Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Housing enmasse/kibbutz/hello from Sacramento

[Lon Goldstein (lgoldste]

>re: Christmas Trees

As a lurker on the list for some time now, I must de-lurk just long enough
to say thank-you to Rebecca and ditto, ditto to everything she has said
regarding the Christmas holiday.   Growing up as a minority (jewish in my
case) one builds up a strong resentment toward the all-pervasive
Christianity in the society and though I have evolved to respect those
whose Christian spiritual beliefs are sincerely held,  I *do* think it
important to occasionally remind folks that not all of us share those
beliefs.   And stating that it is not a Christian holiday doesn't cut it
either, not for truly practicing Christians nor for those who have grown up
a minority in this culture.  It may be a "worship of mass consumption"
holiday for many, and it may have Pagan roots, but it is not a universal
and benign holiday and would definitely merit discussion in any community
of diverse composition.
--Lon

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Lon A. Goldstein
(lgoldstein [at] ils.nwu.edu)
Institute for Learning Sciences                                (708) 467-1868
Northwestern University

"I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure..."
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