Editor’s note: The following letters are in response to a letter in last week’s issue, stating that “the cross and manger are offensive to many people of many religions” regarding their inclusion on the “It’s OK to say Merry Christmas” signs around Redmond.

• I would like to respond to Mr. Amani’s letter in the Dec. 4 issue under the heading “Christmas Signs in Redmond.”

First, I would like to point out that a society rich in diversity (or “open”) cannot be devoid of offense. That is where tolerance comes in. I believe people use the word “progressive” these days to imply that those who do not believe as they do are out-of-touch with reality. There is nothing tolerant about that viewpoint, and it’s not the Redmond I’ve lived in for the past 30 years.

Secondly, we live in a nation that is known throughout the world for its compassion for people groups wishing to have the same freedoms as Americans. This compassion is based on the Judeo-Christian precept of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. And religious expression is a precious freedom many flee to America for.

Thirdly, in spite of the secularization of Christmas, this is a holy season for Christians, myself included, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, and the symbols of the cross and the manger are a reflection of that faith. My hope, Mr. Amani, is that you will come to understand and appreciate the sacrifice countless Americans have paid with their lives in order for you and I to freely express ourselves while living side by side in peace.

Laurie Cossette

Redmond

• Please don’t be offended by outward expressions of faith. America is a place where people of all cultures and customs are welcome and valued.

Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrated by people of many faiths and belief systems. Understandably it has become a less religious celebration for many, but it doesn’t change the fact that its original purpose was to celebrate Christ’s birth. Manger scenes are part of the celebration and are meant to spread joy and goodwill to all, no matter what their beliefs.

Intolerance toward any faith is not progressive at all, it is regressive actually. Desiring to have policies that inhibit religious freedoms is absolutely not progressive. Typically when one comes to another’s country they should demonstrate a respect for the established customs of that country.

I am open to and encouraged by all kinds expressions of faith. I am not offended at all when other faiths place makeshift prayer rooms in work places (I know they do because I’ve seen them where I work) because I understand that they believe they should pray five times daily facing the east. I tolerate other faiths and hope that all can worship as they please because I am an American and I am Christian. With all due respect, “Merry Christmas.”

Sam Eastman

Redmond

• The brief letter from Rajan Amani in last week’s Reporter distills so much of what’s wrong in our country today. So many people spend their time trying to purge the world of things that offend them. The First Amendment that guarantees the letter writer the right to be offended and to say so, protects no one from being offended.  Instead, it guarantees the rights of people of ALL faiths to publicly proclaim their beliefs and to display whatever symbols of their faiths they choose, whether or not those expressions bother others or not.

An open society for which the letter writer seems to yearn, does not purge the public square of all speech, images and other forms of expression someone might find offensive.  An open society is one in which everyone is free to express his beliefs without fear of persecution and prosecution. If Christmas is to be purged to avoid offending Muslims, what of Eid or Diwali, or any other religious or cultural expression to avoid offending people who don’t share the faiths or cultures in which they’re rooted?

Much of the greatness of this nation lies in its acceptance of people from all over the world without requiring them to renounce or hide their beliefs. Force anyone to stop  expressing their faith and it won’t be long before this freedom dies and all others begin to decay.

Jeff Miller

Redmond

• I was disheartened to read that Mr. Amani feels Christmas displays are offensive. Does being progressive really require us to remove time-honored traditions that have been a part of Western civilization for hundreds of years? What if the situation were reversed and a segment of a predominantly Islamic country wished to change long-held cultural traditions because they were offensive?

Our Nation was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs that gave us the system of laws we strive to live by — don’t lie, cheat, steal, kill, treat others kindly and so on. It’s what allows us to open our doors to those in need. One does not have to attend a church, synagogue, mosque or temple to embrace those values. Can we not choose to focus on our similarities instead of our differences?

I cherish the family Christmases of my childhood and am grateful to gather with family and friends to celebrate this heritage. While I no longer attend church, the message “and on earth peace, goodwill to men,” is renewed every year in my heart. I wish this for all humankind.

Lynne Fricks

Redmond

• I will pray for Rajan Amani that he might embrace America’s Constitutional rights for all, which include freedom of speech and freedom of religion. He chose to live here in this diverse city. It would serve him well to learn tolerance and respect of our Christian observances. Christians universally celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

I will not be bullied because I display the Nativity scene in my yard. Since we so graciously accepted him into our community, it would be appreciated if he accepted us and our beliefs and customs. If he is offended by the “green signs,” the manger, the Star of David or the cross in a yard, I suggest he simply look in another direction. After all, Christ’s birth is the one and only reason for the season.

Wishing love to all and peace upon the earth.

Kathie Cady

Redmond

• Quote from the Reporter opinion page on Dec. 4, “Redmond has opened its doors to Muslim refugees and has a growing Muslim and other non-Christian population. Because of this, progressives in the city want our society to be open and not offensive”…certainly. Rajan Amani stated, “The cross and manger are offensive to many people of many religions.”

Rajan, the cross and manger are symbolic of our holiday traditions and not offensive. If I were to visit a Muslim country, I would be offended if the country did NOT display their cultural and holiday tradition symbols. It would be ludicrous for me to expect them to remove them or sterilize their beautiful country’s displays to somehow be religiously correct for me. The diversity of our country’s cultures and traditions is what makes us…us. Please re-think your progressive requests.

Sheryl Solberg

Redmond