Atheist with Blinders On

If you told me that an atheist gets his feathers ruffled in a Christian community less than a Jew, I'd normally be surprised. After all, the historical U.S. bias in favor of religion and religious practice (so long as it's monotheist) is pretty clear.

However, that assumption was just challenged by a post a friend of mine linked to (presumably, as representing his own view as well).

The author of An Open Letter To Christians: Merry Christmas From An Atheist apparently doesn't know anyone who's a religous minority. Otherwise, how could he say:

"But ultimately, everyone I know enjoys the holiday and if asked seriously, I doubt they would change a thing."

Then you must not know any Jews.

We're certainly not out to make a "War on Christmas," (your freedom is my freedom, etc.), but there are plenty of us who hate the holiday *as forced on all of us in every f-ing store display and musical selection for 6+weeks every year*.

As a practicing Jew, I really prefer that people say "Merry Christmas" if that's what they mean.

When someone says "Happy Holidays," I know for sure that they don't have any idea what holidays there are besides Christmas. Otherwise, why would they limit that greeting to the Christmas season? Why don't they say "Happy Holidays" in the spring or early fall, knowing that Jews are celebrating their truly significant holidays then (Purim, Passover, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, etc.). Why don't they say "Happy Holidays" in the late fall, when Hindus are celebrating Diwali? Or in late winter, for Chinese New Year?

I like Christmas lights. I like Christmas music. What I don't like is the assumption that everyone does or should celebrate Christmas.
Either it's truly a secular holiday, in which case get rid of the baby J talk and make it all about happy old fat men in red suits, or it's a religious holiday, in which case, recognize that there are plenty of other religions out there, this is NOT a universal holiday, and you shouldn't expect any special accommodation for it (National holiday anyone) any more than you'd expect to give for Eid, Mahashivaratri, Samhain, Lughnasa, Shavuot, Confucious' birthday, etc. etc. etc.