Palm Beach's Hostility to Christians

In Palm Beach Florida the town council allows the display of jewish Menorahs and a decorated tree (which comes from  north Euriopean pagan tradition) but it will not allow, under any circumstances, the Christians to display a nativity scene.  Nor may the tree be called a "Christmas tree".  In Palm Beach it is a "holiday tree".

If the jews of Palm Beach only knew that the "Holiday Tree" tradition is an ancient Nordic one and pre-dates Christianity!  Christians in Germany used a decorated tree at the Yule tide festivities for centuries but the tradition of a Christmas tree was first introduced into the English speaking world by Prince Albert, German-born husband of England's Queen Victoria.

It is kind of odd that the jews allow an Aryan symbol  to be displayed but refuse a nativity scene which harks back to their own middle eastern origins.

In order to right the wrong two Palm Beach residents are suing the town for refusing to allow the display of Christian Nativity scenes on public property alongside displays of the Jewish Menorah and the pagan tree.

The lawsuit, filed by a national public interest law firm, seeks an immediate temporary restraining order on behalf of the aggrieved Palm Beach residents.

According to the Thomas More Law Center, for the past two years the town of Palm Beach has permitted the public display of Jewish Menorahs at various prominent public locations, but town officials have repeatedly refused to consider requests to have Christian Nativity scenes displayed alongside the Menorahs.

This policy and practice, the suit alleges, demonstrates hostility toward Christians, and impermissibly conveys the message of disapproval of the Christian faith. The suit also alleges that Palm Beach has unconstitutionally deprived the plaintiffs of their right to freedom of speech and equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Constitution.

In a statement issued Monday morning, one of the plaintiffs said it is not his intention to remove the Menorahs, but rather to have a Christmas Nativity scene equally displayed alongside the Menorahs to acknowledge the celebration of Christmas.

Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, accused the town of Palm Beach of demonstrating a hostility towards Christianity during one of its holiest seasons.

"Christian residents of Palm Beach are being denied the right to express their religious message in a public forum that is open to other religious faiths, and the Thomas More Law Center has filed this lawsuit to stop this injustice," Thompson said in a press release.

He called the town's actions "another example of the national movement to remove Christ from Christmas."

The Thomas More Law Center filed a similar lawsuit last year against the New York City public school system whose written policy permits students to display the Jewish Menorah and the Islamic Star and Crescent, but prohibits students from displaying Christmas Nativity scenes.

A ruling on that case is expected soon.

Palm Beach does allow the display of a tree alongside the Menorah, so long as it is referred to not as a "Christmas tree" but as a "Holiday tree". This year there was a ceremonial lighting of the "Holiday tree" and the Menorah on December 1^st.

If the jews of Palm Beach only knew that the "Holiday Tree" tradition is an ancient Nordic one and pre-dates Christianity!  Christians in Germany had used a decorated tree at the Yule tide festivities for centuries but the tradition of a Christmas tree was first introduced into the English speaking world by Prince Albert, German-born husband of England's Queen Victoria.

It is kind of odd that the jews allow an Aryan symbol  to be displayed but refuse a nativity scene which harks back to their own middle eastern origins.

Sources and further reading:

http://www.townhall.com/news/politics/200312/CUL20031216a.shtml

Palm Beach City Council and then use the site's search box to find "holiday tree"