The spirit of the season

Atheists run for cover this time of year, when religiosity is conflated with good will and generosity.

By Atheist Alliance International [CC-BY-SA-2.5
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)],
via Wikimedia Commons

There is no room for us. (Notice that even Bill Maher takes a break this time of year.)

Nor for those who are not Christians, really, as the season denies our spirit and liberality. Sufis, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus are excluded from the cheer of this holiday.

Even in the United States which prides itself on freedom of religion,  church and state do not go their separate ways at Christmas time. In fact, the holiday is widely celebrated by our politicians in public fori of all sorts. Christmas is not an ecumenical holdiay, nor is it in any sense all-encompassing. 

By Alexandre de Berny (1809-1881)?
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It is a deeply religious celebration for those of the Christian faith.  Christmas marks the day that Jesus, whom  Christians worship as the son of God, was born. This is no trivial holiday, despite its commercial trappings and the introduction of Santa Claus the gift giver into the picture.

By Huhu Uet (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Christmas should be treated with the sanctity of a religious holiday. Instead, in an effort to make believers of us all, or make those of us who do not subscribe to religion into Scrooges, it has been turned into a "season of joy and peace." 

Bah Humbug. 

By ChrisDohlen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons