Beware! May Offend the Religious Among you!!!

This morning I did something I would generally not do. I read Bill O'Reilly's column in the Sunday paper. If you're unfamiliar with O'Reilly, not to worry. You haven't missed anything worthwhile. He's a lucky huckster of verbiage, in the same vein as Barnum, Madoff, and other con men who instinctively sense what the targeted audience wants to hear and has the boldness, ability, and ego to push ahead with their schemes.
Apparently Billy or one of his staff saw a bus with a sign paid for by some Atheist movement. That sign advocated that religion be taken out of the Holiday celebrations which occurr this time each year. That's their right, just as it's the right of the religious to celebrate these holidays in their preferred manner.
Religion is always dangerous ground for anyone to tread. If you're not a religious leader or a believer in a flock, it's been deemed out of bounds for discussion. If you question the existence of an omnipotent entity you are an outcast to probably 75% of the people you know. If you fall into line and profess your belief in the same entity, you're a good guy and only about 5% of the people who know your feelings are against you. This shows that, for some reason it's fine to be convinced that some unprovable but commonly held belief is fact. It's far less acceptable to demonstrate an ability to analyze the situation and be waiting for more evidence in either direction before you take a side. I won't say where I stand on the issue, but I'll say that whenever I've asked questions about religion outside of the Philosophy classroom, I've been derided. Questions should not be misjudged and misinterpreted as a negative disposition toward any point of view. People should simply be glad that someone cares enough about an issue to ask questions about it.
With all the problems that clerics of various faiths have had over the milleniums, and all the horrible crimes so many have propagated against so many innocent victims, why is it still wrong to question the basic tenets they're pushing while accepting remuneration to do so? Is there a reliable total of the innocent victims who have been killed in wars instigated and perpetuated by religious factions? Does the common man placing money in the collection plate take a moment to remember that in most of these wars the same perfect entity he's supporting was backing both sides? Is that possible or even reasonable? Isn't it only arms dealers who profit from both sides during a war?
I believe that anyone who wants to celebrate this season should be free to do so without judgement from any source being directed toward them. If you're a religious believer of any faith, nobody should feel disdain toward you for it. If you are not a believer in an all powerful entity, you deserve equal respect from society regardless of anyone's personal beliefs. Whether you pray or question the usefulness of prayer, take the time to appreciate your personal situation during this holiday season. Think about your friends, children, grandchildren, neighbors (even the ones you wish would move), world leaders, and even sexual predators who wear a dog collar or a ragged tee shirt. Wish them all the best possible Holiday Season, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, or whatever pleasantry you can bestow. Help whoever you can because it's the human thing to do.
This season, started by whomever and for whatever purpose, has evolved into a world celebration of charity, kindness, forgiving, and giving. Ignore the negative aspects and those who would make you feel guilty for your personal feelings. Have a grand Holiday Season and a very Merry Christmas!