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"You and I have different views on the proper way to evangelize. Let me ask you if you are making the point that the reason for wishing atheists and Jews and Muslims a Merry Christmas is to set them up for conversion?"

More or less, yes. It took something like 30 years for me to finally get the message. I had religion rammed down my throat as a pre-teen, by a hypocritical Southern Baptist minister stepfather. (this is not to say that all Southern Baptists are like him, but that all groups have people who do not follow even their own religion's rules.)He'd have a cow, these day, if he found out, because one of the GOOD things he told me was "don't take my word for it, pray about it, and read about it, and make up your own mind." I did. Took a while to get into the mood to even try, but when I did, I found out that God does, indeed, exist, and for some strange reason, loves me. Enough to send his Son to die for me. I also found out that his Son loved me enough to not only die for me, but to rise from the dead for me, as well, and shield me from my own sins. Can't get any more powerful than that, message-wise.

I have found that if you respect other's beliefs, and try to learn about them, that they are more likely to respect yours. I used to be an athiest. Didn't last long, as it takes as much faith as any other religion. I spent far too long as an agnostic, but I also investigated many religions. Islam among them. As I've pointed out on many a thread, not all Muslims are bad. Some are, no doubt about it. Blaming all for the actions of a few, whether they be Baptists or Muslims, makes no sense.

I was actually raised, partly, in the church I eventually joined, because my grandmother was a member, and I attended with her when I was visiting her. I supposedly knew about it, and I did reject it. I rejected my step-dad's church, too. And every other church, Christian or not, that I looked into. Eventually, by the persistance and love of many members of that church, over 3 decades, I found what I was missing. My kids attend a Lutheran school, even though we aren't Lutherans, because the folks there Love God and His Son, and do their best. We have disagreements on doctrine, but the center of our faith is Jesus, so we get along. I'll never be a Lutheran, but I don't mind my kids knowing that there are others out there trying to do their best, even if they lack all that we have. I know many, many, churches that feel that everyone not of THEIR church is damned, but I believe that God will only hold us responsible for what we KNOW is right, and fail to do.

That said, I happen to know that there are Muslims who are just as good a people as my people, and the Lutherans I know. I even know there are some Southern Baptists that are good and true disciples of Christ, to the best of their knowledge and ability. "It don't take all kinds, we just got all kinds." There are some folks out there who will hate me just because I'm LDS. Some will hate me because I'm military. Some who will hate me because I'm American. I can ignore all of them as long as they don't get too froggy in their hatred. Keep exposing them to the polite and respectful, God-loving, decent people, and some of them will decide they need what we have. Some will decide to live and let live. Some will force us to kill them to protect ourselves. Lumping any group all into one category is wrong, however. If God had done that, all we would have to look forward to would be hellfire.