Christmas decorations at the White House include a crèche in the East Room (despite reports that White House social secretary Desirée Rogers suggested that the Obamas were planning a "non-religious Christmas.") Should the White House, whose residents serve all Americans, display a crèche or a menorah or any strictly religious symbols during the holidays?
The president’s decision to display a crèche in the White House is not intended as a slight to people of other faith traditions, nor does it represent a secret agenda for the U.S. to become a Christian nation. It’s one family’s way of expressing the spirit of their faith—an authentic hope for peace on earth, good will toward men.
For Christians, the crèche is a symbol of the coming of Jesus into the world, a reminder of the great joy and celebration proclaimed by an angel at his birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
But these sentiments are not exclusive to Christianity. The religious landscape in the U.S. includes a growing number of traditions—including Judaism, Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Unitarian Universalism, Baha’i, Sikhism, Mormonism, Native American Religion, Spiritualist, Humanist, Scientology, Wiccan/Pagan/Druid, Taoist—and while each has its own distinctive character, most share a common goal of seeking harmony, peace, and unity for the people of the world.
If we accept these values as foundational to many faiths, then fighting over the appropriateness of a religious symbol in public places and government buildings is a political argument rather than a religious one. It’s a question not so much about freedom of religion as it is about freedom from religion. No one wants to have someone else’s faith forced on them, but all citizens should have the right to celebrate their own faith, in their own way, as long as it doesn’t limit another’s religious freedom. And this includes the president and his family.
President Obama marked the beginning of Hanukkah this week by asking that all Americans carry the message of this Jewish holiday in their hearts: “May Hanukkah's lessons inspire us all to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, to find light in times of darkness, and to work together for a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow." So the question is not whether the president should display a traditional Christmas symbol—or any other symbol—in the White House, but whether religious and non-religious Americans can join together in a common hope and vision for the future of humankind.
“On earth peace, good will toward men.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Peace on Earth???
ReplyDeleteAren’t humans amazing Animals? They kill wildlife - birds, deer, all kinds of cats, coyotes, beavers, groundhogs, mice and foxes by the million in order to protect their domestic animals and their feed.
Then they kill domestic animals by the billion and eat them. This in turn kills people by the million, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative - and fatal - - health conditions like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer.
So then humans spend billions of dollars torturing and killing millions of more animals to look for cures for these diseases.
Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals.
Meanwhile, few people recognize the absurdity of humans, who kill so easily and violently, and once a year send out cards praying for "Peace on Earth."
~Revised Preface to Old MacDonald’s Factory Farm by C. David Coates~
Check out this informative and inspiring video on why people choose vegan: http://veganvideo.org/