What do you think of this letter?

Question

Ben Stein (T.V. personality) wrote this.


If they know of him at all, many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks in a monotone. He's also a very intelligent attorney who knows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to sway juries and make people think clearly.

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The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

Herewith a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.

If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something lik e this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards .. honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Answer 1

He is right on target. No problem with it what so ever. We ought to give more sober thought to things he reminded us of. However, he didn't go far enough. I like his attitude. straight forward.

We kicked God of the schools in favor of school shootings.

We kicked God out of the courtroom and we have more laws and less justice, more crime and more penalties but less serving what they should for. We have corrupt judges, lawyers, yes they are good lawyers and good judges, but thanks to the media we don't hear about them.

We kicked God out of the homes and we have over 60 years of increasing divorce rate, preteen pregnancy, single parent families, two dads, two moms, three here none there, child abuse, sex abuse, adult abuse.

We kicked God out of the Senate, and we have more politicians who are concerned for their constituents than they are for the offices they hold, we have a house of representatives that represents only their own agendas and not the people, we have a governent that is so bipartisan and so childish and immature if I didn't know it should be a nursery, with alot of diaper changing and bottle feeding going.

We kicked God out of our lives and say hey its a private thing don't speak in his name, or offend those who have differing opions on who this God is.

We kicked God of the churches and God said enough is enough - and until we let God back into our lives, churches, homes, work places, schools, senate, house, government we are deserving everything that we are getting and it hasn't even begin to get nasty as it can!

So lets decide for God and have peace or against God and have no peace

Answer 2

Sure they do. They had all sorts of career options, like being cooks or policemen or sewer repairment. They chose letters because they like to hang out on blocks. They can get kids to whip the blocks at other kids and maybe have their letter imprinted on the other kid's head.

Answer 3

I had read that before and reading it again gives me that faith that there are good people out there. This land we call America is getting to be too "Politically Correct" for it's own good and it is really starting to show. I love America and I love God, I will not push Him out of my life, my life is nothing without Him in it. So I say to our brother Ben Stein, Amen

Answer 4

Very VERY well said!!!!

I would like to give you a thought out and deeply moving answer .... but Ben said all that needs to be said right there!! Give Ben the points for best answer!!

Answer 5

I don't fully agree with everything said, but I'll defend his right to say what he says and I think we should give the content some very strong thought.

Answer 6

I think he is completely right, about everything. That is my answer. Shalom. I am not a Jew but I respect them.

Answer 7

Very insightful, and right on the money. Kudos!

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Answer 8

I prefer the letter P

Answer 9

well written and right on the money. i could not have said it any better.

Answer 10

alrighty then