by Zach Bigalke

Created on: June 06, 2007

I believe that it is the role of the citizens in any government to practice privately their religious beliefs. Like the old football saying goes to those who showboat in the endzone after a touchdown: Act like you've been here before. Flaunting something of profoundly spiritual significance with a few tacky lights and banners not only discriminates in favor of one religious holiday over another; it also cheapens the significance of the holiday for those followers as well.

What does Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? What does the Easter Bunny have to do with his death? This question effectively becomes the question of allowing Christian symbols in a predominately Christian nation. For instance, how would Muslims feel if these symbols of Hanukkah or Christmas happened to be paraded during Ramadan celebrations? The admission of some symbols of majority religions could potentially trump and desecrate another religion's holiday celebrations.

However, the government in question must be secular for this argument to hold. The government of Israel, for instance, can display all the Passover paraphernalia it wishes...because the government and nation is a Jewish state. Iran can display all the Muslim symbols it wishes in its public squares...because it is an Islamic state. Countries such as the United States, founded on secular ideals, have no business sanctioning the celebration of ANY holiday. And, even if every religious holiday for EVERY world religion was celebrated with displays, it would be tantamount to an endorsement of each.

The separation of church and state is in place so that one man's spirituality does not infringe on another's. When the government sanctions the display of any holiday symbol on public land, it does so at the peril of severing this separation. And once that happens, we come one step closer to forming our own sectarian state. Which is precisely what the United States and other "progressive" governments purport to be fighting...

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