Penn Jillette Weighs in on 'The War on Christmas'

​Penn Jillette will appear on The Glenn Beck Program on TheBlaze TV on Thursday, Dec. 6.

We're well into the 'War on Christmas' season. Over the past week, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has debated the War on Christmas issue with Atheists for America President David Silverman as well as Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, leading to attacks from MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell against O'Reilly and CBN host Pat Robertson for their comments on the political correctness debate that comes up every year at this time.

Even a Little Rock, Arkansas, elementary school made headlines after local atheists expressed outrage at teachers for suggesting to take first and second-grade students to see "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at a local Church. Arkansas Atheists believe the play includes religious themes, and the trip would blur the line between church and state.

While many commentators in the "War on Christmas" debate often have the tendency to engage in political hyperbole, some may find magician and outspoken atheist Penn Jillette's recent comments on the issue refreshing. In a video published Friday by big think, Jillette gives his take on why he doesn't believe there is an attack on Christmas, and that calls to say things like "happy holidays" are not an attempt to belittle Christians.

"If you're talking about sending out Christmas cards or your setting up something on a town square, why do you want to leave people out?" Jillette says in the video "Why is it considered an attack to say 'holidays,' to say 'seasonal?' I mean, don't you want other people to join you in joy? Why are you excluding other people? "

At the same time, Jillette is very supportive of Christians' right to speech.

"I certainly don't think there should be anything legal stopping people from saying all the Christmas stuff they want," Jillette goes on to say. "I am more in favor of freedom of religion than anyone I've ever met.

"I think you should have all the prayer meetings you want all the time with any religion you have. I'd rather you didn't do it on my dime."