Perhaps you've heard of Richard Dawkins.  Dawkins is one of the so-called "New Atheists" who have, in the last ten or so years, made quite a name for themselves in their, somewhat shallow I might add, critiques of religion and all things religious.  The other day, I listened to a brief interview with Dawkins.  The interviewer was soliciting his views about Christmas.

    Dawkins said that he loved Christmas.  He loves singing the carols, loves the warmth of family that the holiday tends to generate, loves the decorations; in fact, he loves everything about Christmas.  Except the original reason for its existence.

    Moreover, in reply to a question about Islam, Dawkins acknowledged that he would rather not see it become more popular in Great Britain (he is British, as was the interviewer).  Why?  For him, Islam promotes violence, demeans women, tends to encourage hate, and more.

    Although any number of Christian and Islamic scholars could easily point out the ignorance and limits of Dawkins's critique of Islam, that's not the point.  What I found most intriguing was that he was willing to draw a distinction between two worldviews whose foundations he totally rejected.

    I must therefore draw a page from Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein who observed, in a well known phrase, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent"

    Do enjoy Christmas, Mr. Dawkins.  Be willing, however, to understand why we even celebrate it in the first place.