St. Paul City Office Boots the Easter Bunny

[RDU Socialist]

This is beyond ridiculous:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060323/ap_on_fe_st/easter_bunny

<blockquote><b>A toy rabbit, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words “Happy Easter” were removed from the lobby of the City Council offices, because of concerns they might offend non-Christians.</b>

A council secretary had put up the decorations. They were not bought with city money.

St. Paul’s human rights director, Tyrone Terrill, asked that the decorations be removed, saying they could be offensive to non-Christians.

But City Council member Dave Thune says removing the decorations went too far, and he wonders why they can’t celebrate spring with “bunnies and fake grass.”</blockquote>

I'm trying to figure out how the Easter Bunny could be offensive, and I'm sorry to say I can not think of a single way.

[Terra Terra]

1. It's good to see they're focused on the important things

I seem to remember a quasi-terrorist rabbit in a certain Monty Python movie. Evil bunnies!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

2. As Olbermann would say, "The Big Head can't be far behind on this story"

[snooper2]

3. War on Easter...

the trilogy...

[liberal N proud]

4. You beat me to that thought

[Coventina]

5. Er....has anyone pointed out that there is NOTHING Christian about the

Easter Bunny?

It is COMPLETELY pagan. In fact, the word "Easter" is the name of a fertility goddess, and of course bunnies are a symbol of fertility. As are eggs. There is nothing "Christian" about "Easter Eggs" either. They are all remnants of pagan spring fertility rituals.

Maybe they should have banned the display because it would be offensive to non-Pagans. Christianity has nothing to do with it.

Of course, it makes my heart smile to see Christians participate in Pagan rituals. Bless their little hearts!
:-)

[MrPrax]

13. Well I was...but you beat me!!!

Yeah as a non-Christian, I am not offended...in fact, I was always under the impression that the 'some' Christians (the ones offended by everything) figure the Easter Bunny and the rest of his buddies, like Mr. Egg, are Pagan symbols and therefore VIOLATE religious symbols on public property too...

So take that...you pagans, secular humanists and druids!

[Demeter]

21. Santa Claus IS the Only Authentic Christian (Catholic) Symbol

and they back away from him like the Plague!

[MrPrax]

23. St. Nick goes back the the Plague, no?

However, here, there is much evidence to suggest that Santa is soft drink huckster whose very iconic facade announces weeks of consumer 'panic' and excess...

But the kids like it, so I can live with the Catlicker pretensions.. ;-)

So Santa is safe from Gitmo ... for the time being

(edit: to clean it up)

[Demeter]

46. St Nicholas is 300 AD. Long Before Plague.

[LostinVA]

16. There's NOTHING Christian about Easter at all!

The name, when it is (it involves MOONS), etc.

[FredStembottom]

24. Our none-of-the-above family happily partakes

in the "Christian" holidays. For just the reason you describe. They are so chock-full of lovely, enjoyable, historic, deeply traditional, anything BUT Christian activity.

Enjoy!

[leesa]

6. Actually, the bunnies and Easter eggs would offend rabid Chritians

It is clearly a pagan symbol of spring. Trying to start a bogus religious war, eh?

[Tesha]

8. What leesa just said: The bunny is a blatantly *PAGAN* fertility symbol.

It's far more likely some fundamentalist Christian would complain
about the bunny than some (e.g.) chocolate-loving atheist.

Tesha

[displacedtexan]

7. Removing a pagan symbol?

Offending non-Christians?

This story makes no sense to me.

The Easter Bunny is not a Christian symbol.

[northernsoul]

9. This is pretty marginal.

As a non-Christian (and a proud resident of St. Paul), I really dislike Easter because it's the holiday where my Christian relatives get pretty heavy-handed on the religious angle. Frankly, a lot of my bad feelings about the holiday have al ot to do with my own wierd family dynamics and how they get manifested on that day. Some Jewish acquaintences have related that they feel pretty marginalized on Easter as well.
However, as a constitutional matter I think they went too far in removing the rabbit & eggs from the city lobby. The "Happy Easter" sign probably does cross the line into violating the establishment clause of the first amendment (just like a sign reading "Hare Krishna" or "Hail Satan" would). More importantly, taking such action over a fairly trivial / borderline case like this just gives fuel to the paranoid B.S. of O'Reilly, Dobson, Robertson, et al.

