Christmas is a secular holiday and the Christian right needs to understand that. (1) As a reader of and about the Bible, I cannot find where it tells me to line my roof with colored lights, cut down a tree and decorate it, then spend enough money to go into debt for months on presents, all to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For that matter, it doesn't mandate a special feast or festival for the birth at all. (2) The Bible does tell us when Jesus was born, although not in one place (you have to piece it together) and it was not in December. It was during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which the Bible also says ALL the nations will one day celebrate.

So, as a believer in God and Jesus, I wish everyone a happy holiday season this December.

I remember back in about 2000 BC, how we'd sit around the cave, warming near a fire, singing "Here Comes The Sun," celebrating the solstice like normal humans. Then along came these Jews and Confused Jews who became Christians with their equally dismal Wars Against The Solstice. Such sacrelige! Even that short-lived Mithras crap was better.

The "war on Christmas," like the equally whiney and pathetic "war on Christianity," is a concept promulgated by uber right Christians who think not having their worldview validated by signage at Wal-mart is "persecution." As a Christian, I like "Happy Holidays" because it includes everyone. Stores like "Happy Holidays" because it covers all the bases through the new year with a single sign or banner. Minimum expenditure, maximum shelf life. What I really want to know: If the uber right tries to force Jesus down my throat at the mall, can I prosecute for sodomy?

While the historicity of the Nativity indicates that the actual birth of Christ was not during December, and certainly not Dec. 25th, it isn't unheard of to celebrate an important event on another day. After all, Britain celebrates the Queen's Birthday months before the actual date. Arguments that one should not celebrate Christmas because it isn't the correct date are specious. However, the celebration of the birth of Christ should be more important to believers than the trappings of a Victorian/Germanic holiday. The problem with the so-called "War on Christmas" has been that in many places, a litigious minority has managed to impose its will on the majority through lawsuits and threats of lawsuits, so that many municipalities that had for decades placed religious scenes and decorations on municiple buildings and property during the Christmas season no longer do so. Schools that used both religious and secular Christmas music for their holiday performances no longer do so. Many businesses avoid religious motifs during the holidays, and all for fear that someone will sue. The argument that the Constitution prohibits the expenditure of public monies in accordance with the majority's will in matters of religion is specious. The Constitution prohibits the establishment of a state religion, not a Nativity display in Anytown, USA, on the courthouse lawn. Perhaps the problem isn't really with Christmas, but with a non-believing minority insisting that the believing majority not step on their delicate sensibilities with a publicly funded display of religious belief in any shape, form or fashion. Surveys taken by reliable pollsters indicate that the vast majority of Americans do practice some for of faith and want to do so in relative peace. They want a recognition of that practice by their governing bodies, and the right to practice their faith in their public institutions. They don't want rule by religion, just an acknowledgement of their right to hold and practice their faith. Excluded by that definition are people who want to force others to accept their beliefs through intimidation, outright force, or legal action. Including those who think that any expression of faith threatens their secular peace.

The War on Christmas won't nearly be complete until every Christian in America is embarrassed to celebrate Christ's Birth. And all this fighting over the birth of a child. How ..... ungrateful of y'all. As for me, it's back to the Moose and the Sleepy Hollow, in the land of those who leave their Christmas Lights up year round. There's no point discussing the obvious with eggheads who never learn.

I did notice that an Ill. Governor has now emerged. Sadly, this is the present I was hoping for last year. Thanks Santa. You actually 'found' a corrupt Politician ... and he was selling Obama's seat. How Christmaslike is that ... really? I think we need a new Country. It's no longer a story of 'change'...it's now become a story of F___ U. Merry Christmas!

There are so many aspects to this holiday that are traditional in nature. As an Atheist, I enjoy Christmas for what it is: a secular American tradition in which we exchange gifts with friends and loved ones, sing some songs, and decorate our homes with colorful, festive lights. The fact that I do not recognize the birth of Jesus as the foundation for my belief system takes nothing away from that. The supposed war on Christmas seems like a xenophobic-induced perception. As our nation continues to grow and develop, the belief that we are all Christians just does not fit within the framework of a modern nation. I say happy holidays to all of the people in this great country. If this season gives them something to smile about then that is a welcome change from much of the depressing news surrounding us on a daily basis.

As for finderj's comment about "a non-believing minority insisting that the believing majority not step on their delicate sensibilities" I will respond with two points. First, there are a great deal more non-believers than you might think (roughly 12% of the country). Secondly, I never understood why a religious symbol should be placed on public property? What is the basis of this representation? Why not place your nativity scenes in front of churches where they make much more sense? I'm not sure what the birth of Jesus has to do with town hall or the post office. Was Jesus the savior, a mayor, and a mailman? If so, I should be giving him much more credit. That whole resurrection story is impressive, but balancing a town's budget AND delivering the mail on time? Now that is the work of a higher power.

