On Sunday, in Christian churches around the country, many of us lit the first candle in the advent wreath, that of hope. Hope says, in the face of all the darkness, that God is at work in the world.

I believe God uses the efforts of well-intentioned believers, who rely on His strength, to shine into the darkness and advance the light. To say such a thing is different than believing that the world’s biggest social problems—poverty, disease, homelessness—can be cured by well-intentioned religious believers. That is the sort of utopian dreaming that constantly gets social planners in trouble. But hope sees a vision of the world where things are put right, and hope works toward that vision.

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The last president I gave advice to got run out of town on a rail; so Governor Romney was wise not to ask for my advice.

Had he asked for it, I would have recommended he say precisely what he did say. In my view, Mormonism departed from historic Christianity a century and a half ago. Christians would find it impossible to equate Mormonism with our beliefs. But that doesn’t mean that an orthodox Christian could not support a Mormon. As Governor Romney put it very well, there is no religious test under our constitution.

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The British have a wonderful way with words. The issue is more than political correctness. We are being “daft” by suppressing even the public mention of one’s religion or religious holidays.

My dictionary defines “daft” as “silly, foolish, mad, insane”; but I prefer the old English translation: “simple and stupid.”

To refuse to discuss or recognize religious convictions in the public square is to deny the very nature of our humanity. People are irresistibly religious, always have been, and in my view always will be. Our religious convictions profoundly influence our public behavior whether we talk about it or not; for many like me it is the primary influence on our values, attitudes, and behavior.

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Sure, I would have voted to recognize the importance of Christianity in Christmas; but at the same time resolutions are meaningless if people don’t do it in their own hearts. Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and God’s Kingdom coming to earth.

Merry Christmas!