It's a sad day for our founding freedoms when a senior cabinet minister in a Canadian government feels the need to send out a memo to all federal civil servants to tell them it is okay to celebrate Christmas and Chanukah.

But this is what Treasury Board President Tony Clement felt he had to do as Canada devolves even more into a country of hurt feelings.

It is more in sadness than in joy, therefore, that we applaud Tony Clement for stepping up.

Yes, by all means, display those Christmas cards, he tells his staff. Put up some Christmas lights and tinsel, put candles in your miniature Menorah, and use your workplace to express the warmth of this special time.

Peace on Earth, et cetera.

As Clement explained about the memo's rationale, "there are those who would like to snuff out the holiday spirit in the name of political correctness or expediency.

"Our government will not allow the Christmas spirit to be grinched." Almost from the moment Clement's note hit the news, however, the telephone lines to talk-radio shows across the country lit up with calls from the non-Christian, non-Jewish crowd (plus an atheist or two) who believed the workplace should be secular.

But that's a load of prejudice.

What they believe, instead, is that their religious beliefs are somehow being made second-tier with the celebration of Christ's birth, all while forgetting that Canada was founded on the charity and tolerance of Judeo-Christian values, one of the main reasons they or their predecessors chose this country above all others.

They, too, should be celebrating, if not religiously at least intellectually.

They are blessed just by being in Canada.

As this demographic grows, the backlash has already scared off major retailers from even mentioning Christmas in their advertising, and entire city councils from daring to call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.

Think we're wrong?

Why is it then that the mere mailing of a greeting card by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was specially noted on social media when all it said was "Merry Christmas?" Answer that one.