Joy to the world, peace and goodwill to all mankind. These are the traditional benign wishes of Christians on the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, otherwise known as Christmas; a time of happiness and giving, maintained still by large parts of humanity, including those with no belief in Jesus Christ or, for that matter, in any God.

For sure, many in the West have no belief or religious faith whatever but still feel the need to celebrate Christmas with their fellows. Is it because Christmas represents a break from work, a chance to give and receive presents and an excuse to overindulge in food and drink? Yes, of course it is but is it something more besides?

Is the goodwill and happiness, felt by most of us at this time of year and inspired by memories of Christmases past, an indication that, even though we may not be practising Christians, we can still at least live our lives in a decent Christian manner? Maybe so. Merry Christmas!