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‘Holiday Tree’ no more?
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Holiday cheer may soon be replaced by Christmas spirit at the Wisconsin Capitol because of a new proposal to change the name of the Holiday Tree to the Wisconsin State Christmas Tree.
Authored by Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids, the legislation could be enacted before Christmas Day 2007.
The tree’s official title should be changed because "it is what it is," Schneider said.
Wisconsin had a state Christmas tree starting in 1916. It was dubbed a holiday tree in 1985, and Schneider said he wants to revert back to the old name.
But Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said a state-sponsored Christmas tree sends residents a different message than a holiday tree does.
"After 20 years, to turn around and name it for one religion is sending a territorial signal," Gaylor said.
The separation of church and state, Gaylor added, often becomes fuzzy in the winter months. However, the state should not "have anything to do with Christians or Christmas, [and] shouldn’t be celebrating a religious holiday."
If passed, the legislation would allow the Capitol to house a state-owned Christmas tree, thus affording Christians in Wisconsin the opportunity to promote their faith in a building that is not supposed to have religious affiliations, Gaylor said.
"This has caused divisions," Gaylor said. "The tree lighting ceremony can be quite religious."
Wisconsin residents who are not of the Christian faith have told Gaylor they feel uncomfortable during the holiday season because of the Christian undertones stemming from the state-owned holiday tree.
"I have been told by people of minority faiths for years they feel like outsiders when they go by the tree," Gaylor said.
However, Schneider said people of other religions should not be offended, as there are objects of importance to other religions in the Capitol as well.
"They put up a menorah there, which is a symbol of Judaism, and they don’t call it a Holiday Candle," Schneider said.
But Gaylor said the menorah is sponsored by a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who had to apply for special permits to place the candelabra in the building
"The menorah has a name attached to it," Gaylor said. "The tree is owned by the state. It does not require a permit because it’s put up by the state."
The menorah and an accompanying sign were both placed in the Capitol as a response to the holiday tree, and FFRF placed a sign in the Capitol as well to address its belief.
Despite the Christian beliefs pervading Christmas trees today, the tradition began as a pagan ritual, Gaylor said.
"[Trees predate] Christianity," Gaylor said. "Green signifies the continuation of life."
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Don’t they have a State to run?
oh good. i’m glad that all of the state’s other problems have been solved so that we can spend time on the moronic holiday/christmas tree debate once again.
marlin schneider, stop hitting on other legislators. i’m asking santa for you to get the hell out of the assembly.
signed, one angry democrat
rumor has it, Doyle is replacing the tree with a festivus pole. great, now i’m offended.
pssh Christmas trees are commercial, not Christian. Many non-Christians have a Christmas tree up in their homes. Christmas is becoming more and more un-Christian in many aspects.
If politicians and activists put as much energy and passion into ending poverty, expanding healthcare, and improving education as they put into semantic debates like this, the world would be a better place.
Jesus who?
I just wish Annie Gaylor would go away and find something better in her life to fight for. She is a waste of space and energy.
The term “holiday” now covers all religious celebrations toward the end of the year. It is not following with the traditions of all of these other religions to force them to accept a “tree” as a symbol of their celebrations. Call it what it is, a CHRISTMAS TREE. If Annie Gaylor had her way, America would be a bunch of Godless, moraless liberals that have no traditions whatsoever.
According to Gaylor, the state “shouldn’t be celebrating a religious holiday.” Great! Perhaps Ms. Gaylor will work to get my mail delivered, the Senate in session, and other state workers in office on Christmas day! And pray, will Ms. Gaylor herself be in the office on Dec. 25th?
It is entirely possible to be an areligious liberal and still have morals. Plenty of Christians are amoral, so don’t kid yourself by thinking that Christianity is an instant dose of morality. Anyway, call it a Christamas tree- I have a hard time believing that Jews, Muslims, atheists etc… spend their time caring about such nonesense as this.
I am an atheist who celebrates Christmas. Santa and the tree have nothing to do with Christianity. Show me a bible passage about the xmas tree. No? Ha. That said…
It has always been, and always will be, a CHRISTMAS TREE. Duh. Call it a chicken sandwich for all I care. Ask a four-year old what it is. It’s a Christmas tree.
Why do our tax dollars fund this when education gets crapped on year after year?
Why doesn’t the state pay for the Menorah? Or some Wiccan symbol? How about a tribute to Satanism? I’d like a Festivus pole and Feats of Strength ceremony with Doyle. Or is it just that the majority faith gets endorsed, and everyone else can suck it?
Serenity Now!!
butt heads
Please call it what it is, a CHRISTMAS TREE!
Annie, you have missed The Whole Point about our Lord. I’m not an uneducated person. I have 10 years of college behind me and I am an R.N. that has been a Director of Nursing for many years. All that I can say is you need to have experienced what I have with people in the dying process. There have been so many times these wonderful ~ precious people were right at deaths door. I would see them look up or beside themselves and reach for the Heavenly Presence they were seeing. I once had a lady that was less than a minute of passing away. I was talking to her and she looked passed me, a hugh smile came across her face and said, “Oh Lord it’s You”, a moment later, she passed. You could just feel that we were not alone. I was unable to move for a time, the room was full of The Presence of Heaven. I have also seen a lady that was very mean pass away for about 6 minutes and returned. The strange part about her return was she came back screaming, ” Oh!!!!! I didn’t like it there, Oh my God it is terrible down there”. I could go on and on about such experiences. I have seen people that were full of cancer and there was prayer and no cancer could be found. It has sent some of our physicians to their own knees at times. If ever you had any doubts about Our Lord, just walk in some of the shoes of some of our health care people and see God’s wonders at work. It is so sad to hear how Our Lord is so disrespected and treated with such disreguard. I know about how church and state issues can be a problem with some people that truly do not understand or have experienced the wonder of our Lord. How sad and terrible for that person. They know nothing about faith and the wonderful walk with Christ. To feel Him in our life is worth everything. It is as real as air. You can’t see air and yet you are aware of it being there and keeping you alive. It is just as true with God. I don’t have to see Him to know that He is there. There will be a day when Annie will stand before Him and have to account for her actions. I know that she does not believe that, but that does not change the FACT that she will have to account for what she has done. She will be looking into The Face of The One that she has rejected and have tried to turn people away from Him. All that I can say is: God have mercy on her soul. It does not end with our death on this earth, it is Truly just the beginning. If there was ever in doubt in my mind before, after all that I have seen and experienced in my nursing, I have no doubt at all now. There IS a GOD, I have seen His glory fill a hospital room and people’s lives. Thank You Jesus for dying for me and God ~ Thank You for allowing Your Son to die in my place. Looking forward to being with You someday. I love You Lord and I’m sorry that some of the one’s that you have made not only don’t know You, but deny You. How this must hurt You. I’m sorry my Lord. By the way Annie, God loves you and wants you to love Him. He is waiting.