Put Nativities on high road

It was Aristotle who spoke of finding the "golden mean" — the middle ground that is also higher ground.

City officials in Ogden must have brushed up on their Aristotle. Their decision about the city's Nativity display appears to be both wise and welcome.

In short, Ogden City has a manger scene in its Christmas village. But to avoid any controversy, it is tempered with the "secular" side of Christmas as well — Santa's Castle, 45 miniature North Pole residences and St. Nick himself.

We like it. And here's why.

People who spend their time demonizing Santa for being the crass, commercial side of the holiday apparently haven't been reading newspapers. The real demons are in Iraq, blowing up women and children with homemade bombs. In that context, Santa Claus hardly qualifies as diabolical. He's the epitome of generous.

Those same angry people also seem so intent on defending Christianity they haven't had time to read the New Testament in a while. Paul admonishes people to test all things and hold to that which is good. Ogden has done that. By that light, we wouldn't mind seeing Ogden and other cities display any and all high-minded symbols this time of year — from Kwanzaa to the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Besides, as secular as Santa has become, those who believe in the Christmas story get the last smile. For beneath his red

get-up and nose like a cherry, "secular" Santa Claus is really San Niclaus — St. Nicholas — the patron saint of Russia. Nicholas not only became the inspiration for today's Santa by putting goodies in the shoes of Russia's poor children each Christmas, but the good man was also the same Catholic Bishop of Moscow who journeyed to Rome to craft one of Christendom's best-known — and Christ-centered — creeds.

Let others turn Santa Claus into a symbol of ugly consumption. We'll take him over the alternative in the world.

Ogden did. And their decision means the citizens there get to have their Christmas cookies and eat them, too.