Christmas, in all its Glory

In a letter to the editor (the title of which puts Christmas in scare quotes), College Chaplain Richard Crocker explains his tepid support for the Christmas Tree in the middle of the green.

Let us be direct and truthful. It is a Christmas tree. It is placed on the Green in keeping with a tradition (I know not how long-standing) at the College. For many people, it carries no religious meaning at all. For others, it does. Probably more people like having the tree there than dislike it. If there are requests from other traditions to display their festival symbols (e.g., lights on Diwali or a menorah for Hannukah), the display will most likely be welcomed; certainly I believe that it will be allowed.

For me personally, however, this is a difficult issue. Being a Puritan, I believe that such religious symbols belong only in places where their spiritual meaning is acknowledged (that is, churches and homes). But in this, and in so many other ways, my opinion is certainly a minority one.

For those interested in reading more about this topic, see today’s NYSun. Mark Steyn writes about religious language and symbols under attack, including an example of a suit brought by Hanover parents over the pledge of allegiance.