Invocation revocation

A Catholic priest was giving the invocation before the lighting of the town Christmas tree and he dropped the "J bomb."
That's right, the priest had the audacity to mention — cover your ears, kiddies — Jesus Christ.
That caused an immediate ruckus.
A city councilman took over the microphone and insisted the tree lighting was not a Christmas tree but a holiday tree and there was to be no religion in the observance of the lighting of the holiday tree.

Ooook. Let me get this straight. There was a priest- a man of God- giving the invocation at a tree lighting ceremony and his mentioning of the Lord brought about an uproar?

Just what precisely did the city council think a priest was going to invoke?

"I, an ordained priest in the one true Holy Apostolic Church, do hereby invoke the spirit of the forest and the fireflies during this tree lighting. I ask the blessings of the tree people on our humble town"

Truthfully the controversy over "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" really doesn't phase me. I have Jewish friends and Christian friends and even one very odd atheist internet friend (We all point and laugh at him and won't let him join in any reindeer games- but I digress). When we are together in a group, for the sake of inclusiveness and brevity, I say "Happy Holidays". That doesn't mean I've forgotten what Christmas is about or that I am less of a Christian. I just happen to be respectful of my friends.

But, back to the point, come on! It's a Christmas tree. You asked a priest to come and say a few words before you turned on the pretty lights. Get over the silly offensiveness and get back to doing what government is supposed to be doing.

You know, "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".