Am I the only one that thinks what Ben Stein said needed to be said?

Question

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

Ben Stein did NOT write most of this message...see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_ben_stein_christmas.htm for more information.

I do think that the message contains some valid points...the part Ben Stein actually wrote was interesting and I'm glad he said it. Some of it is inaccurate...but the point is valid. For example, the statements attributed to Mrs. Graham were accurate but she was talking about 9-11 not Katrina. I especially liked how she put the part about us telling God to get out of our lives and then blaming him for not protecting us from harm.

Answer 2

1) NEVER has any atheist said that this was an atheist country. We have only said that this is not a *Christian* nation. It is a nation for ALL people. That's all we have been saying all along. Anyone who claims otherwise is spreading deliberate misinformation.

2) Again, it's so unbelievably ironic to have a believer in God claim that they are being "pushed around" or "persecuted". Do you know how sick and tired we are of hearing the people who can't get enough of forcing their beliefs on others in every way they can, through our laws, schools, and government complaining that they're being "persecuted" because people who don't share their beliefs are now saying that they're not going to tolerate it anymore?

For someone who is supposed to be so smart, this was a remarkably ignorant writing. But then again, that's what's to be expected from those who are deeply religious. They're going to be ignorant of the fact that you don't need to believe in their GOD to be moral, and good. They're willfully blind to the fact that there are people who don't SHARE their religious beliefs, and that those people have the same rights as THEY do.

Ben Stein is a religious fundie, and his statements have no more credibility than any other religious fundie. He is narrowing everything in the world down to his view that everything would be hunky-dory if everyone believed in his religion, and everyone was forced to live and pray according to someone else's beliefs. It's self-serving, and doesn't deserve to be entertained.

Answer 3

Ben Stein ONLY wrote the first part of that.

Up until the line "IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS"...which was attributed to someone else. (Check out the SNOPES site someone else referenced above)

However, I can see why this is circulated around the world because what is says is TRUE INDEED, and is exactly what is wrong with the world today.

We've let these corrupt, self-indulgent, self-ruling atheists who believe in nothing and no one take over and impose their Godless views into society, which is exactly what is wrong with the world today, and unlike many cowards in this world, I'm not afraid to say it. That is exactly what is wrong with the world today our children are growing up worse than savages. Can you imagine what kind of children THOSE kids will put forward when they make it to adulthood? In another 50 years, this generation will be gone, and they will be in charge of the world. What have we left to them but a world of insanity.

Granted there are extremists on both sides of the scale here but honestly, even religion is corrupted, and so how can you expect people to read between the lies...oops slip of the tonguethere, I meant the lines.

And what has Bush and this war taught the rest of the world, people caught up in it who did nothing and are now in pain and suffering and hating the west even more? What are they to conclude after all this but that the west is indeed evil and strengthen their resolve. Dont sit in wait of any thank yous.

For Clarity on this quote:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/benstein2.asp

Answer 4

You very well might be the only person who believes this needed to be said, again.

How did God let the Katrina disaster happen?
Um, lets blame the lack of school prayer, instead of blaming building on a low swampy delta in a Hurricane belt.

Lets blame old Madeline O'Hair and the atheists for school shootings instead of the fact that any lunatic can buy guns and ammo anywhere.

Lets blame the Doctor Spock telling us not to spank kids as much, instead of blaming our constant praise for crooked politicians, criminal celbraties and fraudulant priests

Yeah sure, whatever. If you doubt Ben Stein or ignore his letter then expect more of the world to go bad because it is your lack of belief that causes all of the crap.
Sure honey.

That article is one of the saddest pieces of religious prpaganda I have ever read.
I love how he ends it like a chain letter.

Gee, I guess I had better send it out to a hundred addresses before God destroys the rest of the world, eh.
Or maybe Ben Stein and CBS can just pay for their own publicity instead of guilt tripping me into being their mail department.

Thanks for the SPAM

Answer 5

A place where Conservatives will not even CONSIDER reason and logic.... let alone allow reason to enter into the debate. Hold for some moron to tell you how ALL of these wealthy people are "job creators." Funny how those "job creators" are not creating any jobs. I could call myself an astronaut.... or fighter pilot... or job creator too.... but unless I strap myslef to a rocket, crawl into a jet aircraft.... or create some jobs.... I would be NONE OF THOSE. How is that simple fact lost on Conservatives??

Answer 6

How arrogant theists are to imply that we atheists a small minority are responsible for the world's problems but the vast majority of people who are theist's have nothing to do with the problems we have. What a joke Ben Stein is no wonder he worked well with a crook like Nixon.

Answer 7

Do you have a link to show that this is really what Ben Stien said- Many things like this get cirulated in email and lack truth.

What you posted I completely agree with and if this is indeed what Ben Stein really said than good for him. It is nice to hear something good coming out of Hollywood. Maybe we should elect him as President- he seems to have a backbone. He stood up to the ultra-liberal Hollywood Socialist Crowd.

**Edit
If it was him who said it- then Yes it needed to be said. Someone needs to stand up to Liberals.

Answer 8

I have to agree with the individual ahead of me - can this really be accurately attributed to Ben Stein?

At any rate - perhaps I'm simply not understanding, but I think the fact that this woman is proclaiming that taking god out of schools is what has caused this massive upsurgence of violence is ludicrous! Absolutely ridiculous.

Or was that the joke? 'Cause it's pretty funny.

Answer 9

And I used to like that idiot. So tell me, were there no hurricanes in the "America" (which is the name of two continents, not a country) he grew up in? I do not wonder why the world is "going to hell", since there is no hell. The world is how it is because idiots like this choose easy, useless answers - otherwise known as Abrahamic religion. God has not been asked to leave schools, since there is no god. All that has been asked is that people not talk about this nonsense in a place where people are supposed to be educated.

Answer 10

Finally!