Friday, March 24, 2006

Our sacred symbol: The Easter Bunny

Here is a wacky (whacky?) story of modern America, which I found among Jay Nordlinger’s Impromptus:
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Easter Bunny has been sent packing at St. Paul City Hall.

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.

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.”
Source: the Washington Post.

Nordlinger finds humor in the fact that the city of St. Paul has an official human rights director. That doesn’t surprise me at all. What I find sublimely interesting is what a dodo this guy (the human rights director, not Nordlinger) is. He is worried that a toy rabbit, pastel-colored eggs, and “Happy-Easter” signs are offensive to non-Christians?

They are offensive to me, as a Christian, trivializing, as they do, our holiest day. (Before you comment, I have no objection to “easter” baskets which, like Christmas presents, are an enjoyable though secular tradition—even though in our household we don’t do the easter basket thing.) I would be more than delighted if I never saw another Easter Bunny, although I have no interest in launching a campaign to criminalize him (her?).

Of course, even though I see no linkage between bunnies or pastel-colored (or primary colored, for that matter) hard boiled eggs and the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I could not care less whether (or not) City-Hall displays them.

These are fun times in which we live.

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