I hope each of you is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break and will have time to spend with loved ones.

As a Christian, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and is a very special time for those of us who celebrate. It is especially enjoyable for children. While gifts are important, I also believe it is important to share the reason for the season with young ones and the teachings which align with peacefully practicing your faith.

Not all religions recognize Jesus or December holidays the same. In Christianity, Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) foretold in the Old Testament and the Son of God. Christians believe that through his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. Christmas is the celebration of his birth and the promise associated.

Judaism does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah or divine. While some Jewish scholars value him as a historical figure, they do not see his life as having fulfilled the messianic prophecies outlined in scripture. Those of the Jewish faith await a messiah to bring peace and restore Israel.

In Islam, the Quran mentions Jesus by name 25 times – more often than Muhammad – and emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God’s message. The Quran describes Jesus as one of four major human messengers sent by God to guide mankind. Many Islamic people celebrate Christmas, but not as a religious holiday.

With the Hindu faith, views on Jesus vary widely. Some may see him as a holy man or a saint, while others may include him among their pantheon of deities. However, he is not considered the only path to God.

Like Hinduism, Buddhism does not have a unified view of Jesus. Some Buddhists may appreciate his teachings and moral example, but he is not a central figure in Buddhist belief.

The religious composition of America in 2025 reflects both historical foundations and contemporary demographic shifts. Christianity maintains majority status at 62% of the adult population, equivalent to approximately 160 million Americans across all Christian denominations. Within this total, Protestants comprise 40% (103 million adults), while Catholics represent 19% (49 million adults) and other Christian groups comprise 3% (8 million adults).

Non-Christian religious populations make up 7.1% of Americans (approximately 18.3 million adults), with Jewish Americans at 1.7% (4.4 million), Muslims at 1.2% (3.1 million), Buddhists at 1.1% (2.8 million) and Hindus at 0.9% (2.3 million). The religiously unaffiliated population stands at 29%, representing approximately 75 million American adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”

The freedom to practice religion without government influence is guaranteed to Americans, and it is regarded as one of our most sacred Constitutional rights. The Founding Fathers’ acceptance of other religions was influenced by their diverse backgrounds and the Enlightenment ideals of reason and individual liberty. This allowed for a wide range of religious beliefs to coexist peacefully within the framework of a secular state.

I hope this conversation does not offend, but I believe it is important to have respect for others’ beliefs, even if you do not believe the same as them, and for children to learn that respect.

Please do not view another person’s peaceful beliefs as an endangerment to your own, but as a celebration of the ability to live together in a nation where people can rejoice in the peace promised from the season.

Whether you are celebrating Christmas (Christianity), Hanukkah (Judaism), Bodhi Day (Buddhism), Kwanzaa (African American heritage), Immaculate Conception (Catholicism), Yule (Pagan), Winter Solstice (several Native American tribes) or some other festivity, I wish you the happiest and peaceful time of year, and please make sure the children in your life have an equally joyous time!

– The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities, or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. Our mission statement: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.