These "Culture War" issues just serve as a distraction that divert people away from realizing that we are on a road back to the 12th Century in this country.

[xultar]

10. I'm glad it was removed.

[Radio_Guy]

11. Me too

Although the bunny itself has nothing to do with the Christian version of the holiday, anything related to Easter has no business on government property. That includes the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. A real SCOTUS would have put an end to that years ago. Instead yet another religious holiday gets shoved down our throats and we are expected to bend over and take it.

[NashVegas]

19. What Do You Have Against Gov't-Sponsored Fertility Celebration?

Hmmmm?

:evilgrin:

[RDU Socialist]

27. nobody is forcing you to take part in the holiday

seeing an easter bunny isn't taking part, just like seeing a minorah isn't taking part in hanukah. easter as it stands now for most people isn't religious, hence the use of a rabbit and eggs instead of the cross and crown of thornes. guess what? if the st. paul office building was forcing people to observe lent, not eat meat on good friday, or anything else associated with the RELIGIOUS aspect of the holiday you would have a point. However, showing the easter bunny doesn't qualify as they are celebrating the secular aspect of the holiday.

[no name no slogan]

28. No, but there's a large Muslim population in the Twin Cities

a good portion of them Somali refugees. If a government building is not welcoming to people coming to get assistance, it could be VERY problematic. If you've worked in social services for the government before, you'd know what I mean.

The display had no purpose in the government office, and could have deterred some people from getting help they needed. The display does not belong.

[RDU Socialist]

32. so if a christian went to their house during Eid or Ramadan

and there were decorations, you'd have no problem if they were offended and decided to not help? If someone sees an Easter Bunny, gets offended, and decides "no, i'm not going to get help because there's a rabbit and eggs" they're stupid. That's it, it's pure stupidity for either of those situations to occurr.

[no name no slogan]

36. If it's a HOUSE, no-- this is a city office

THAT'S the big difference. It is a PUBLIC place, paid for by public funds, which should not endorse (or appear to endorse) any single religion.

The display should go.

[RDU Socialist]

39. what if it's goverrnment subsidized housing?

that's paid for by public funds. You didn't refute the argument that anyone refusing to get help from a building with bunnies and eggs is stupid however.

These are secular images. Should public offices ban coke products with santa clause on them too? I don't care if someone is offended by this, because if they are they need serious help and the removal of toys and eggs won't do it for them. Or should we live in a society where nothing that could potentially offend anyone is allowed out in public? Should Irish images in the St. Patrick's Day Parade be removed because some Northern Irish protestant would get offended?

[no name no slogan]

40. It's not about being "offensive" to delicate tastes

You are trying to confuse the argument with "sensitivities" of others-- which only play a peripheral role in the whole argument.

The endorsement of one religion over another-- whether real or implied-- is a bad idea. ESPECIALLY in a country like ours that does not establish a state religion.

Plus, this is St. Paul, Minnesota. This city has long prided itself on our cultural tolerance-- which is one reason why we have some of the largest populations of Somali and Hmong immigrants in the nation, among others. The last thing we need is for the city to alienate a large part of its constituency because it appears to be endorsing something it has no right to endorse.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Since when are the Easter Bunny and eggs

symbols of a religious holiday?

Do you think Santa is also a symbol of the religious meaning of Christmas?

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Good. It's about time.

The small symbols matter just as much as the big ones. Even the smallest brick in the Wall of Separation must be protected.

As for it being a pagan symbol, so are crucifixion and resurrection. The origins don't matter; those are Christian symbols now.

But more to the point, government must not advance any religion, and that includes paganism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity - you name it. Pagan symbols and rituals don't belong any more than any other religious symbols and rituals.

[LostinVA]

17. No, they aren't "Christian symbols now"

Many Christians use them as Easter symbols, but they are Spring/Pagan/fertility symbols. Even an atheists can appreciate the renewal of Spring... and the salacious history the egg symbolizes!!!


Hey, Beltane is pretty close too, gang!

[Zhade]

29. So you support removing 'under god' from the pledge, I hope?

Also 'in god we trust' from currency?

[DavidDvorkin]

45. I certainly do.

The sooner, the better.

[baby_mouse]

14. Scary Easter Bunnies!

War on Eastertime indeed!

