Christmas trees should be removed from public places to avoid making non-Christians feel ‘excluded’, scientists have suggested. The scientists conducted the study using 77 Christians and 57 non-believers, including Buddhists and Sikhs. The participants did not know the survey was about Christmas, and were asked to fill in questions about themselves both when a 12-inch Christmas tree was in the room and when it was not. ‘Non-celebrators’ reported fewer positive feelings and less self-assurance in the Christmas room. Christians were mostly cheered by the tree. Michael Schmitt, a social psychologist behind the research, said: ‘Simply having this 12-inch Christmas tree in the room with non-Christians made them feel less included in the university as a whole. ‘We're not suggesting 'no Christmas' or 'no Christmas displays at all,' but in contexts where we really do value respecting and including diversity in terms of religion, the safest option is not to have these kinds of displays.
Pray: that such spurious research will never undermine public displays of Christmas celebration. (1Co.15:33)