Rabbi Sues Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Over Christmas Decorations

Once again, in a country touted as a "Christian Nation" where a majority of the people identify themselves as Christians and where tradition certainly attests to the veracity of this claim, an individual has forced the majority to bend to his will.

The Associated Press identifies the individual in this story as Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who, of course, hired an attorney to force the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to add a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday decorations so there would be no "exclusivity" in the holiday celebrations. Rather than comply and rather than risk a lawsuit, the airport removed all traces of the holiday decorations celebrating Christ's birth.

I just wonder what would happen if a Christian went into an exclusively Jewish neighborhood or, better yet, into some public place in the nation of Israel and demanded they not "be exclusive" in their holiday decorations. What would happen if a Christian threatened to hire a lawyer (the American way-do as I want or I will sue you and make you) if the Christian didn't get his way of "non-exclusivity?"

I just wonder.

This is not an issue of Christians versus Jews or any other religious group. This is an issue about how the majority can be forced by one individual wanting "his way or it's the highway." It is an issue about how America became a country in which special interest groups or individuals, who have the money, hire lawyers to force the majority to bend to that group's or individual's will.

It is an issue of "I want my way and I will force you with my money and my lawyers to get it."

The individual in this case just happens to be a Rabbi who wants his way and is forcing his will upon the majority.

Why is this wrong?

It is wrong because it is simply a case of selfishness. It is a case where someone wants something and has the means to force the will of the majority to bend to his will.

But...maybe I am wrong. Perhaps it is a case of selfishness as well as someone who so detests the exclusivity of Christianity that he would do anything to eradicate all traces from public places. And, if the truth be known, he would want to eradicate all traces, period.

I could be wrong.

The truth is the individual whose birthday we celebrate on Christmas was heralded by the prophets of the Old Testament and the writers of the New Testament as the only begotten Son of God, without whom no one would enter the Kingdom of God. The writers of the New Testament believed Jesus of Nazareth to be that Messiah.

And, if anyone has a problem with that, they should be complaining to the ones who wrote of that exclusivity. Or, maybe even complain to the One to whom the claim of exclusivity was attributed.

The writers of the New Testament wrote that Jesus claimed to be "The Way the Truth and the Light, and that no one could come to the Father but through Him." If someone has a problem with the exclusivity of that claim, he has a problem with the one who wrote it and the one to whom the author attributed the claim.

Take it up with those who made the claim and not with those who believe the claim.

I am a protestant living in a catholic land. My wife and I moved to Mexico in 2003. I might add that the theme of this article was one of the reasons we left America. We live where there is true freedom of religion. There are no individuals ready to spring forward forcing their will upon the majority with silly and selfish threats of lawsuits because they don't like the will of the majority.

As a protestant, I would no more attempt to stop what I thought was an exclusive public display of Catholicism here in Mexico than I would try to stop something exclusively Jewish in Israel. Even if I wanted to, the government of Mexico does not allow such silly and stupid lawsuits. They have no allowances for selfish individuals who try to force the masses to do their bidding with their money and "hurt feelings."

It is because of people like Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky we left America.

Merry CHRISTmas to all.

1 Associated Press Updated: 5:29 a.m. CT Dec 11, 2006