May all of you receive the happiness blessings of Hanukkah and Dhu al-Hijjah !

Despite Mr. Hitchens debunkment of Christmas, I can only point out we base our very calendar on this holiday. I am however, not so rigid a Christian thinker as to NOT believe that at some future time (whether it be 500 or 5,000 years from now) some other Great Event may occur that utterly changes how we common people synchronize our calendars. I will only say this. Whatever that future event might be, it will have to be really BIG to beat Christmas. Merry Christmas Ebeneezer Hitchens, may you enjoy your thin gruel!

I didn't realize Vanity Fair was that hard up.

Christmas is indeed a secular holiday in America that is simply time with family, traditions, time of reflection. We love the lights, carols, references to magi, mary, jesus birth etc, but no one forget that the jesus' birth was NOT celebrated for 300 years after his death and Constantine put it on Dec 25th, in line with the Roman (Pagan) holiday of Saturnalia, based on the Winter Solstice.

Posted by: cadam72 | December 10, 2009 5:08 PM

----
I have often wondered why Christianity took over from the Roman pagan religions. My theory is that it was an expedient political and cultural move by the Roman emperor Constantine to hold together an empire that was gradually falling apart. It probably had very little to do with his personal religious views at the time, nor any sort of perceived "rightness" Chritianity may have over any otherreligion at the time.

Personally, I am getting to the point where I can seperate the teachings and wisdom of Jesus from any sort of belief in God. I will keep the wisdom of Jesus, but God to me is no more real than Santa Claus.

CalSailor,
i'm afraid to say you're right! thanks. i was thinking of the congressional oaths - which are NOT conducted with religious texts in hand:

"The public swearing-in ceremony consists of Representatives raising their right hands and repeating the oath of office. This ceremony is led by the Speaker of the House, and no religious texts are used. Some members of Congress later hold separate private ceremonies for photo ops."
http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/oaths_of_office_4.htm

donnolo,
you said,
"But correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't President Obama, like all his predecessors, swear that oath with his hand on a Bible? And didn't it end with the words "so help me God"?"
if you saw something where obama put his hand on a bible, then you were watching a "re-enactment" of the real swearing in. for the real swearing in there is no bible and he pledges to uphold the constitution.

Walter:

I am not sure to what you are referring. By Constitutional direction, the oath of office is taken at noon on the day of Inauguration. The official swearing in was the one in public on the Steps of the Capitol. For this event, President Obama placed his left hand on the same Bible that President Lincoln used for HIS swearing in. The oath of office, which is supposed to be recited verbatim as written in the Constitution, includes the pledge to uphold the Constitution. The tradition of adding "so help me God" is later than the Constitution, but has generally been used by all recent Presidents. President Obama continued that tradition in his oath.

However, since the Chief Justice managed to mess up the oath, it was administered a second time in the White House, so there would be no confusion. In that one, as well, Obama used a Bible, but not the Lincoln Bible. He also repeated the "so help me God" phrase at the end.

If you mean something different than either of these, please clarify. President Obama is the properly sworn President according to the requirements of the Constitution.

Pr Chris

OVOMIT I did NOT vote for and do NOT wish him any blessings as he is a MUSLIM!

Sparky15: And you are, what???? 12? If you didn't vote for the President, fine. If you don't like him, fine. However, the only thing you communicate by this drivel is that you are immature, and that you don't accept reality, such that President Obama is not a Muslim, except by heritage. He is a Christian by faith. He has made that clear at every opportunity. He worships at the Protestant Chapel at Camp David with his family. He has testified to his baptism as a college/graduate student.

Why do you continue to assert otherwise? You claim to be a Catholic, and you claim to respect and love God. Why then, do you deliberately violate his commandments? When you continually assert falsehoods, you are bearing false witness, a violation of the way that God asks us to deal with one another. Perhaps before you make baseless accusations against President Obama, you ought to accept his statements, because you have no evidence, except hate, perhaps, to believe otherwise. Jesus told us that we were not to hate others, in fact, he taught that we are not to denigrate anyone else, but to love others, as God has loved us.

You claim a relationship with God, and yet, what you write is a refutation of your first statement, that you are a Christian. Your lack of charity reflects a lack of understanding of your own faith. Given that, why can you accuse another of a lie? Especially without basis?

Pr Chris

It should be noted that Hitchens legitimized his particular point of view regarding all issues American by becoming a citizen in 2007. I guess he can run with the big dogs now.......

