Posted: Monday, 21 December 2009 11:06AM
Lawyers Buy Candy Canes For Jesus
Steve Corbett Reporting
Monday, December 21, 2009
As I drove through Scranton the other night, the holiday lights of South Side twinkled like a sky bursting with bright stars.
I love Christmas lights.
Big or small, I embrace the color and the glory of the celebration symbolizing the birth of Jesus.
I also take seriously the victorious message of Hanukkah so brightly illuminated by the lights on the Hanukkah menorah.
Despite their differences, Christians and Jews share a common holiday season.
And although I belong to neither faith, I respect the holy traditions of both as set forth by sincere and heartfelt followers.
When I attend a Catholic funeral Mass, I follow the ritual. When I enter a synagogue, I wear a yarmulke.
I respect other faiths and no faith as well.
Liberty and justice for all is the driving spirit of America, a place where a diverse population must remain welcome to practice devotion to a higher power or go about the business of life while worshipping no god at all.
My own spirituality is deeply personal and I practice daily as best I can.
Mu holiday wish is that Zen Buddhists like me, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Baptists, Wiccans and all other members of the human race practice peace and harmony. We are interconnected and depend on each other to help this world survive. We need to depend on ideas large and small to improve the world we share because life does not last forever.
Yet Luzerne County officials seem intent on pushing the menorah and the manger at the expense of everyone else. They are willing to place a red-nosed reindeer or a snowman amid the solemn Nativity scene and the sacred lighted bulbs of the menorah.
Yet nobody has suggested placing a Buddha among the wise men.
Frankly, I don’t want a Grinch in the manger to trivialize the hallowed birth of Jesus.
I particularly don’t want lawyers weighing in as heroes in this antagonism that pits people against each other at a time when peace on earth is needed as much as ever.
But a court case is what we’ve got.
The American Civil Liberties Union has made it clear that an abundance of religious symbols on the courthouse lawn violates the law. A solitary plastic snowman doesn’t temper the main message of Judeo/Christian dominance in Luzerne County. And Americas is a nation of law where all faith and no faith must be guaranteed.
Tradition can be good and bad.
Deeply-rooted ethnic and religious traditions can be wonderful as long as they are not pushed on others at their expense. Yet, such subtle intimidation is exactly what is happening on the courthouse grounds where government workers for years erected such blatantly religious holiday scenes.
The ACLU threatened legal action to stop the abuse.
Thankfully, county officials complied.
Then more lawyers from a high-powered law firm entered the fray, offering to defend the county for free against any ACLU action. The lawyers even wrote a check for $1,000 to purchase secular items to use in the display.
But a candy cane for Jesus won’t sweeten this very bitter dispute.
Sides have been drawn.
Happy holidays soured.
The lights went out on the menorah and he “m” in manger has been ripped from the crèche leaving only anger to greet the spirit of goodness the holiday is meant to represent.
County workers this morning began to reconstruct the scene.
Who won?
Look inside your heart for the answer. Shine a light into the dark corners of your soul. Search your conscience.
Merry Christmas.
Happy Hanukkah.
Assalamu Alaikum.
Peace be unto you.
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Corbett
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