In Theory:

If President Obama is a Christian as he claims to be, he should decorate his home with a Christian theme, if for no other reason than to educate his daughters about the true meaning of Christmas: God, in his love for humanity, coming to us as a child, making himself dependent and weak, in need of our love, so that rather than fearing him, we would love him. Interestingly, the New York Times recently reported that the Obamas were strongly considering not putting on display the manger scene in order to portray a more inclusive Christmas but eventually bowed to tradition.

Yet some of the ornaments hanging on the tree are offensive, leading me to believe that inclusiveness is trumping religious values.

Fr. Stephen Doktorczyk

St. Joachim Church

Costa Mesa

President Obama and his wife have the right to decorate their home however they want to. I assume that that is what they have done, and that they believe that all families have that right, regardless of what their lineage is or what their religious beliefs are.

There is no reason to clutter up the White House with a plethora of disparate religious symbols. Simple acknowledgment and acceptance of the existence of various religious traditions — or none — is all that is required.

Jerry Parks

Member, Humanist Assn. of Orange County

President Franklin Pierce was the first chief executive to bring a Christmas tree into the White House. I doubt whether a single voice was raised in the 1850s seeking a “balanced” display that respected Hanukkah observance, and I do not know why such a view would be any more valid today.

After all, Hanukkah is not the “Jewish Christmas.” Hanukkah, as a relatively minor festival, hardly even approaches what Christmas means to Christians. It struck me as overblown and not accurate when a menorah was lit at the Ellipse, and it was called the “National Menorah.”

I do not need the White House decorated in Hanukkah blue and white as a counterweight to Christmas red and green for me to feel validated as a Jewish citizen of America.

Rabbi Mark S. Miller

Temple Bat Yahm

Newport Beach

The White House is the private residence of the president and his family, and, although the White House has public tours, the president and his family can decorate it as they choose. More important than the decorations in the White House, however, is President Obama’s personal knowledge of Muslim traditions and his popularity among world leaders. He strikes me as one who genuinely understands other cultures and uses his knowledge to build bridges that can help our reputation in the world. But I also think he knows how to be firm when the situation calls for a more direct approach. I pray each day that Spirit guides his decisions and directs his actions for peace, prosperity and freedom.

Jim Turrell

Center for Spiritual Living Newport-Mesa

As described in our prompt for this week’s question, President Obama is a model of diversity. His own personal background reflects much of the diversity of our country: He is bi-racial, he comes from a family of varying religious backgrounds, he is multicultural — having lived and experienced a myriad of ethnic traditions.

He is Christian, and so I am not surprised that he decorated his home for Christmas. Of course, it would be wonderful to see our president’s home reflect the many holidays celebrated this season, but should they have decked the halls with dreidels? I don’t necessarily think so.

I consider myself a Christian pluralist, and I don’t have a menorah in my window. We Christians refer to this as the Season of Peace; I hope that the president will embrace peace this Christmas and in the coming new year.

The Rev. Sarah Halverson

Fairview Community Church

Costa Mesa