More Grinchiness: Green Bay Pentacle Wars
Monday December 17, 2007
I had a feeling it would happen, but was amazed it happened so quickly. The Wiccan pentacle on display next to a manger scene at the Green Bay city hall was vandalized last night. In the wee hours of the morning, someone climbed up a ladder and removed the pentacle wreath, which was found with some minor damage behind some shrubs. The wreath, which was donated by Circle Sanctuary, has not yet been re-installed.
A sheriff's deputy was stopped by a resident who had seen someone on a ladder at City Hall around 12:30 in the morning. By the time the deputy got to the scene, the vandal had fled the scene, but conveniently left his ladder behind. The suspect is described as a white male in a gray parka and hat with ear flaps (probably not an uncommon sight in Wisconsin in December), and around 5'10" to six feet tall.
Later this week, Green Bay's city council will discuss what sort of displays are acceptable on government sites. The city currently has no ordinances regarding the display of religious materials on public property.
A sheriff's deputy was stopped by a resident who had seen someone on a ladder at City Hall around 12:30 in the morning. By the time the deputy got to the scene, the vandal had fled the scene, but conveniently left his ladder behind. The suspect is described as a white male in a gray parka and hat with ear flaps (probably not an uncommon sight in Wisconsin in December), and around 5'10" to six feet tall.
Later this week, Green Bay's city council will discuss what sort of displays are acceptable on government sites. The city currently has no ordinances regarding the display of religious materials on public property.
It’s amazing how a fellow Wisconsonite can be so disrespectful. I was glad to hear that Madison has a pentacle up. Green Bay was a pleasant surprise. Now, someone decides to think it’s right for them to remove something just because it isn’t Christian. I’m embarrassed to admit I’m from Wisconsin.
LOL — that’s okay, you still have the Packers… and beer… and cheese…
patti
I saw the story about the Pentacle being displayed on the news last night, and was so happy I just about BURST! How sad it’s followed by this act of ignorance. Imagine the outcry if that same someone had defaced the manger scene that was just below it! Sad…very sad.
Every year, I’m still amused that nobody gets offended by “Christmas” trees. It’s nice that ignorance, though it so often works against us, also works for us. Thanks to people who don’t know a whole lot about the history of their beloved symbols, I still get to see decorations that are important to my faith at “Christmastime”, even if it’s not so obvious as a pentacle. Trees all over every city are decorated beautifully, and I’m glad that symbol at least has become mainstream.
Isn’t that funny! I think of myself as a fundamentalist Christian, though when I see the company I wonder.
Anyhow, the five pointed interlace star is, as far as I know, the star of Solomon, and was probably the least pagan decoration up.
The winter nativity, trees, gold and silver balls, strings of cranberries, holiday wreaths, the whole lot of it is strictly pagan in origin, as I’m sure readers here well know.
Isn’t it funny that a Jew who objects to these symbols would then give a “secular” presentation on Channukah, a holiday to celebrate driving the pagans out of Jerusalem and the miracle that occurred in rededicating the temple to YHWH?
Churches should be ashamed to display nativity scenes, especially at Winter Solstice. To do so is clearly a rededication of their temples to Mithra, regardless of their intent.
With the churches picking up the most superficial parts of pagan holidays while dropping what is essential in Christianity- Love one another as I have loved you- is it any wonder there is such a rift between pagans and self-proclaimed Christians?
If the churchgoers wish to do away with pagan symbolism they would do well to look to themselves first.
It’s the mush-mouthed “True meaning of Christmas” trollop that keeps me well away from churches this time of year.
We do have the Packers (who btw are playing well. Here’s to hoping we have home field advantage…) and the cheese. But it would be nice to see a little more tolerance.
No one religion has all the answers. They do answer the need of the followers, but we’re not clones of each other. Myself, I thrive on diversity. I like to the see the creativity in human nature. It’s unfortunate so many don’t.