Anyone is entitled to an opinion, and I can't really fault Hitchens for his views on Islamic fundamentalism.

Truth be told, Christmas is becoming more secularized with each passing year - a manger at the White House is a non-event, and I can't really understand the nature of his complaint. Hitchens can piss and moan all he wants, but this ain't England. Never was......

Now the Church of England, that's a worthy foe. No separation of church and state there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens

donnolo,
you said,
"But correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't President Obama, like all his predecessors, swear that oath with his hand on a Bible? And didn't it end with the words "so help me God"?"

if you saw something where obama put his hand on a bible, then you were watching a "re-enactment" of the real swearing in. for the real swearing in there is no bible and he pledges to uphold the constitution.

"The White House is, as some recent interlopers have again proved, public property. And its East Room is one of the parts of it that are not reserved for the First Family's private life. So the Constitutional question - should taxpayer-funded space be used for the affirmation of any faith? - is as real there, if not indeed more so, as it is anywhere else." -- Christopher Hitchens

---------

Repeated for emphasis.

It's so nice to know that CH considers the celebration of Christmas and the various traditions around it to be a Catholic thing, and thus snarkily worthy of disgust. For an uncaring dude, the attempt to stick his hand in the wound between Protestants and Catholics is, again, disgusting.

The White House is the President's home, to decorate as he or she pleases. If the President chooses to celebrate Christmas, or Hannukah, or Eid, or even all of the above in this season is his or her choice; Mr. Hitchens has no standing to deny, and the noises he makes are clangings in the wind.

The tree in the front, by the way, is not yet called a holiday tree -- it's still called a Christmas tree.

Take that bark, Mr. "Dog in a Manger" Hitchens, and chew on it.

CH -- shock jock like always. Sadly more often than not Hitchens epitomizes the saying "the mind is a terrible thing to waste".

In these United States:
The government will shut you down for making atheist statements.
The government makes you purchase bibles.
The government makes you declare your Christianity.
Is it any wonder we all say "Merry Christmas", the only time of the year the government allows us to put up colored lights to scare away the reign deer demons?

The comments from the Christians remind me of a quote made by Mahatma Gandhi

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -

The puritans came to America from England to be free of English religious oppression in the 1600's. Thats a fact. They salted this land with Judeo-Christian values which found their way into the lives of many after them including many of the founding fathers and drafters of the constitution--thats a fact. The FF wanted to preseve this as a place where people had maximum freedoms--of religion and personal freedoms as well. Thats a fact. The constitution has a basis in these values. FACT. Im so sorry that the commenter cannot stand to acknowlege these facts, but facts they are, but instead calls those who just state THE FACTS names.

You dont have to love your parents to admit they're your parents, but those who refuse to admit such things are in deep, pathological denial.

It would be truly welcome and a blessing if one of these self admitted left bias papers or blogs--which the WaPo has admitted to being, would just not say a thing about Christmas at all. Because all they come up with are these thinly (and no so thinly) veiled attacks on it. So give us some peace from your constant attacks on Christianity by keeping mum for a few days around this time and instead you can take solace in and focus your minds and hearts on all the Christmas ad and church service advertising money you are stuffing your pockets full with.

Once again Pissy Chrissy has taken a false premise and spun an impressive-seeming story around it. The false premise in this case is that all Christians, or even most Christians, are descendants of 17th Century English Puritans of the Cromwell variety. The vast majority of Christians in the United States are either Roman Catholic or descended from Irish, Scottish, German, Dutch, Scandinavian or French Protestants. So thanks but no thanks, Chrissy, for another of your quasi-historical and completely useless ramblings. Go celebrate "Festivus" with the rest of your ilk.

Christopher Hitchens--I wonder how many gifts he and those who think just like him have recieved or given over a lifetime because of the celebration of Christmas --a holiday inspired by someone who walked this earth 2000 years ago doing good to all he met and all who came after him. Haters and the intellectually short sighted such as this man are so happy to attempt to scrub this country clean of any references to the person Jesus Christ. Yet its those Christ inspired who in fact came here and founded this country and made a White House possible. There would be no White House had these people not come here driven by a desire to worship free of English oppresion--which Mr Hitchens would like to reinstitute on our shores.

