Religious Symbols at Public Sites

This letter relates to your interesting and intriguing coverage (Dec. 30) of the controversy in Santa Ana regarding the display of religious symbols in public buildings.

The commissioner of the Superior Court has seen fit to deny that the Jewish group in Santa Ana may display during this season a candelabra commensurately large as a Christmas tree already allowed on those grounds--the argument being that a Christmas tree is a sort of mixed religious and also non-religious cultural symbol of some sort, whilst the Jewish candelabra is not similarly so.

The ironies of historical fact apart from habit and emotionalism are, however, that the Christmas tree is an ancient German, pagan religious symbol that antedates Christianity; and its use was pushed forward originally by Martin Luther who was, among other things, virulently anti-Catholic, and anti-Jewish. So much for the Christmas tree’s ironic true history as a symbol of either Christianity, or of love and tolerance at this time of year.

Politically, we should perhaps ban all displays of symbols, no matter how pretty, that are hallmarks of any religion, or religious group, from any public places during the holiday season, to adhere to the popular and constitutionally provisioned separation of church and state. And limit decorations to bells, ribbons, bunting and flowers and the like. That all seems to do just as nicely in most places.

But if we must permit the display of trees, crosses or other symbols clearly associated with any one religion, particularly as practiced by one culture, we should then permit freely under rules of parity and equity, so to speak, the display of symbols of other religions in the same places, by members of other religions, as long as all such items and symbols are maintained by members of those groups willing to put them up.

America is a land of many religions, not just one religion or subreligion and perhaps if some day Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other religious symbols of belief and good will are seen in public buildings and on public squares that will both remind passers-by of that fact and give them an opportunity to learn something more about some of their neighbors in a seasonal--if not eternal--spirit of good will.

MATTHEW MAIBAUM

Los Angeles