Interesting article by Reverend Derek Ormston. As an atheist I would like to clarify a few points:

l I celebrate Christmas in a secular way. For me, it is a time to remember the past year and look forward to the next.

l I am not offended by the Christ in Christmas. My feathers are ruffled by the notion that Christmas is an entirely Christian tradition. Furthermore, many Christians seem to believe that there was no culture in this country before this glorious and wonderful religion brought peace, love, tolerance, morality and civilisation to the barbaric pagans!

l I would agree that minority faiths shouldn't be offended by Christian imagery in a country where that faith is the state religion. That is another point entirely and I do not intend to bring it up here.

Look into Christmas though and you will see it littered with pagan ceremony. December 25 was a festival for the pre-Christian Romans. It is also close to the Celtic festival of the winter solstice. The ancient Britons decorated their homes with evergreen trees and a blaze of colour to celebrate the returning spring. This tradition of birth was repackaged by Christians as the birth of Jesus. The yule log burned for 12 days after the solstice this was to bring light into a period of 12 days where the pagan Saxons believed the sun stood still. This period of 12 days was later rededicated to the Apostles.

Doesn't our pagan past deserve to be remembered? In an enlightened 21st century and Oliver Cromwell a long time dead, we should be permitted to celebrate Christmas as we please whether Christian, Pagan or Atheist.

One final thing, do not presume that I am immoral and materialistic because I have rejected the Christian religion.

Matthew Mason

Station Road