I DO know a pagan celebration used to take place on Dec 25, but didnt God know about that at the time it was happening, long before any of us?? He allowed his Son's birth to be celebrarted that day knowing the effect of this would be to blot out the memory of that pagan god post haste. Does anyone remember that diety?? Celebrate it? NO. Know why? Becasue the true God's incarnation and the celebration of it on Dec 25 (which Christians DO KNOW is NOT the actual birth date of Jesus) has NULLIFIED IT. The celebration of Jesus incarnation has blotted out the memory of this pagan god. God has obviously seen to it that Jesus coming would set the Romans free from this pagan gods worship. He stamped it out. So you see Mr. Hitchens, God has had the last laugh. He allowed his Son's birth to be used to wipe clean from the face of the earth the memory of this small 'g' god. Chrst's coming is known about the world over and acknowleged the world over by virtue of the fact that the world participates in gift giving at this time of year and would not if not for Christ. I'm sure you never realized this, however, because your pride fueled, shortsighed intellect will not allow you to see beyond your own nose which is raised so high. Now go lock yourself up in a cave until Jan 1st so you won't have to hear the dreaded 'Merry Christmas!', be subjected to that awful love in the air, or be traumatized by all the goodwill that Jesus Christ has inspired even in those who do not accept Him for who He is.

There's a distressing amount of snobbery in Hitchens and most of the posters here. Let's be honest about YOUR agenda. You want everything about Christmas abolished by law. You want it your way. You use lame excuse of "your" tax dollars funding religious displays - but aren't all our tax dollars already funding many things that people are ethically against?

I don't approve of NAMBLA members teaching my children in schools. I don't approve of my tax money funding corrupt Latin American dictators. Indon't approve of my tax money funding PBS programs which dramatize the works my least favorite authors. Using my tax money to pay for sex change operations for prisoners is something I find morally reprehensible.

Nonetheless, we pay taxes like all LEGAL citizens because that is what is required of us. You might not like feel-good Christmas songs and displays but they're here. I'm sure your idea of a holiday celebration would be the bloody photo of a clubbed baby seal and some stranded polar bear on an ice floe. Better yet, no joy. I keep forgetting we're just uneducated worker drones who have no right to exist or feel feel joy

You all suck.

Lighten up, Francis. Atheists can be such a sniveling whiny bunch. When I'm in Hungary or Slovakia or Malaysia I don't beeyatch and moan about their local customs, religious in nature or not. Nobody's forcing you guys to be a Christian or to believe anything you don't want to. Shaddup already about being offended at the site of a nativity scene, menorrah, mistletoe, Christmas tree or St. Nick holiday underwear in the Victoria Secret window display. Lighten the F up..... Merry Christmas.

Let's see Mr. Hitchens, what you have learned from this:

1. Your only saving grace is in your name CHRISTopher. Merry CHRISTmas! Get with, Jesus CHRIST!

2. You can take your attempts to use logic elsewhere, like Saudi Arabia, and if you should make the same mistake there and bash one of their sacred events, then they can tell you to take it elsewhere too, if you are that lucky!

3. Forget your attempts at teaching history. These types don't care about history, except for how it is stated in the Bible. And their only interest in Christmas is in how it has been celebrated during their lifeftime.

4. And enough of your invective about God and Jesus. They are already aware they were deceived about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Those were strikes 1 and 2. They don't want to hear there is no God or that there wasn't even a Jesus. That goes against everything they've been told since they were born. Strike 3 would be too hard to take. Best to stay with thinking fairy tales are real, though there's nothing wrong with morality that comes from fairy tales.

It really is dispiriting to live in a country so dominated by superstition and ignorance. I appreciate the efforts of Hitchens to educate and enlighten.

... And these don't need to be "Christmas Wars" or any other kind of religious war.

Just a little Christian charity and humility will do very nicely.

Let us each look to our own souls and salvation, and let the Holy Spirit work on the others as it will.

As Micah said, "walk humbly with your God."

RBA

Hitchens' column has two structural parts: first, a commentary on the secular and pagan elements that have been incorporated over time into the Christian tradition; and, second, the assertion that the US is a secular country, with Constitutional implications.

First, that secular and pagan traditions have been incorporated into the Christian tradition does not undercut the vitality of the Christian religion. Certainly God can use whatever instrumentality he likes to further his faith, whether that instrumentality is the Roman Empire itself, or a pagan holiday at the Winter solstice. Christ was born sometime, the Winter solstice is as good a day as any to celebrate it.

Second, the US is indeed a secular country, and the Constitution protects that separation of church and state. But the secular values on which the US was based were derived from the Enlightenment and from other sources as well, the Judeo-Christian tradition being prime among them. So, to insist upon a separation of church and state is appropriate; but to banish the Judeo-Christian tradition entirely is not.

I am quite impressed with Hitchens' graciousness (I'm not being sarcastic) in wishing the Obama's, their children, and anyone else, a Merry Christmas. Hitchens is, I would guess from that comment, no Scrouge. But he wishes for a sense of balance and sensitivity to the predilections of others.

Certainly he is entitle to that.

RBA

Reading Hitchens on religion is always a breath of fresh air, clearing out the stink of unenlightened, bigoted dogma.

Only when humanity has outgrown its intellectual infancy will we be freed from the curse of organized religion, which has retarded scientific progress and tolerance for millenia. Someday we'll outgrow the need for a crutch with which to face the universe. Ecrasez l'infame.

Ecrasez l'infame.

"The Christmas tree is not a religious symbol. One should be free to celebrate whatever they want to celebrate."

Maybe the Christmas Tree isn't religious TO YOU. But it is to Pagans. It symbolizes the World Tree, the "axis mundi" of so many ancient religions. But I do agree with the second part of your statement. One should be free to celebrate whatever they want to celebrate.

Merry CHRISTmas, CHRISTopher (CHRISTbearer)!

Join me in singing my favorite CHRISTmas song, The Huron Carol:

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/i/tistmowt.htm

’Twas in the moon of wintertime,
When all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim,
And wondering hunters heard the hymn:

Refrain

Jesus your King is born,
Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapped His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high:

Refrain

The earliest moon of wintertime
Is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on
The helpless Infant there.
The chiefs from far before Him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.

Refrain

O children of the forest free,
O seed of Manitou,
The holy Child of earth and Heav’n
Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy,
Who brings you beauty, peace and joy.

Refrain

One issue many people take is that Christmas is a national holiday. Aspiring theocrats and militant secularists alike should note that this is not necessarily any kind of endorsement of Christ, Christianity, Christmas, or religious rule, but may be merely a bow to pragmatism: our country has a large Christian majority. Government offices would have to scramble to find enough employees willing to work on Christmas, and so many people would be observing it that there wouldn't be much demand for services. It's just easier for managers to call a mulligan and shut the place down entirely.

If we stamp out tradition and the mysteries of religion what do we have? I imagine the Ministry of Truth in the Year Zero. That would be the real humbug, the celebration of dark and barren winter.

As a Christian who was also a student of a logical positivist (who preferred to be thought of as an empiricist), I enjoy Hitchens' rants. He makes me think. There's something to be said for that. Be well, Mr. Hitchens.

Oh, baloney!

Where would the economy be without the holidays/holydays. When we buy gifts, we keep people working as authors, lawyers, mailpersons, chefs, waiters/waitresses, waste collectors, all the way up to those who design the iPhone. God bless Christmas with pay checks for all!!!! Even Mr. Hitchens is making money by the X-mas promotion of his book via his comments above. Yes, Mr. Hitchens we all have to compromise and co-exist with the music and sounds of the holidays!!!!! Merry Holidays to you and yours!!!

humbug

What a scrooge of a man!! How does it matter that the gospels do not mention the manger, or virgin birth, or that the Scots did not celebrate Christmas till 1950. What matters in celebrating Christmas is belief, faith, devotion, religiosity, culture, tradition, etc -- matters beyond the realm of Hitchin's bile. Go away, you scrooge, enough of your derision; since you don't seem to like Christmas, go live in Saudi Arabia.

I like Christmas. So what if many of its traditions are fake. I still like it. It's a nice day off, a chance to be with family and friends, give a gift or two, and have some egg nog. Stroll under the mistletoe. (Hitchens will be pointing out that there was no mistletoe in Palesting.)

I think Hitchens has a problem expending so much energy trying to debunk Christmas and God. That's the problem with atheists like him. They want to cram their atheism down our throats.

Hitchens can believe or not believe. We don't care and we won't spend enormous energy trying to make him do one or the other. As a Christmasist, I believe we should live and let live and let everyone believe what they like without interference, even if they want to believe in Santa Claus. (I suppose Hitchens will soon be writing a learned article trying to suggest that Santa does not exist. Sorry, Hitchens, you'll never be able to convince me of that.)

