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The Name of a Tree

November 25th, 2005

It’s Christmas season.

Family time, gift-giving, cold weather, and delicious food. It seems we’re also faithfully observing another annual tradition: That of fighting over the season’s name.

The Globe and Mail serves up this year’s main installment:

“Regarding the Christmas tree generously donated by Nova Scotia, I hope we can all celebrate it. Nonetheless, this tree is on public property and supported largely by tax dollars from many who vehemently support the separation of church and state,” said another in an e-mail.

I get nervous seeing a statement like this. It seems to follow the form of “I don’t necessarily feel X, but there’s a possibility that a member of group Y might, therefore Z.”

It states a possible viewpoint of an imaginary individual. It’s an impenetrable argument!

How do I even go about rebutting it? Make up more fictitious people with opinions and tastes that I can state without having to defend or take responsibility for? Discuss whether calling the tree “Christmas” really infringes upon the agnosticism of the state? It’s like a debate-club disaster.

No one wants to exclude the silent minority, fine. But does any other culture on earth make policy decisions on this kind of basis? “Seasons Greetings” may sound pretentious and silly, but it is somewhat more understandable for corporate and political America; various celebrations are held around the winter solstice. But to call a Christmas tree a “Holiday Tree” is factually incorrect. And anyone who busts out the “pagan traditions” argument can call it a Yule Tree or Life Tree, in celebration of those traditions.

Maybe as a 170 lb middle-class white Christian male, I’m just a little jealous. But let’s call a duck a duck this Christmas.

And have a merry one,

Mike

Discussion

  1. Mike, it is FAR to early for you to be posting Christmas messages. And no, I’m normally polite to people and don’t haul my religious beliefs in front of them, but knowing what little I do of yours I assume that you ought to know better.

    Posted at 9:12 pm on December 2nd by Christine.

  2. I wasn’t really intending to open the argument about whether the name “Christmas Tree” is really intolerant to non-Christians. My position is more that it’s silly to call it a Holiday Tree when everyone and their mother is calling it a Christmas Tree.

    But I guess that’s what I get for being a snark instead of presenting a full discussion.

    Posted at 8:02 am on December 3rd by Mike.

  3. Actually my point wasn’t on that argument, because I don’t like to get involved in that one, as many of the people who I’d be arguing against would decide to use ad hominum attacks against me.

    My point was against your closing.

    Posted at 6:02 pm on December 3rd by Christine.

  4. Hey hey, thought I’d post here cause this is a discussion I’ve had a couple times recently…

    I totally agree with you. Why call it a “holiday tree” when CLEARLY no other celebration includes a tree! Would we call it a “holiday menorah”? This world has become far too politically correct.

    Posted at 7:14 pm on December 4th by The Great Dafne.

  5. The example on Wikipedia was “Holiday Candles” for the Menorah, which is a good deal more offensive, I think.

    Although there seems to be lots of active editing going on with the Christmas Tree article right now; lots of discussion.

    Posted at 8:57 pm on December 4th by Mike.

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