So, who does this benefit? clickclickclick

[LostinVA]

15. "Happy Easter" could be offensive....

However, the eggs and bunnies represent fertility and Spring, not Christianity... and this Pagan thinks that's fine!

on edit: To me, the eggs and bunnies are the same as a "Christmas" tree: it's cultural, no longer inherently religious.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. Happy Spring would be an acceptable alternative...

There's nothing religious about celebrating the return of warm weather...as long as they stick with bunnies, eggs, and baby ducks and leave crucifixes out of it.

[Sequoia]

18. The bunny has nothing to do with Jesus.

[Demeter]

20. Pagan Power!!

http://www.didyouknow.cd/easter.htm

"The Easter bunny originates from an ancient Anglo-Saxon carnival

The ancient Anglo-Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a carnival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eostre. The word carnival possibly originated from the Latin ‘carne vale' meaning "flesh, farewell" or "meat, farewell." The offerings were rabbits and coloured eggs, bidding an end to winter.

As it happened, the pagan festival of Eostre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ and it didn't take the Christian missionaries long to convert the Anglo-Saxons when they encountered them in the 2nd century. The offering of rabbits and eggs eventually (in the 8th century, it is thought) became the Easter bunny and Easter eggs."

[brentspeak]

22. PC gone amuck

Despite what Bill O'Reilly spams, there is no "War On Christmas". But even that liar wouldn't be wrong to ridicule this particular incident.

[KittyWampus]

41. I almost wonder if this is either fabricated or done on purpose to incite

Xtians.

Intentionally, as in- let's ban bunnies and marshmallow peeps from city hall, get in the newspapers and on O'Reilly and make fellow Fundies rally around our glorious leader.

[JohnKleeb]

25. Thats bullshit

It's stupid, I don't see how anyone could be offended by that.

[Minnesota Libra]

26. Isn't it nice to know they focus on the important issues of the day?......

.......:sarcasm: :banghead: :sarcasm: :banghead:

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. So did the Easter Bunny rise from the dead

on Easter morning? Am I getting my Xtian stories mixed up?

[LostinVA]

33. No, but he was at the tomb with Mary Magadelene...

I am soooo glad I don't believe in Hell anymore...

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. Just gotta ask this . . .

What were Mary Magdalen and Easter Bunny doing at (or in) that tomb? :evilgrin:

[Barrett808]

34. Pagans should sue -- The War on Eostarra!

That would be kinda fun.

[ConcernedCanuk]

37. Easter "bunny" belongs right up there with the tooth "fairy" IMO

.
.
.

Certainly shouldn't be a topic for political debate.

Speaking of famous "bunnies"

this came to mind



It's absolutely AMAZING what distracts politicians from their REAL jobs

[no name no slogan]

49. Hey, this IS Minnesota this year

we've got a number of wacky right-wing ideas coming down the pike. For example, one of the big fights going on at the state leg is whether or not we need a referendum to add a gay marriage ban to the state constitution.

It has already caused quite a bruhaha. But it sure beats governing.

[TrogL]

38. There is no Easter Bunny in the Bible

at least last time I checked.

[JeffR]

43. What would Jesus do?

"Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee. There they shall see me. And we shall have a great big Easter egg hunt, and shall have also bunnies, that we may celebrate a long weekend, and maybe get in a round or two of golf."

[NYC Liberal]

44. This is bullshit and over the top.

Let's get back to real issues, shall we? It'd be one thing if they were hanging crosses -- the Easter Bunny (a) isn't in the Bible, anywhere, and (b) isn't enjoyed by any particular religion.

[anitar1]

48. Speaking of bunnies, NYC Liberal, those 2 old bunnies

in your pic look as if they have been thrown away. I've seen the pic before, but for some reason it struck my funny bone tonight.

[radfringe]

47. Kill the WABBIT???

coming soon - Tooth Fairy Alarm systems

The Tooth Fairy encourages kids to lose their teeth. Using money as an incentive, the Tooth Fairy discourages good dental health in children. Many children won't brush their teeth, in hopes of causing the teeth to fall out and then they can collect money.

Tooth Fairy Alarm systems will be require to be installed in every child's bedroom to alert parents of this danger.

Preliminary investigations hint at a conspiracy between the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. According to officials, speaking anonamously, "The Easter Bunny gives our children sugary treats, and as we all know, sugar rots teeth"