I have no problem with Christmas trees, but the bible does take offense, and considers heathens who have them "brutish and foolish":

"Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. . . . They are altogether brutish and foolish." (Jeremiah 10:2-8)

Jeesh! What a downer. I don't know why the bible is against Christmas trees, but I think that there comes a point where you have to stop looking the other way when someone is attacking you. I actually feel bad for people who put up Christmas trees. They must feel real empty inside. I hope they change themselves soon.

O'Riley does what he does to get ratings. He DOES get those ratings - the man is very popular. Which is why KOMO repeated the story. We live in a capitalist society and the culture war sells. News organizations are business, no different than Starbucks or Niketown. You are correct...this is not news.

Atheists need a sign to counter-act the impression that our state government is endorsing a particular religious belief. Christmas = Christianity. Atheists believe that Christianity, like all religions, encourages people to stop thinking rationally and simply have "faith" in the mystical...

I agree that people should be thankful for what they have. I am certainly thankful that I had the sense to wake up from the Catholic dream-world my parents encouraged me to believe in and move to the least religious state in the Union. Of course even here I feel the pressing threat of religious extremism. Even here I have to remain a closeted atheist for fear of what it will do to my family and my career if I were to "out" myself.

I'm thankful that organizations like the Freedom From Religion Foundation exist this Holy Day season. There but for the grace of nobody go I....