Secretary of State Approves My Request for a Festivus Pole (UPDATE – Mrs. Tolbert Report weighs in)
Most of you saw the news yesterday regarding the court ordered assembly of the Winter Solstice display on the state capital grounds. The display is sponsored by an atheist group called the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers. Since obviously atheist do not celebrate the birth of Christ, this group decided to virtually make up a holiday so that they could spread their message next door to the nativity scene on the state capital grounds.
When I saw the news that Federal Judge Susan Weber Wright overruled the decision of Secretary of State Charlie Daniels to deny the solstice display, I not help but find it ridiculous that this atheist group was being allowed to make a mockery of Christmas with their pseudo-holiday display. So I decided to file my own request for a made up holiday display from the world of television, a Festivus Pole.
NBC’s long running comical show Seinfeld gave birth to the holiday of Festivus which actually was a long running family joke of one the writers. On the show, Frank Costanza, George’s dad, came up with the idea for a “Festivus for the rest of us” after fighting over a doll in crowded store full of Christmas shoppers. This fictional holiday has taken on a life of its own on the internet with one retailer selling the traditional “Festivus Pole” which nothing more than an undecorated six foot aluminum pole.
So I asked the Secretary of State’s office if it would be alright for me to display a Festivus Pole on the state capital grounds as well. They handled the request in a professional but skeptical manner wondering how I could possibly be serious, but yet guiding me through the simple paperwork
and requirements to get approval. In the end, I decided against actually putting up the Festivus Pole because – one my wife strongly discouraged the idea for fear of being known as the lady married the crazy guy with the Festivus Pole and - two the lack of the time and expense needed to build and erect an aluminum monument for a made up holiday to simply prove a point.
The Winter Solstice display is now up at the capital and is certainly a monument to how far free speech can take us. However, if you do drive by to take a look at it, I hope you will think about the Festivus Pole which could be standing next door and then perhaps think about the true meaning of Christmas, that two thousand years ago God humbled himself to take the form of man so that through Him all the world might be saved.
UPDATE – Mrs. Tolbert Report weighs in on the Festivus controversy on Facebook…
“I am so sorry to tell you the Tolberts will not be putting up the Festivus Pole,” says Mrs. Tolbert Report. ”The blame can be placed on none other than myself. I refuse for our hard earned money to be used on providing said pole since we celebrate Christmas in such a way that the airing of grievances is still accomplished. I also refuse to be known as the wife of a politcal blogger AND the wife of the guy who put up the festivus pole. Either one or the other and I don’t see the blogging coming to a stopping point anytime soon. Sorry.”
December 17th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Jason the Festivus poll needs to stand, I will donate towards the cause
December 17th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Festivus for the rest …
OR
Good news of great joy which shall be for all people.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Jason, this is a great idea and I will help with time and expense, the Festivus pole needs to be put up right next to Free thinkers display.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Free speech means free speech for everyone. From Jerry Cox to the Free Thinker, from Martin Luther King to the KKK.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
You need to go ahead and put up the festivus pole! It will be a great place to air our grievances.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Miracles will ensue if only you pin your head to the thought of erecting
a Festivus Pole. Just do it.
.
December 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I’m still totally in if you want to add the Festivus Pole. I still also say we can build it ourselves for a fraction of the cost.
December 17th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I’ll donate $100 to the cause.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Solstice a made up holiday? Man, you’re way out of line there. Solstice is the reason for the season- the axis tilt of the planet in it’s rotation!
It’s Xmas that is falsely celebrated. According to most Christian scholars, the birth of Christ is NOT December 25th. The imaginary birth of Christ was moved to the 25th of December to replace a popular Roman Holiday Sol Invictus.
It’s absolutely NOT a Christian founding principle to celebrate the birth of Christ- we should put our efforts into celebrating his death!!!!! Shame on you.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I just heard your interview on NPR and I think you need to review some history about the winter solstice before you go on air. Now I agree with your contentions about the festivus pole. It would be pretty crazy to erect a monument and create a holiday around a Seinfeld shtick, but I immensely disagree with your characterization of the winter solstice as not having a place in the holiday season, because it is instead a supposed celebration of the birth of Christ. Christians took the winter solstice holiday from the pagans and turned it into Christmas. Christmas is not a Christian invention; it was simply altered because everyone back then celebrated at that time, and why change things that work? It was a logical time of the year for celebrations. There isn’t any work to be done in the fields; People have the time to enjoy their families, etc… Also, Jesus definitely wasn’t born on December 25th. The Bible says that the shepherds were in the fields tending their flock during his birth, but no shepherds go to their fields in Palestine in December. It’s way too cold. Sheep are inside so they don’t die. More than likely he was born in Spring. There are also over 15 other god-like dieties from human history that have all been born on December 25th, and usually to a virgin.
