As often happens this time of year, lots of folks in the op-ed pages get all worked up about Christmas and how awful it must be to be an atheist this time of year. All those songs about Jesus and God and the Heavenly Host must really drive atheists batty.

Oh, and atheists are dreadfully intolerant and bigoted and such. Michael Gerson quoted C.S. Lewis to drive that point home.

For starters, C.S. Lewis was an officious prig. And yes, he converted from a vague agnosticism to a fervent Christianity--his relationship with non-believing was much like that of ex-smokers and smoking. He had to justify his own personal choices, so he ran down his old beliefs. That's okay. All of us do that sort of thing.

The truth is that most atheists (and non-Christians, for that matter) don't get all worked up about the trappings of Christmas. Creches on the Town Hall lawn? Whatever. Sure, there are the occasional dingbats who sue, but there are a few folks most Christians don't really want to claim within their ranks, either. Fred Phelps, anyone?

Yes, I believe that the theological trappings of every religion are wrong. That is an intrinsic part of atheism. On the other hand, every religion has some useful philosophy behind it. If there weren't some practical applications of a given religion (even if those practical applications have more to do with the control of large numbers of people), the theological aspects wouldn't gain any traction.

For example, I think that reincarnation does not happen. But there are plenty of thoughts coming out of the Buddhist tradition that make perfect sense. Being in the moment is but one.

And even if the "golden rule" wasn't really Jesus's idea, that thought does permeate Christian thinking. I can get along with "love your neighbor as yourself" just fine.

As for Christmas, my family celebrates it as a season of giving (rather than one of receiving, though there's plenty of that). My wife would like to be a member of a church, mostly for the "membership" thing. She'd like to believe in God, though she really doesn't. No worries. There are plenty of churches for folks like that. Not just Unitarian, either. Most of the old-school "mainline" Protestant churches don't blanch at the occasional atheist member. They need all the warm bodies they can get.

Do I really care about public displays of Christianity? No. The White House and Capitol can have their trees. I do get a little more wigged out when the Ten Commandments get plunked down in front of courthouses, but I also get a little wigged out when Frank White gets passed over for the Hall of Fame. Do I sue? No. Do I holler? No. It's not worth the trouble.

See, America may not be an official Christian nation, but most folks in the country (for now, anyway) are nominally Christian. I don't care what you are, just don't try to sell me on your religion. I don't want personal testimony, and I don't want another copy of the Watchtower (though I do try to say that with a smile to the little old ladies peddling it in our neighborhood).

So merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. Joyeux Noel. I hope your eight-year-old didn't destroy his new remote-control helicopter in ten minutes. That's the sort of thing that can sour a Christmas faster than you can say "Santa's a big fat idiot!"

Jon Worley was raised as a skeptical Presbyterian and Methodist, which he believes to be the surest path to atheism.