I'm somewhat in agreement with Hedda-Harlowe on this one, except it's that I remember growing up (from the 80's on) seeing signs and store windows painted with bright "Happy Holidays" from the day after Thanksgiving until my birthday on 3 January, so to me, it's always been a ways of wishing someone a happy holiday season to include Christmas and the New Year. It had nothing to do with being PC, because, God knows we hadn't discovered being PC back then!

And, this is speaking as a pagan woman, if someone says to me "Merry Christmas" I am NOT offended. I understand that most people celebrate Christmas. I do, myself, because my parents do, and they live with us. So, I'm not offended, and smile and say the same back to them. It's simple, and it's really not worth getting your panties in a wad over. Truly! The primary holidays that just about everyone in the US knows in December are Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve. Those of us who do not follow a Judao-Christian (I spelled that wrong, and my brain isn't working, nor is my browser-installed spell check) religion need to just chill out and understand that people are not going to immediately think of our religion, and follow the guidelines of our religions and teach others about our high days PEACEFULLY, *NOT* drag their asses into court because they didn't recognize that we have a high day that corresponds with the biggest shopping holiday of the year, and insist that they acknowledge it along WITH theirs. All that does is create even MORE hostility towards us from the Christians.

I have seen some pagans who were just as hostile towards Christians as the religious right are towards the pagans. It's not right (no pun intended). And as long as we have these religious extremests in ANY religion, there won't be any peace for ANY religion in the world.

Sorry to ramble on and kinda get up on my soapbox there a bit.

Re fiderj's post:
Not all omitting of religious references is done out of fear of some kind of tyranny of the minority; it's often done out of respect for differences. As you can see from these comments, even Christians can differ on these matters.

And just how is secularizing a holiday (removing religious references to universalize it) forcing others to accept their particular beliefs - and yet encorporating particular Christian elements isn't?

Meanwhile, state-funded recognition of religion is regularly used by the "Christian" Right in support of their attempts to further weaken church-state separation. Look how often they point to latter day erosions like "In God We Trust," and "under God" in the pledge, as precedent...

This is not a "Christian Country", if it was all true and all of us died today, the majority of us would go straight to hell anyway.

If paranoia were magic, the "man" would be a wizard.

We are a secular nation, regardless of the first people who landed on the shore and claimed it as their own believed. By furthering this ridiculous "War on Christmas," right-wing conservatives only continue to prove themselves as the party of exclusion. "Happy Holidays" isn't a slight to Christians, it's an equal and fair exchange that expresses the true meaning of this season and joy for people of all faiths.

I'm infuriated by people who take "Happy Holidays" as a slight, I say it out of respect to everyone. I presume nothing about you, as you should about me. Hopefully we can someday mature as a nation and realize we lose nothing by embracing every facet of our citizens, and realize that what makes us different, makes us a wonderfully unique country, with qualities found nowhere in else in the world.

vboone, that's exactly what makes us a christian nation. In the words of Samuel Clemens

"This is a Christian country. Why, so is hell. Inasmuch as "Strait is the way and narrow is the gate, and few -- few -- are they that enter in thereat" has had the natural effect of making hell the only really prominent Christian community in any of the worlds; but we don't brag of this and certainly it is not proper to brag and boast that America is a Christian country when we all know that certainly five-sixths of our population could not enter in at the narrow gate."

However, it is amazing that those who claim to be so strong in christian faith have so little of it when challenged.

Well said lakylady.

Yes, we are a "secular" nation, but many are spiritual... whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan or whatever... Religious freedom is one of the tenets of America... which is why we have laws against "hate crimes". War against Christmas? No. War against ethics, religion, faith, spirit and love? Most certainly! Greed, money and power has always opposed faith... which is why China and the former Soviet Union attempted to squash all religion (and, in the case of China versus Tibet, the powerful are STILL attempting to smash faith and hope, both of which are tied to one's history and culture).

As an Episcopalian, I go to a liturgical church. Every year we celebrate the events of the Gospels in the same order for the same seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. I think it's very funny that most of the people on the Christmas War bandwagon are not liturgical Christians because they believe every day should be treated equal. Everyday is equally holy...or something. I don't know, they had some reason for throwing out the church year, but they kept Christmas and Easter. So by their own logic, that it doesn't make sense to celebrate, say, the Ascension of Christ on a single day, why do they want Christmas to be so holy? Why did they keep that penciled in on their church calendar?

They can throw out the tradition of the church for millennia, but people who don't even believe in Christ are supposed to keep Christmas holy?

You just have to wonder what they would do if the tables were turned. What if a Jewish mayor in a mostly Jewish town put up a menorah? What if Muslim holidays were included on every calendar you bought at Borders? You know they'd be up in arms.

Are they completely heartless, the right-wing warriors? Can't we all just have a Happy Whatever?