Back to my point…
I grew up in a very different household and my mother is Wiccan. Many Christians would instantly label her a Satan worshiper, but that is just ignorance. It is an ancient faith, similar to Native American beliefs in that we are connected to the world around us. Her faith is much older than Christianity and we celebrated the Winter Solstice as I grew up. It is referred to as Yule. “Yule tide greetings” see direct lifting of a pagan vernacular tradition to suite the needs of Christians. My mother considered the Winter Solstice to be a very special time of year and to delegitimize her, and many many others’, beliefs is outright wrong. She would feel something very powerful from viewing a winter solstice display. Things that may not seem part of the holiday season just may be part of someone else’s. Just something to keep in mind friend.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Mr. Tolbert, I caught your interview on KUAR today. I was delighted by your idea to put up a Festivus display, the world needs more such light-heartedness. But then I was doubly disappointed. First as it turned out you did not plan to make the display a reality. Second, as you made the (frankly quite silly) claim that the winter solstice is not real. Believing that a virgin gave birth to a magic man who is God-and-not-God on December 25th 2009 years ago, that is a leap of faith. Believing that the solstice is a turning point in earth’s revolution around the sun, and that it has been a significant date to many cultures throughout history, that is verifiable fact. If you do not believe me, try timing the length of the day on the solstice from sunrise to sunset, and compare it to the length of any other day in the year. Also, for the cultural significance, consult history books. Happy holidays to you, sir!
December 17th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Seriously man, I want to see that Festivus poll. I will one up the $100 donation and agree to do the paperwork. Ok maybe not. But you should make this a big event. Mocking athiests would be a nice change.
December 17th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Looks like the atheists have found your site Jason.
December 17th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Ummm… no… Christians don’t celebrate the “death” of Jesus. We celebrate his resurrection.
Alas, Jason, it seems as though the “free thinkers” and “liberals” only care to mock our beliefs. Far be it from Christians to have a little fun.
December 17th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Wow…..Just think they are hearing the word about Jesus on your site Jason
Amazing. Jesus, is so amazing he can work and bless in the most unusual circumstances….
Wow….All things work for the Lord…
December 18th, 2009 at 2:03 am
[...] a related note, in an attempt to make fun of the Freethinkers, Arkansas blogger Jason Tolbert requested and got permission to add a Festivus display to the mix. Word is, however, that he is [...]
December 18th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Forget $100. You can get a Festivus pole for $40!
http://www.festivuspoles.com/pages/Festivuspoles.htm
December 18th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Your ignorance and indifference represent what has gone wrong with the progress of this country. Solstice is the celebration that preceded your “saviors” birth by a few thousand years. It is obvious your faith has failed you because my interpretation of your religion is that you love and respect the ideals of others. But then again the natural state has always been plagued by bigotry and hypocrisy. Happy Festivus.
December 18th, 2009 at 10:38 am
You’ve got to do it! I’m sure the readers of TolbertReport.com would cover all the costs of the poll, and the cost of a nicer gift for Mrs. TolbertReport so she doesn’t feel as weird. I just got my Christmas bonus and would be more than glad to send some $$ your way for this.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Actually “solstice” (or any change of the seasons for that matter) did not pre-date our Savior. Since the Savior – Jesus Christ – is one w/ the Father (God) and Holy Spirit and God created the universe, then God/Jesus/Holy Spirit created the “winter solstice” and all seasons. All things in and of nature are truly amazing – and it’s all thanks to God!
December 18th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ.”
so who created god then? Was it general motors or George bush? Either way if he was here he would be ashamed of all of the bigotry exercised in his name.
December 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Blah, blah, blah… regardless of whether Christmas is celebrated at the right time or if the winter solstice is a true holiday doesn’t matter. What matters is that we all have a right to our own beliefs. Having said that, what I do not appreciate is the winter solstice display being placed next to the Christmas display. People celebrate what they wish, whether they be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, or whatever, and that is allowed without interference from Christians. So why is it that every time we turn around, someone is trying to attack or take away Christian beliefs? Let me state for the record, I do consider myself a Christian but I haven’t even attended church in twenty years. To me, it isn’t about “religion”, it is about letting people believe what they want and letting them celebrate their beliefs WITHOUT interference from anyone else. So put up your display, just give some distance from anyone else’s so you won’t appear to be trying to push YOUR beliefs off on any other group.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
[...] conservative blogger has been granted permission to display a Festivus pole on the capitol grounds. Tolbert Report has the details. [...]
December 18th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
What’s the big friggin’ deal? The christians put up their crap, and the atheists put up theirs. I have no problem with either frankly. My best friends are Christians and Mormons, and I’m agnostic, and we don’t waste our time worrying about this stuff! As Americans, we would fight for each other’s rights to believe how we want.
December 19th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I would have bought the pole if you had told me you had gotten permission.
December 20th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Wow what if Jason and his cult were actually informed or remotely clever? Atheists, like myself, want several religious symbols displayed all over the Capitol so the pointlessness and absurdity of Christianity is made obvious to even more people.
Jason and his cult need to step out of the sticks once in a while and observe the reality that Christianity and Christmyth are quickly going out of style. However, the biggest threat to Christianity is the ignorance of its “true believers”.
Happy Solstice!
December 20th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Free speech should take us as far as the Constitution allows. Religion would be better off if it did not think it needed or wanted that support of the state in celebrating holidays. As for pagan, they have more right to December 25th than Christians. The church appropriated the day and made it Jesus’ birthday. In a sense, they were putting up a festivus pole themselves.
December 20th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Jason, weather the storm buddy. You are fighting the good fight. We can’t change anybody’s mind, but we can show kindness and love to everybody.
December 24th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I have it on good word that the manger scene is all wrong. Pastor Huckabee on FOX News stated that Jesus was born in a cave. The manger thing must be a myth.
.