Yeah, well, nicely written, although not profound. The diary of William Bradford, governor of Plymouth Plantation (Plymouth Rock) is available on the web, and, no, the Pilgrims did not celebrate Christmas. Hitchens is correct.

As for l'affaire de chreche, moi, je could not care less, although it is in a public part of the White HOuse, paid for with my tax dollars. Go ahead, Obamas, knock yourselves out.

Much, much more bothered am I by the likes of Sen. Nelson, and his co-religionist Vaticanettes, who say they will not vote in any health care provisions not approved of by Rome.

I did not elect the Vatican to serve as my Congress. I cannot comprehend how Senators and Congressmen who are supposed to represent US citizens, but instead serve Rome, are not removed from their seats due to conflicts of interest.

Yeah, Chris, tell us how ignorant we are - that'll do it! And then go back forty thousand years in history and tell us how cave men used to believe this, that or the other - that'll bolster your argument. You're a brilliant debater , Chris. Why don't you spend a few minutes contemplating your OWN navel. We like how Meacham and Quinn invite people who have none to discourse - "ON Faith".

As always in matters pertaining to the endoctrinated superstition called "Faith" Hitchens is right on.

I'm dreaming of a Bling-Bling Christmas just like the one that ran us into debt...

Where the credit card limits were ignored with federal budget deficits..

to hear dubya believe in Voodoo economics..

I'm dreaming in a Bling-Bling Christmas just like the ones we used have

Where da party is shakin a ganstas quakin with 9 mms in their hands

May your days be Mary, and Landreu scary holding one vote in her hand...

Yea, I be dreamin of a Bling Bling Christmas with Tiger appearin with twin blondes on his arms and his putter forever on his mind...

bum-bum-bum-da bum, ho hum...

I am a Catholic that respects/loves GOD! I say Merry X-mas and God's Blessings to everyone.

OVOMIT I did NOT vote for and do NOT wish him any blessings as he is a MUSLIM!

Shouldn't Hitchens be at the Mall to further convert a once religious holidays back into Saturnia; I think I met him once at the Masturbatorium....he is such a good Pagan!

Christopher Hitchens Is Not Great. But he got this one right.

Father Gary Kinzer
Seal Beach, CA

So Hitchens voted for McCain-Palin?

I support the Founders' original intent. Taxpayers should not be forced to fund the salaries of ministers who advocate for a continuation of British Colonial rule in America.

The Christmas tree is not a religious symbol. One should be free to celebrate whatever they want to celebrate. I do not understand the whole bruhaha about this. If I want to say 'Happy Holidays', 'Season's Greetings' or 'Merry Christmas', that is my choice. What is it to anybody. I am a conservative christian and as far as I can tell from my Bible God gave us all free choice. He does not force us to do anything.This is the United States for crying out loud. This is not some Islamic state forcing Sharia law on its citizens.So when people start saying there is a war on Christmas they need to put a sock in it and let people do what their conscience dictates. These are the same people who decry the Islamists and they are behaving just like them.
In answer to Toomanypeople the Pledge of Allegiance is not banned in school.

.
.
The main point is whether "separation of church and state" means "secular" or "non-favoring". I prefer the latter definition, while Mr. Hitchens apparently prefers the former.

Both definitions are offended by the lighting of the White House Christmas tree.
.
.

"They are called "churches", and if they ring their bells I have to hear and if they put up inspiring billboards I have to see. Why isn't that enough?"
___________
Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?....Scrooge speaks, but we don't have to listen.

Christmas is indeed a secular holiday in America that is simply time with family, traditions, time of reflection. We love the lights, carols, references to magi, mary, jesus birth etc, but no one forget that the jesus' birth was NOT celebrated for 300 years after his death and Constantine put it on Dec 25th, in line with the Roman (Pagan) holiday of Saturnalia, based on the Winter Solstice.

It is no coincidence that all major world religions have a festival of rebirth around the winter solstice and coming of longer days and spring.

In fact, the Bible is inconsistent on the time of year for Jesus' birth (look at conflictung references to astronomy, or death of Herod or animal births or flowering times)

At Hutchins says, the American Puritans outlawed Christmas as non-Christian,

"For preventing disorders, arising in several places within this jurisdiction by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other communities, to the great dishonor of God and offense of others: it is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county."

