Every religious tradition has the capacity for both good and evil, suggests Charles Kimball in his work, When Religion Becomes Evil. Indeed, the passion and truth claims associated with religious belief make religion susceptible to extremes. This week, as we remember the events of 9/11, we cannot escape the stark reminders of the dangers inherent in religious extremism and the dire consequences that emerge when religious zeal fuses with coercive power.

We all — male and female, Democrat and Republican, the religious and those who choose no religion, the religious extremists and those who express their faith differently — would do well to hear and digest the principle of robust and genuine religious liberty for all.

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First, an important disclaimer: I am not a scholar of world religions. Though I work daily to help ensure religious liberty for all faiths, I am most familiar with the Christian tradition. But, yes, I believe the major world religions — at their best — embody the principles of love, compassion and forgiveness.

To this general acquiescence in the Dali Lama’s observation, I offer several caveats.

Acknowledging that the major world religions incorporate these basic values — love, compassion and forgiveness — is not to say that all religions are the same or to gloss over significant differences among them. A watered-down, lowest-common denominator view of religion to support the idea that one religion is about as good as the next is a mistake. To concede similarities and commonalities among religions should not lead us to obscure the differences.

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It’s ironic that the season during which many celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace often comes with a manufactured “War on Christmas.” This yearly battle in the culture war is fought against an enemy that simply does not exist.

Of course it’s fine to celebrate Christmas, and Christ is indispensable to its proper celebration. Christ should not be crowded out of Christmas either by fussy sensitivities or grubby consumerism. Christmas is Christmas, and a tree is a tree, and a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree.

That said, I offer two important principles.

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