I heard on the tube this morning that there is a Muslim hotel [I missed the rest of the story...I think the hotel was in the Middle East somewhere] that put up a HUGE Christmas tree. 'Bet you won't find any Christmas tree in Israhell....the Israhell police would tear it down.
that is exactly right. Israel is extremely intolerant of christmas trees or any christmas display. If a private home has a christmas tree in it, they will take it down if they find out about it.
and in the muslim world they like Christmas. They like the celebration, the customs, the gift-giving. They encourage christmas shopping at shopping malls in muslim nations. and they're actually even giving gifts to each other at christmas some of them.
this indicates that many muslims have no hostility to christians, and that the Israelis are hostile.
But Christmas isn't even very christian IMHO. Where is it spoken in the christian bible that we should celebrate it and engage in its customs? There is the verse in the old testament that specifically ridicules the christmas tree custom.
Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jeremiah 10:3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jeremiah 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
It is interesting to see that the Federal Reserve's regulations which they came up with are more important than the US Constitution on this matter. The constitution says that congress shall make no law with respect to religion. yet congress created the federal reserve and the federal reserve can stop religious expression.