Certainly, it is no problem for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ: the Redeemer, the Great Physician, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and the Coming King. The exact date may have been conveniently chosen by the Roman Church to aid in the assimilation of the Pagans. But what the heck, we Americans celebrate the birth of two of our most prominent Presidents on some convenient Monday in February. So, I don’t see that as more than a red herring. You Pagans should just remember that the Christmas tree was your idea in the first place, and deck the halls.

And, of course, Jesus was a great Jewish Rabbi. In fact, one sect, the Yeshua Jews, reveres him as the Messiah. Muslims should celebrate the birth of one of their five major prophets.

Even I, a Skeptic, hold in great stead Jesus the Philosopher, even if I descent with most church’s interpretation and practice of His Word.

Aside from members of Eastern Religions, who largely hold a tradition of respect for those of other beliefs, that leaves only a handful of Grinchy “Atheists”, “Agnostics”, and others of no great faith, who seem to hold a disproportionate sway of late, both in the public square, and the marketplace. For them, I suggest they heed the words of Charles Krauthammer:

Some Americans get angry at parents who want to ban carols. I feel pity. What kind of fragile religious identity have they bequeathed their children that it should be threatened by exposure to carols? I’m struck by the fact that you almost never find Orthodox Jews complaining about a Christmas creche in the public square. That is because their children, steeped in their own tradition, are not threatened by Christians celebrating their religion in public. They are enlarged by it.

It is the more deracinated members of religious minorities, brought up largely ignorant of their own traditions, whose religious identity is so tenuous that they feel the need to be on guard constantly and who think the solution is to prevent the other guy from displaying his religion, rather than learning a bit about their own.

Or, perhaps if someone like Krauthammer makes them feel too threatened, they might connect with Scott LaFee.