<p>[UNC</a> libraries to forgo Christmas trees - Local News | CharlotteObserver.com](<a href=“http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/394604.html]UNC”>http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/394604.html)</p>
<p>i don’t really think christmas trees have a place in our public libraries, to be honest. i definitely don’t object to their removal…</p>
<p>I totally agree with you leah377. While they’re at it they should remove the third floor of Davis Library. All those books on Christianity infringe on my constitutional freedoms. Stupid people trying to change up the decor of the library occasionally. It’s insanity!!!</p>
<p>how do they “infringe on your constitutional freedoms?” You’re given the freedom of religion, meaning you don’t have to read those books.
I’m an atheist. Put up all the Xmas trees you want UNC.</p>
<p>it’s one thing to have scholarly texts on various religions in a library, but it’s another to basically endorse christianity by putting up a huge christmas display every year…</p>
<p>How is putting up Christmas trees endorsing christianity. I mean yes, they are symbols of the Christian faith but they are also symbols of this time of the year. Look at Wal-Mart, Macy’s, NEW YORK CITY, what do you see? Christmas trees. People put them up, not necessarily to force religion down your throat, but to be “festive.” Because if you think NYC is a religion-oriented city. ha. My hometown has a christmas tree downtown. So do Dallas, Boston, Washington D.C., and Chicago. So, it’s tradition and decoration, not religious propaganda. </p>
<p>This sounds exactly like the debate over PCness. We could bicker about it all day.</p>
<p>The Christmas Tree thing is only an issue with a very few people. I’m not religious at all but I grew up celebrating Christmas and still enjoy the holidays, including Christmas trees. I really don’t see how having a Christmas tree is “endorsing Christianity”, it’s way more of a cultural thing than it is religious.</p>
<p>I’ve yet to meet any non-Christian who is actually offended by the trees, I’ve actually heard from a lot of my friends who aren’t Christians that it doesn’t bother them in the least and they actually like the trees. </p>
<p>I think people who get all uppity about a Christmas tree need to stop being so uptight. When the vast majority of people here celebrate Christmas I don’t see what the big deal is with having a few Christmas trees and what-not. Put up some Kwanzaa or Hanukah stuff too; hell get a Festivus pole for all I care. </p>
<p>When Davis puts up a nativity scene and a life-size cross then start complaining.</p>
<p>As a Jew, I completely agree with ^^. I am 100% NOT offended by any christmas trees, and in fact, I actually love them! I think they’re just festive and I’m more offended by them ruining holiday spirit than them not putting up Hanukah decorations or something like that. What’s next- we can’t decorate with snow flakes because it might offend the people in Florida who don’t get snow during the holidays??</p>
<p>Apparently you’ve missed the thousands of books on other religions in the library as well. Not to mention the ones in different languages. Has anyone seen the weird Chinese maps sections?</p>
<p>Just for an update on this issue, check out this video
[Christmas</a> at Carolina | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://universityrelations.unc.edu/campaigns/2008/12christmas/]Christmas”>http://universityrelations.unc.edu/campaigns/2008/12christmas/)</p>
<p>I hate to ruin it for everybody, but I’m pretty sure the comment about removing the books was sarcastic…</p>
<p>chs is right on about the sarcasm… sorry folks</p>
<p>I can’t believe how long it took for someone to point out that egghead was being facetious. </p>
<p>This issue is hardly unique to UNC. But it is a legit issue. There are holiday/consumer/materialistic icons and there are religious icons. In the world in which I am the king, the former will be ok but the latter will not in public spaces but would be allowed in public view -such as on the lawn of a church, synagogue or mosque, or a private home.</p>
<p>OK: Christmas trees. Wreaths. Sleighs. Santa. Menorahs (barely). Festivus motifs. Angels (barely). Gelt. Reindeer. Inflatable Snoopys and Homer Simpsons.</p>
<p>Not ok: Crosses. Jesus iconography. Tablets. Moses. Creche scenes. Bible/Torah/Koran.</p>
<p>Then, of course, there is the arbitrary line drawing. A tree is ok but not cross or Jesus on top of it. A menorah is ok but not if it is inscribed with the Hebrew prayers. </p>
<p>Ah, it is good to be king.</p>
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<p>yeah, it was a sarcastic comment in response to my opinion about the christmas trees, but it wasn’t really a joke. egghead basically said that removing the trees was so ridiculous it was akin to removing religious texts from the library–however, i’d counter that we’re dealing with completely different issues there…</p>