Well, I think that "Happy Birthday Jesus" is a bit much, even for church. A cake and singing the "Happy Birthday" song to him is even worse. On the other hand, I think it's a bit much for people to go ballistic about being wished "Merry Christmas." I also think it's going overboard for schools and businesses and government agencies to attempt to purge the word "Christmas" from our language and culture.

I'm a churchgoing Christian, but I have to say that when I think Christmas, I think of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, even though I've never even seen chestnuts on an open fire. I do think of the birth of Jesus, but mostly only when I go to church. Otherwise, I see Christmas as a cultural holiday - and a very nice, traditional cultural holiday, at that. Christmas is our one holiday that is most full of folklore and tradition - and it's a shame to try to cleanse all that from our culture.

I think we should all be able to sing and enjoy carols, and maybe even admire creche scenes (maybe not on public property). But I do wish the fundamentalists wouldn't see this as an opportunity to shove their brand of Christianity down our throats - that's much of what causes the anti-Christmas practices of nonbelievers.

-Joe Offer-