Excuse me, What or Whom Are We Celebrating?

I try to maintain a pretty good attitude, most of the time, but this particular time of year, this particular year has just been annoying. I'm tired of listening to Christians complain about a secularized Christmas. If Christians don't want it secularized, stop all the shopping and Santa stuff. Santa is nothing more than the socially acceptable way to torture children, by having them sit on a stranger's lap for the camera, after you've repeated the mantra "stranger danger!" And, oh let's not forget the priceless lesson of teaching them that it's okay to lie, if there's a good reason and you're a grown-up! And quit finding religious legends for candy canes and Christmas trees for the rest of us to endure. If you want a religious holiday, set the standard, but quit your complaining that the rest of us are messing up your holiday. You sound like a bunch of Scrooges!
I read something the other day about a big Christmas celebration in Baghdad. I quote from the linked article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/21/iraq.christmas/index.html
"Even before I can ask Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul Karim Khalaf a question, he greets me with a big smile. "All Iraqis are Christian today!" he says."
And yet, since the American invasion of Iraq, the Christian population has declined by 2/3. In 2003, although the Christian population claimed repression under Saddam Hussein, it was about 1 and 1/2 million strong. Now, in 2008, the Christians number, roughly a half million, and few can get into the US for refuge. They are now fleeing Iraq and having to go to other Muslim countries. Shouldn't we in America be offering refuge, especially to those of "the household of faith?"
One more article really bothered me this past week and I realize this is not the general Christian attitude, but I don't understand why this particular thing would be happening, especially this time of year. I have included the link, for this article, as well. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,469928,00.html
A woman was attending a Florida church, got involved with a guy that didn't go to church, got too involved with him and then did the unthinkable . . . She told a church lady! The church lady of course told her to end the relationship, then when she didn't, took her before the group of church ladies to be admonished. She said she'd stop attending the church. Now, that wasn't good enough for Pastor Christmas. That's right, the Pastor of Grace Community Church is the Rev. T. Scott Christmas. Is this not just priceless? Now, she stops attending and then receives a "Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men" letter, informing her that if she doesn't break up with this guy, she will be publicly humiliated on January 4. I never read whether she would be forced to attend this public humiliation, be given a scarlet letter or perhaps a simple "stoning." Pastor Christmas says he is going to do this and he claims to be Scripturally justified. Did I mention her children continue to attend? She's already out of his congregation, she's not attending. Just how much control over the world does this guy think he needs?
I don't have a Christmas tree, I'm not shopping at the malls, and Santa isn't coming to my house, but I do very firmly believe in Messiah, and in this statement from what Christians call the Christmas Story in Luke 2.
Glory to G~D in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2: 14