From the records of the General Court,
Massachusetts Bay Colony
May 11, 1659

And "In 1851, parishioners in Cleveland, Ohio, condemned as a pagan practice the actions of the pastor, Henry Schwan, for decorating one of the earliest Christmas trees in an American Christian church."

Even the Christmas tree and Santa Claus have nothing to go with Jesus' birth, but we celebrate them as a tradition folded in with other layers of meaning that become important, but not religious. You can thank the early NY Dutch for Sinterkluas (St. Nickolous, patron saint of children) and the pagan Germans for other Christmas traditions like the Christmas ham, Yule Goat, stuffing stockings, elements of Santa Claus and reindeer.

It is a national holiday, but for many of us, not a Christian holiday, nor should it be. Merry Christmas.

I hope that someday we can all allow for others opinions, without mean-spirited responses, but honest, respectful dialog.

My opinion: Well said, Christopher Hitchens!

"Our constitution clearly states we are guaranteed freedom of religion - not freedom from religion. "

-----------

ALANCE,

Nowhere in the Constitution does it clearly state we are "NOT" guaranteed freedom from religion.

You must be on crack if you think we can have freedom of religion if we don't also have freedom from (gov't sponsored) religion.

And FYI, Mr. Hitchens is a U.S. citizen so he doesn't have to fly back to anywhere in order to exercise his freedom of speech.

Please do your homework before you spout any more such nonsense.

First, try making all government workers work on Christmas.

Then require all universities and other institutions receiving Federal funds to do the same.

If politician survives doing that, then they can try removing the Christmas tree from the White HOuse.

Christmas is America's favorite holiday and we are not going to let one of the Post's militant secularists take it away from us. We are just as much in need of a Winter Solstice celebration as our pagan ancestors.

Our constitution clearly states we are guaranteed freedom of religion - not freedom from religion. You are encouraged to return to your puny little island anytime you want. There are flights leaving every day.

Hitchens shows a depth of ignorance of Biblical scholarship. His simplistic characterizations of the imagery of the infancy narratives would be laughable if he weren't trying to be so serious.

The first amendment does guarantee separation of Church and State, but that principle cuts both ways. The State may also not keep any president from practicing his/her faith. Telling someone they may not exercise their faith in the home we let them live in would certainly be unconstitutional--"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...."

Mr. Hitchens, the first amendment grants freedon of religion, not freedom from religion.

Christopher Hitchens is not great. -- God

As usual with atheists, I am shocked by their lack of knowledge of the variety of Christain belief, customs, national traditions and celebrations. He seems to believe all Christians should be as unified and consistent as all atheists are; that he is an authority on religious belief just as much as he is on what keeps all atheists together in a single community.

If some atheists want to celebrate the warmth of a Christian Christmas that's fine- there is no creed or unity of belief among atheists. There is also no sin if you fall off the atheist bandwagon, although many atheists judge each other just as harshly as they judge Christians.

After all, there's no sin or religous guilt in atheists who gossip or bad mouth each other, either. Like Hitchens, they are all free to be socially obnoxious to others, which is perhaps one of the most attractive parts about deciding on atheism.

Hitchens, like Richard Dawkins are erudite and wise and rely on their "intelligence" to form their beliefs ... in nothingness, they are called atheists.

But the things of God are hidden from the wise and revealed to the innocent and the humble.

Yes, Christopher (strange your surname is of Christ) there is a Santa, and yes, there is a Jesus, and may he have mercy on your soul.

I agree completely with Bruce19's comment to the effect that, for most people, the American Christmas has transmuted from a religious holiday to "a commercial holiday, pumped up by retailers and corporations hell-bent on selling stuff". Given that "the business of America is business" - and probably always will be - it is probably foolish to think that we could eliminate, or even temper, that cultural phenomenon.

But we could accommodate the cultural desire to have a big party (and spending spree), while restoring the true meaning of the religious holidays, and - arguably most important - being true to our national foundational doctrine of the separation of religion and government.

Why not separate the religious Christmas (and Chanukah - which has only become important in recent decades, as American Jews' attempted substitute for Christmas - and the other December & January holidays) from the commercial? Bring back the real meaning of the religious holiday(s), and institute a secular celebration of gift giving for all who choose to participate.

