet sent out word last week that the administration was looking for a "holiday" tree to be donated to the state.
According to an Associated Press report, that wording just didn't sit well with the locals who promptly began sending a "steady stream of e-mails" to the administration. The e-mails were accompanied by phone calls.
Spokeswoman Kerri Richardson said that the tree is a "Christmas" tree in the mind of Governor Steve Beshear and always has been. She said, "'For Gov. Beshear, it is a Christmas tree. Period. The end. That first request from the Finance Cabinet didn't reflect that, but the governor speaks for himself. He's calling it a Christmas tree. That's what it is.'"
For some people though, the damage has been done. At least that is the belief of Reverend Jeff Fugate, pastor of Clays Mill Baptist Church in Lexington. He said that he is trying to get people to show up at the Capitol on December 7th to sing Christmas carols. It seems he is on a mission to "save" Christmas. He said of the governor, "'He's already told folks what he believes, and he's already excluded the word Christmas. He's made a blunder here.'"
According to the report, Edwin Kagin, the National Legal Director for American Atheists, said that this seems to be "'much ado about nothing,'" He referred to Christmas as "religious and secular" holiday enjoyed by many.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue chimed in saying, "On November 3, we noted that the 'War on Christmas' had begun. One piece of evidence that was offered was the decision to have a 'Holiday Tree,' instead of a 'Christmas Tree,' in Frankfort, Kentucky." He added that after the governor was "pounded by outraged Christians" he and his administration "reversed" and "have now chosen to call the Christmas Tree the 'Christmas Tree.'"
In summary, he added, "Christians have every right to be insulted when agents of government refuse to acknowledge their holiday, and it matters not a whit if the stated purpose is inclusion. Indeed, the politics of inclusion is a malignant cultural cancer that needs to be wiped out, along with its parent ideology, multiculturalism."
Comments
Well of course we good Christians have a right to be insulted if the government does not use tax payers' money to explicitly endorse and promote our Christian religion rather than the religions of Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc..
I agree with the Catholic League that "inclusion is a malignant cultural cancer that needs to be wiped out." Instead, we should try to practice exclusion (of those who don't agree with us) as often as possible.
The Good Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.
Um...it isn't the Christians holiday...where was Santa in the Bible? Ages before Santa, even before Jesus, the holiday was actually a pegan festival. Read a REAL book for once people.
I see nothing wrong with displaying a Holiday Tree... Anyone can think of it as a "Christmas" tree if he prefers.
The difference is simple: one name, Chriatmas, is clearly supportive of a single belief while the other is not. Even the old word "Xmas" leaves clues enough to lead one toward realizing that "X=Christ" which makes it nearly as bias a choice as the word Christmas itself.
"Holiday" is a good word. As a non-religious person, I prefer it.
Seems like a "Christmas Tree" on the capital grounds would violate separation of church and state. Whereas, a "Holiday Tree" would not. The Christians should be glad for any tree rather than no tree.
I'm wondering how many locals would be perfectly OK with the State spending money to erect a Menorah because Jews "have every right to be insulted when agents of government refuse to acknowledge their holiday"?
Honestly, aren't there more important things for folks to concern themselves with in Kentucky?
Until the 1960's, Catholics were an outcast and distrusted minority. And for good reason: a large number of Americans came to the US to flee persecution by the Catholic church (including many of my extended family--those that didn't get slaughtered).
So, Donohue is right: we should probably have stopped the "malignant cultural cancer" of "inclusion" before the Catholics actually got included in society.
But since he (and the Mormons) also advocate going back to "traditional values", maybe not all hope is lost...
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