I'm one of those Orthodox Jews who doesn't celebrate this holiday, but who certainly supports everyone else's right to celebrate it and put up big old highly decorated trees in city halls and on mountain tops and anywhere else they'd care to do so.
Yay Christmas!
This morning on the Dennis Prager show I heard an interview with some law professor who intimated that the reason our founding fathers wrote the establishment clause was to protect people's feelings.
How wonderful that we live in a country where people are so out of touch with religious oppression that they can hold these kind of quaint ideas! Our feelings should be protected by the establishment clause! Ha!
I think the confusion might arise around the word "belief" by those who don't have any. Listen, I don't "feel" that the world is round, I believe that it is. I have never proved it to myself, but enough learned people have said so, enough satellite photos have been shown me that I am convinced that it is. I am not offended by people who believe it is flat. They could put up a big flat earth sign on the city hall and I would be fine.
Likewise, I do not "feel" that the Torah is true. I believe that it is. I have spoken to enough learned rabbis and come to the conclusion that every last syllable is a transmission from G-d Almighty. So does your tree bother me? No siree bob. Please have a tree. Please have a discussion with me about your faith if you like.
You want to get worried about religious freedom in America? Stop tearing down Christmas trees and ask PETA to leave kosher slaughter alone, thank you very much.
Best,
Robin
Posted by aprons-applepie
at 2:52 PM PST
Updated: Thursday, 23 December 2004 8:02 PM PST