The antecedents of much that is now associated with Christmas and other winter celebrations are non-Christian in origin. For example, every ancient culture had some sort of observance at the winter solstice, glorifying light and thanking its deities for the eventual lengthening of the days to come. Those are meaningful traditions in their own right, and there is no reason not to keep on observing them if we wish.

Now that historical events have culturally established the turn of calendar years at the same time as the solstice, there is nothing wrong with us, as a culture, desiring to have a celebration, in honor of the successful completion of another year, and in thanks to friends and family for the affection or support rendered during that year. Gift giving, winter lights, festive songs, parties, etc. - it's all good. But make it secular, and not associated with one religion to the exclusion of others.

It would certainly make more sense to me if the Smithsonian were closed on Thanksgiving than on Christmas. I'd also like to see New Year's Day and a floating December holiday be given to government workers. Most would probably take 12/25, but I think many would take 12/31 and make New Year's more festive.

Far more disturbing than the brouhaha over Christmas trees in the White House is the fact that Christmas is an official US Government Holiday. (And, no doubt, Easter would be, too, save for the fact that it always falls on a non-work day.) No other religion's holidays receive such special treatment. How does that square with the doctrine of separation of church and state?

"...the lights, trees, candles, and music are a reminder to me of the joy the world experienced at the birth of the Savior of Man kind. - Posted by: spado"

by all means, rejoice in your beliefs, but don't demand the use of public, secular facilities; the church and your own house should suffice.

"But back to whether the WH should have a Christmas Tree. It is just too socially ingrained to do anything else. Maybe someday that will change, but no time soon. - Posted by: rjma1"

Obama is both white and black, as well as a christian and a muslim (and as Hitchens points out, the two religions have something in common).

But technically, it is possible for an orthodox jew, a devout Muslim, or an avowed atheist to become a president. Would they then be "required" to continue the "socially ingrained" practice?

Whatevs, Zzim. Hitchens is brilliant. Not too many new thoughts in this column, but you should check out a longer work before you discount him.

I am from a heavily religious background (my father was a Baptist preacher) and I can't fathom how political or even private institutions can so exclusively embrace one religion's holidays. My university is so festooned with trees and garlands right now that it's hard to walk. We're having a faculty Christmas lunch next week and one of our staff (quietly and tactfully) mentioned in the break room that she won't be attending because her religion doesn't allow it. I dig free food and celebration, but I thought businesses were into calling this sort of thing a "winter holiday" or whatever. Throw up some snow flakes and let us all individually imprint our own religious context onto them.

"...an excuse for the riff-raff to get drunk and over-indulge."

That about sums up the celebration part, but unfortunately it is the lead up to the celebration, the ruthless attitude of acquiring some stupid gift for the ungrateful recipient and then crowing to your friends about what was received that makes the holiday suck!

I for one would rather take comfort in the coming of the solstice.

Why is the Washington Post allowing exposed scams to advertise in their sponsored links section? Teeth whitening and stomach flattening? These ads are criminally motivated and unless we call the Post and others on their sponsorship they will continue to take the money and run.

Do we want the US to become a Christian theocracy? Religion is about power, first and foremost, with that power concentrated not in the most qualified, thoughtful, intelligent and pragmatic but in the most rhetorical, dogmatic and charismatic. Let the Obamas celebrate Christmas in private.

In response to Donnolo:

Both the decision to take an oath on a Bible, and the insertion of the words, "so help me God," are personal choices, and are neither in nor required by the Constitution.

Spado,

OK but do you think religious symbols should be ever displayed by government officials on government time and on government (public) property?

If so, exactly which religious symbols should be displayed (endorsed) by the government?

As a Protestant, I don't need a debauched atheist like Mr. Hitchens to tell me what the Gospels say about the birth of our Lord. Though most Christians I know bemoan the commercialization of the holiday, the lights, trees, candles, and music are a reminder to me of the joy the world experienced at the birth of the Savior of Man kind.

I'm conflicted on this whole thing. Yes, I realize that most Christians and most Americans for that matter don't want to think about the coincidence that Christmas just happens to almost coincide with Solstice, a day that probably had a lot of meaning before the electric light bulb.

But there are a lot of nice things about Christmas that most people enjoy, the lights, the food, family gatherings, giving to charity (handy how its at the end of the year for tax purposes).

It's pretty clear to me that if Jesus came back and saw how we were celebrating his birthday, he'd be shocked at the excess and lament, "No, this isn't what I had in mind at all".

