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The National Christmas Tree and a Jewish President
With all the election hoopla going on at present, I've been thinking a lot about the presidency. Even though Bernie Sander's chances seem slim to win the Democratic nomination, if he did, and ended up winning the presidency, he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.
As a non-Christian president, regardless of how religious or nonreligious Bernie Sanders personally is, what happens to the "National" Christmas tree and all the Christmas decorations in the White House? Is the White House just the president's "home," and he can decorate it however he wants? Is it a public building and the personal religion of the current president doesn't matter? Is it a mixture of both?
Even if it is a public building, should that matter? Should the White House, a pseudo-government building, have a Christmas tree in the first place? Yes, I know that the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christmas tree is permissible on public and government property (Lynch v. Donnelly for those of you who are curious), but I think they're wrong. Would we really expect a Jewish president, Bernie Sanders or anyone else, to light the National Christmas tree? To have his house, White or otherwise, filled with Christmas decorations?
Just curious what people's thoughts were on here...
As a non-Christian president, regardless of how religious or nonreligious Bernie Sanders personally is, what happens to the "National" Christmas tree and all the Christmas decorations in the White House? Is the White House just the president's "home," and he can decorate it however he wants? Is it a public building and the personal religion of the current president doesn't matter? Is it a mixture of both?
Even if it is a public building, should that matter? Should the White House, a pseudo-government building, have a Christmas tree in the first place? Yes, I know that the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christmas tree is permissible on public and government property (Lynch v. Donnelly for those of you who are curious), but I think they're wrong. Would we really expect a Jewish president, Bernie Sanders or anyone else, to light the National Christmas tree? To have his house, White or otherwise, filled with Christmas decorations?
Just curious what people's thoughts were on here...
Comments
I suspect the christmas celebrations would happen identically with Sanders, or even an openly atheist president, as they have for generations.
Of course, this could all just be my shitty memory, which also remembers menorah lightings at the White House.
Yes, the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christmas Tree is non-religious in nature, I even supplied the case, and yes, Christmas is a national public holiday, but I disagree with them, and personally, if there were more non-Christians on the Court when that decision was decided, I think the outcome might have been different. Just look at the recent abortion case argued last week and how the three women Justices basically eviscerated Texas's arguments.
What would happen if a non-Christian or atheist president refused to have a Christmas Tree in the White House? Would we force him or her to have one? Because if we did, that's getting awfully close to the whole "establishing a state religion" thing that the First Amendment specifically prevents.
I'm not 100% sure, Rym, but if I would hazard a guess, I'd say you're from a Christian background. While it's common for former religious Christians to still put up a Christmas Tree, I don't see a lot of my non-religious Jewish friends suddenly putting up trees in December.
I mean, the Obamas sent out Kwanzaa greetings. I believe there's a menorah in the White House, and don't they light it?
Basically, the options that make me happy are to either make it entirely secular, or to acknowledge multiple faiths.
Obviously, you can't acknowledge all faiths - but giving nods to several major denominations is close enough for me.
Yes, I am speaking from a very privileged perspective here. This is not an issue I've actually considered before at all, so I'm interested in the discussion.
Pete, to address your post, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a "Separation of Church and State" absolutist. I think we should take God off our money, out of our Pledge, etc, so I know that my views may sound extreme to some people.
At the same time, as the US becomes increasingly nonreligious and more diverse, what Christians (or former Christians) consider secular isn't always the same as what people of other faiths believe.
Sure, historically and culturally, a Christmas Tree has no religious significance. But overall, with some exceptions, a Christmas Tree is only affiliated with one religion and during one time of year. People don't put up Christmas Trees in January or February to celebrate winter, they put them up in December and then most people take them down after New Year's.
Yes, the Supreme Court, in Lynch v. Donnelly, held that a Christmas Tree isn't a religious symbol, but not one of the Supreme Court Justices were of another faith. I'll go back to my original argument that it's not Christians who get to decide what's a secular holiday, or a Christian religious symbol, it's what non-Christians think. I couldn't tell you for sure, but I would bet that if the case were held today, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan might have a unique perspective on this issue, just like they did on last week's abortion case in Texas.
At the end of the day, I think you have two outcomes:
A) If the White House is the president's personal home, he or she can decorate it however the president wants... But, this is a country that had a major freakout when Starbucks just had red coffee cups. Imagine the shit storm that would happen if a Jewish president cancelled "White House Christmas."
B ) If the White House is a government building, then there shouldn't be any religious symbols in it. No Christmas Tree, no Menorah, no Kwanza whatevers. Nothing. I know this is an extreme view, but having Christmas decorations all over the White House and a Tree in nearly every room available to the public and one Menorah thrown in the corner somewhere isn't being egalitarian, it's tokenism. It's basically saying "we're not establishing a religion because we have a Menorah... see? See?" How is this any different from a movie that has an all white cast except for the obligatory "street-smart" black person?
Edited to add:
Here's a link to the official "Holidays at the White House 2015" page. Lots of multi-religious events going on there...
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house/holidays-2015
Also, the religious christians in America are themselves the ones claiming that christmas is "under attack" and becoming a secular holiday. They've admitted our premise. That's the first step toward rhetorical downfall.
This has worked. More than one smaller town has banned all religious displays rather than allow the satanists to have one. It's a long term way to push religion out entirely, as the people who most want Jesus stuff are also literally afraid of Satan stuff.
Let me put it this way...
Imagine if Jews suddenly stopped having Seders for Passover and instead, just celebrated the holiday by giving gifts and eating matzoh and chocolate covered macaroons. No ten plagues, no exodus from Egypt retelling, no Four Questions, just gifts and no bread for eight days. Now, Jews all across the US suddenly declare that Passover is a secular holiday and should be a national holiday as well. Time off from school and work for everyone!
But it doesn't work that way. Jews don't get to suddenly decide if Passover is a secular or religious holiday. The only way that happens is if non-Jews suddenly start celebrating non-religious Passover as well. Despite Christianity being the dominant religion and culture in the US, Christmas only "truly" becomes a secular holiday if the overwhelming majority of people of other faiths start celebrating it as well. Christians can gut their religion as much as they want, but until everyone else in the country agrees with them, it's a religious holiday.
Satanists are non-christians, so they also get to decide.
All this discussion still doesn't answer my original question though:
If a Jewish or non-Christian person became president, would they have to have a National Christmas Tree in the White House?
Gotta pick your battles. That's how you win wars.
I personally like to put up lights because it's fucking DARK in winter, and I'm most likely to celebrate the turning point where the days start getting longer more than anything else... even if it's not a religious celebration.
It will happen in our lifetimes.
They took down the 10 commandments. Now Satan's in Detroit.
Satan'sprettycool