For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas trees adorned with lights and ornaments have greeted holiday season visitors to UNC-Chapel Hill’s two main libraries.
They aren’t there this year.
The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kept in storage this year at the behest of Sarah Michalak, the university’s associate provost for university libraries.
Michalak’s decision followed several years of queries and complaints from library employees and patrons bothered by the Christian display, Michalak said this week.
Misinterpretation of history?
I was under the distinct impression that the Christmas tree has secular origins. Is there a place in the Bible that refers to a Christmas tree? I’m not talking about the cross, but an evergreen with stuff stuck all over it. Usually I am very pro separation of church and state, but this is ridiculous.
If by secular = worship of a god most people ignore, yes
The Christmas tree, if I remember correctly, originates from older Roman religious traditions that were religious in nature. I’ve heard other variants though. (That it comes from some Germanic traditions, not roman/saturn traditions). I would suspect a more indepth analysis is needed, but the tradition as used in the modern era probably is most closely tied to Christian practice in Europe.
But really, it doesn’t have a strong religious tie to most I suspect, being more in line with Santa than the nativity scene.
Christmas Tree
Let’s see; Ms. Michalek said “that libraries are places where information from all corners of the world and all belief systems are offered without judgment.” But for some reason a symbol associated with Christianity isn’t permitted. Now I don’t have my dictionary in front of me but isn’t her decision based on her judgment.
Perhaps she would approve of animal sacrifice instead.