But back to whether the WH should have a Christmas Tree. It is just too socially ingrained to do anything else. Maybe someday that will change, but no time soon.

I'm with you down to the last paragraph. But correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't President Obama, like all his predecessors, swear that oath with his hand on a Bible? And didn't it end with the words "so help me God"?

So either a commitment to religiosity comes with the job, or we have a Constitutional cognitive dissonance.

Is it possible to celebrate a politically correct Christmas?
I don't know why Obama cares about 10(minus) per cent of the
populace who are indifferent, atheists, give a damn about Christmas
or hostile toward 'Jesus' birth'.
Even the old stone-faced communists during their Soviet reign weren't
able to abolish Christmas and the belief therein, they invented 'Old
Daddy Frost' as an equivalent to Santa Claus.
Perhaps the 'super hefty' wisebergers at the White House will soon call
'angels' 'year-end figures' in their drive to politically neutralize everything!

"I must be missing something...wouldn't the separation of church & state prevent the White House from displaying any religious symbols?

Exactly. And that means NO religious symbols: not a menorah, a creche, a Christmas tree, or anything else that celebrates the holidays of any religion. People are free to observe and celebrate privately.

I'm a religious Jew, so I am not antagonistic to religion perse. I take religion and its symbols -- and the Constitution -- quite seriously. Church and state should not be mixed in this country. Period.

Any one who thinks that Christmas has anything to do with religion has never been to a shopping mall in December.

As usual, Hitchens is right on. It amazes me that we use our public, tax-payer-funded spaces for religious display when there are plenty of churches, synagogues, mosques and private homes wherein these displays of religious affinity can be displayed. One thing, though. Christmas is really no longer a religious holiday. It is a commercial holiday pumped up by retailers and corporations hell-bent on selling stuff. It should be renamed "Gift Day" or "I got this thing for you Day".

Oliver Cromwell was hardly the ancestor of the Pilgrim Fathers since he was a little boy when they came to America. It is tiresome to have Hitchins, this Trotskyite ideologue, tell us not to celebrate Christmas. The other holidays at this season are invented to give non-Christians some part of the action. Hannukah celebrates the victory of Taliban-like Jews against enlightened ones in the 2nd century BC and was never an important holiday for Jews until America decided to be more diverse. Needless to say, Kwanza is a total fraud and any Muslim holiday can only be an insult to us. You don't have to believe in Christmas to be perfectly happy to have the White House celebrate it.

Actually, there is a clue about the time of year in the Gospel of Luke. Shepherds abiding in the fields. Shepherds do that when the ewes are about to give birth. It is too difficult for the pregnant ewes to walk back to the sheepfold, so they pretty much stay in the same territory for the last couple of weeks of pregnancy. I have seen this in Greece in modern times. Ewes give birth in December-January, just the right time for the lambs to make a decent meal at Passover. Or Easter. So the shepherds were watching for birth. Whether this is courtroom truth, or good storytelling -- I can't say.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Hitchens!

LOL

"Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

Not I. Not until the Kingdom of Heaven is replaced by a Heavenly Republic under a written constitution that limits the arbitrary power of the creator.

Non Serviam!

I must be missing something...wouldn't the separation of church & state prevent the White House from displaying any religious symbols? Hasn't praying and the Pledge of Allegiance been banned in public schools?

And I agree with Mr. Hitchens, most Christians have no historical concept of the Christmas ritual. Christmas in England circa 1200 A.D. would make their little heads spin.

Actually, the Qur'an does not "certify that the Virgin Mary was the mother of a great prophet." It says that Mary was a mother of the great prophet. In Islam, Jesus was not divine and Mary was no virgin when Jesus was conceived.

I think not RMilton. Indeed, if an errant asteroid were to suddenly end all of this, I suspect that the remnant who survive would pass on vague, ill defined memories and new mythologies would appear to replace the fond fictions we cling to in this ear.

The poet tells us that our foremost myth--being driven out of Eden by an angry God--is in reality a reminder that all things end. Save for the comfortably ignorant Bill O'Reilly.

Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Thank you, Mr. Hitchens. This is the most sensible thing I've read about the "war on Christmas" in a long time.

Nuts! I was referring to Mr. Hitchens' article, not ZZIM's ignorant response.

Amen to that!

Nothing but snideness masquerading as intellectual discourse. I've heard of this guy before, but never read any of his stuff. What a waste of time.