The late-model SUV parked at the crowded shopping mall was decorated with a Jesus fish and two ribbon decals, one urging that we "Support Our Troops" and the other declaring "God Bless America."

It might have been inspiring except that the one symbol missing was the required blue placard or special license plate entitling the vehicle to be parked in the stall reserved for the disabled that it occupied.

For some of the faithful, apparently, the Christmas spirit of loving thy fellow American ends when holiday competition for space at the mall gets bumper to bumper.

Evidently, support for our troops doesn't always extend to when they come home as disabled veterans and need to have accessible parking spaces saved for them.

It seemed a fitting sign of the times in a season when radical Christians have politicized Christmas, as they have nearly everything else, by claiming that the rest of us have declared "war" on their holiday and its spiritual meaning.

These folks control the White House, both houses of Congress, and increasingly the courts, but all they want for Christmas is to be sadly portrayed as the helpless victims of evil secularists.

Have mercy.

Here's a better idea: If we really want to restore spiritual meaning to this holiday, let's start by worrying less about noisily proclaiming our religious faith and patriotism and be more concerned about actually living these worthy ideals.

The first step is to stop confusing the true righteousness of consistently ethical personal behavior with the self-righteousness of empty symbols and narcissistic agendas.

It means learning to embrace and celebrate the rich diversity of this nation of some 2,000 religious faiths instead of feeling threatened by beliefs different from our own and using religion to justify intolerance.

It helps to remember the common purpose of most religions is to elevate us to a higher and purer level of being, and that many of our varied faiths are grounded in the core value of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Religion best serves society and the individual soul when it is focused on bringing us together, engendering compassion for the needy and pointing us toward our loftiest ideals.

It cheapens religious faith, which is timeless, to constantly be mixing it with the ever-shifting politics of the day.

The most appropriate role for religion in public affairs is to function as an agent to foster more accommodation and communication — and a lot less demonization — as we struggle to resolve contentious issues that have bitterly divided us for too long.

The vast majority whose faith is inclusive must reclaim the debate over values and morality — and the definition of both — from those on the extremes and politicians who hijack religion to accomplish their selfish aims.

We need to restore civility to public dialogue and move the discussion forward by talking more about the principles we can agree on before we turn the discourse to matters where we disagree.

Those who go political with their religion and exploit their upper hand of the moment to force their beliefs on others of different faiths should remember that reversal can be only an election away.

And we must never forget that unwelcome imposition of values cuts both ways.

Those who don't want religious beliefs forced on them need to be more considerate about not forcing vulgar pop values on Americans who take their religion seriously.

Though I was raised in a different faith, I gladly wish a Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and extend a seasonal hope of peace and goodwill to all.

David Shapiro, a veteran Hawai'i journalist, can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net.