Christian Symbols Targeted rather than Religious Symbols in General

Country: International

Date of incident: December 18, 2007


The war on Christian Christmas symbols wages in many countries. Interestingly, it seems not to be about religion in general. It seems to be against Christian symbols. Find here a collection of cases from the United States.

Press release of Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, December 18, 07. - - - SELECTIVE INDIGNATION AT CHRISTMASTIME Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments today as follows: “It is simply wrong to maintain that the sensitivity police want to scrub society clean of all vestiges of religion. As the following examples demonstrate, Christianity is their real target.”
  • A spokesman explained that the reason K-Mart forbids calling Christmas trees Christmas trees is because “we do not want to offend any of our associates.” So they are dubbed “Holiday Trees.”
  • A staff member at North Seattle Community College was berated for discussing “Christmas cookies” in an e-mail.
  • Menorahs are called menorahs—not candelabra—at LSU, but Christmas trees are called “Holiday Trees.”
  • Hanukkah and the Islamic holy day Eid al-Adha are mentioned in the school calendar of the Spokane Public Schools, but Christmas is not.
  • Minutes after a “Giving Tree” was displayed at a school in Leominster, Massachusetts, some parents complained and it was immediately taken down.
  • A Christmas tree was taken down after a faculty member complained at Missouri State University, but was later restored. No one complained about the menorah.
  • A miniature nativity scene was removed from the main lobby of CentraState Medical Center in New Jersey, but was later restored. No one complained about the menorah.
  • Hanukkah is celebrated at Harvard, but not Christmas. A giant menorah sits in Harvard Yard but there is not a nativity scene in sight.
  • Pembroke Lakes Mall in South Florida displays a 5-foot-tall menorah but all nativity scenes have been censored.
Donohue concludes as follows: “In Israel there are menorahs aplenty. And in the Muslim nations, stars and crescents are displayed. So why is it that in a nation that is overwhelmingly Christian, manger scenes are banned but Jewish and Muslim symbols are not? There is something sick going on.” - end of press release -