The War on Terror might not necessarily be moving to Iran, but the War on Christmas has definitely spread to Thanksgiving.  The Pilgrims went to church, we know that much.  They believed America was pretty much the New Israel, even though it isn’t.  And they thanked God at the first Thanksgiving.  But that might not necessarily mean that Thanksgiving, as we know it, is a Christian holiday.

Even if Thanksgiving is a religious holiday, it must rank as the most accessible of all. Unlike on other holidays, as Reed points out, there are no potentially mystifying doctrines (like resurrection or virgin birth) to wrestle with, and the environmental themes (the Wampanoag practiced something like sustainable agriculture) are certainly in step with the times. Ministers say the day can be popular with people who want to test the religious waters. They head for churches and soup kitchens on Thanksgiving, attracted by the spirit of ecumenism and the emphasis on sharing and good works. If you had to identify Thanksgiving with any particular religious tradition, it might be part of what sociologist Robert Bellah called the American civil religion, combining elements of American history and myth with a general belief in Providence.

I’d tend to agree with that assessment. I don’t think it hurts Jesus’ feelings when pagans don’t thank him for turkey. At least no more than it bothers him the other 364 days of the year.