Thoughts on public religious displays

So first, complete disclosure. Born into Catholicism, raised Catholic and stuck with it.

Separation of church (religious beliefs) and state must come first. I believe it is the responsibility of the religious to counsel government leaders in a manner for them to best serve humaneness. That last word has major implications. In my mind, erecting any specific, religious or nonreligious image on public property implies that (state) particular government leadership supports that religion or nonreligion.

So, set up your images, religious or otherwise, on your own property, as public property is owned by the public comprised of many beliefs. If people want to erect any noninflammatory (another can of worms) display on public property, perhaps the locale could be rented.

But here’s where it all gets funny. Since it was a little unclear to me how one would celebrate something in which one didn’t believe, I wondered just what imagery would atheists use if they could put something on public property at Christmas? My first thought was that if you believed in nothing, just leave the green empty.

Then I read Jacqueline Smith’s well-balanced, informative interview with James Naddeo (Dec. 9). But how can anyone not wonder why affiliations, secular or religious, pick this time of year to speak out; 2,000 years folks —plenty of time to time to find a date for your own cause or belief and erect whatever it is you want to erect in Bethel, or anywhere else. Then I guess the Christian vocal minority can make a fuss over us not being allowed to celebrate God that day.

Then there’s Christianity. As a believer, if you like the bright star concept, thought by some scholars to be the convergence of Venus and Jupiter marking the birth of Christ, that was June in 2 BC. But in 7 BC it was October. If you prefer using the concept of marking the time with: “.... when the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks in the field,” it was in the spring. If you like timing it from Elizabeth’s conception to Gabriel’s announcement and Mary visiting her cousin, it would be September. But, depending on which source you use as a reference, Jesus may have been born in the fall, or spring, or summer. It certainly seems December wasn’t it.

Then there’s the whole winter solstice Saturnalia thing. I think it’s kind of sad for believers that early religious leaders were so spiritually weak and thought so little of the actual birthdate of “God The Son” that they moved it to co-opt pagan festivals. Fortunately, if you believe in Jesus, it doesn’t matter how a bunch of guys in fancy robes manipulate the concept of God, because believers carry Jesus in their hearts.

I see “much about nothing” connected to beliefs or disbeliefs, and a sadness when this should be “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Believe, don’t believe. But since Santa Claus is coming to town, maybe, just maybe, we could “be good for goodness sake.”