THE PUBLIC MIND: WHY NOT SIMPLY ENJOY THE COLORFUL LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS?

To the Editor:

The ~many comments~~ printed about lighting dis~plays in the County Park are not "m~uch ado about nothing." Fundamental ideas and emotions are involved. I visited the park and admired the displays for what they are: lighting arrangements~. I do wonder about a fiery-red cross, thou~gh.

Many as~pects of Christmas derive from p~agan practices. A pagan scheme was used to set the date: ancient beliefs required that a ~god be on earth for ~~whole years, measured from conce~ption. Since Jesus died at a vernal equinox he must have been conceived at a p~revious one and therefore born at a winter solstice. In the closing years of the Roman Em~pire, Mithraismn ~~as a dominant and popular religion and a major~ rival to Christianity. At this time Christian communities ~~were struggling~ to prevent some converts from defecting to the ~god ~of the rising ~sun. As Mithras was a god of light, elaborate dis~plays of light (bonfires, torchways and parades) were part of festive celebration of his s~~pecial time, which coincided with the winter solstice the time of the year when the sun began to move north from its lowest point~~~~. Thus, to retain those of w~eak faith and using the argument above, church fathers elected to use this time for celebrating Jesus's birth; despite implications~~ ~~within the gospel that the nativity should most likely be in spring.

Trees were material to many ancient religions this fact can be traced far back into mythological~ times. An isolated tree may have had special ~veneration as a representation of Yggdrasil, the tree of life; vines and ~gar~lands on it might~ represent~ the ~Midgard serpent which gnaws a~~t the tree. ~Because of the year-round color, evergreen trees ~were es~pecially imp~ortant to Celtic ~and ~~Germanic lore and rite. ~Medieval and renaissance ~artists often sho~~wed pines~ decorated with luminaries (sun, moon, star, ~planet, and so forth). Thus a lighted Christmas tree see~ms to be ~an amalgamation~ of ~~pagan symbols, as are ~many other ~Yule-tide decorations and customs.

Is it not ~permissible to adapt these to modern church use? ~It seems th~at, accordin~g to Deuteronomy (12:30-32 in ~~particular), the God of Israel (hence of the Jews) did not want His people to use tra~ppings~ of other ~gods even unknowingly. Jesus was a Jew who, I suspect~, would h~ave rejected these as well; ~perhaps there is an allusion to the old ~proscriptions~ in the comment about wineskins (~Matthew ~9:17). If it releases a ~~person to illuminate his house or to dec~or~ate a tree he should do so; but he ou~ght not to claim such for his peculiar~ religion.

The Gos~pel was~ to be presented to all people~~~, for each person to reject or to accent (the latter was encourag~ed). If Paul of Tarsus wr~ote t~o the effect that homosexuals, by their acts, rejected Christianity, then why do so many who claim that faith rant and rave about ~~people ~who cannot enter their religion? There are too many thin~gs to be concerned about which are more important~ than what some un~known ~persons may or may not be doing~ in private. In both Testaments are references advising the chosen people~~~ to tend to their own affairs (I Thessalonians 4:11). People~ who take offense at imagined wrongs ought to read Paul's remarks on charity (or love, in some readin~gs) in I Corinthians, Chapter 13 and think of the many meanings in "...by the grace of God I am what I am." (~I Corinthians 15~:8). Perhaps those without sin may judge others; however, he who believes himself to be sin-free is flawed by conceit.

What do the members of GLSA do at their meetings? I don't know as I have not attended one but I doubt they serve as dating services anymore than they are orgy oriented. ~Perhaps~ these people spend the meeting time ~~~~~~devising~ schemes for nettling bigots. Like it or not, the members of the GLSA do have a legal right~~~~ to or~~ganize (as does any Bible-st~udy ~group or the young Republicans) and all which are formed by and for students at the University may be recognized by the University and allowed to use its facilities in various ways. It is not illegal to be a homosexual; it is homosexual acts which are outlawed.

The Teacher wrote, "Cast thy bread up~~on the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." And to Paul is attributed "... for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (E~cclesiastes 11:1 and Galatians ~6:7). How bitter is the bread of they who spew hate! If members of some religious groups do not want non-members to take part in their festivities, let the latter be held on private ground. Since the park is owned by, and maintained for the public, perhaps a display which is specific to any one religion should be banned (that church/state separation thing, you know) and no sponsor's signs should be allowed (those who matter will know; those who do not know do not matter). "Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake ..." (I Peter 2:13).

Why not simply enjoy the colorful lights and decorations as symbols of happiness while they are available? There is no need to impugn hidden meaning in the displays or in the purpose of the sponsors.

John Strout

Cape Girardeau