Like i say, i'm looking forward to seeing cute Christian girl, even if i am worried i may have ruined her life. Some years back, after countless pointless arguments with religious people i realised that if i went round inflicting my own beliefs on people who were happy with their own i was no better than the missionaries. There was really no need to destroy other peoples'- surely tolerance is a major liberal value.

But i had a lapse on the way home from my last counselling lesson, whilst explaining why i was so down on christmas: 'it's an enforced joy- scrooge lets us attack people who choose not to be happy at christmas. And he was born in june anyway. Cute Christian Girl frowned. 'no he wasn't- where did you hear that?' i talked about solstice and comets, not realising my mistake. And that sound i could hear was her entire belief system heading towards collapse.

Christians who believe jesus was born on december 25th are most vulnerable to having their belief systems collapse. I should know this- i was a very literal christian until about 10 years ago. With me it was christmas- once i'd realised that was a lie, i wondered what else was, and before i knew it i believed in nothing. It took me a decade to climb out of that spiritual well, and i'm not so full of myself now that i'd want to push someone else down there