Have any of you read this?

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 crèche, 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

Supertop
Snopes has the original

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

Answer 1

Nice to see some people can still reason.

I am all for allowing everyone to believe as they wish, they make that choice, but the PC garbage has gotten out of hand.

Thank you for sharing that.

Answer 2

I heard approximately whatever like that. But I feel the residence had exits. And no longer best staircases that after to nowhere however doorways that did not open or did not lead in which you proposal they could. Even one door at the two or three tale that was once a drop off too the backyard. I feel it was once on a television exhibit however I do not keep in mind greater than that. Maybe in case you googled haunted residences with a few others main points you might uncover it. Sorry I'm no longer so much support

Answer 3

I am also Jewish and I think there's a lot of merit and common sense in the piece by Ben Stein.

I live in the UK, and although it is a Christian country, right now in schools across the land, pupils and teachers are FORBIDDEN from having xmas pageants! It's terrible!

We've been told to refer to the Christmas lights as 'winter lights' and we've also been advised to send 'secular' cards instead of xmas cards!

How sad, don't you agree?

And in Britain, while Christianity is being bashed, guess which religion is being appeased? Yep. Islam.

As a Jew, I have no problem living in a Christian country. It might not be perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than living in an Islamic country. And before anyone screams that I'm a 'racist' - that's garbage. I'm basing my opinion and preference on what goes on in many Islamic countries.

I wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Answer 4

(Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).

False. An exploded urban legend.
That these accounts and viewpoints are so little concerned with truth that they rarely check their sources or engage in any critical self-analysis speaks volumes.


Ben Stein's piece is interesting and fine. That it's been used to head the rest of the intemperate incoherent message is sheerly awful, especially since the transition is not adequately marked.
If it's pretending to be all his work, it's another lie.
What sort of people have to lie to support their message?
Not ones delivering the truth, one might assume.

Answer 5

"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?"

False assumption with no basis in truth.
NO one is saying that people cannot worship god or gods that they want to. NO one!
What we ARE saying is that "Separation of church and state" means more than just the two buildings being down the street from each other...

Answer 6

Very good, but did Ben Stein really write it? I'll see if I can find a reliable source.
About the answer above me, most people do not rely on that book. Many that say they do actually forget about it six days a week.

Answer 7

I just read it. It's not funny. Jokes are funny, creating the illusion that Christians are a victim in the U.S. is not. Christians I run into like to harass me for my beliefs and when I ask them to stop harassing me, I'm met with the usual "It's my job". Perhaps when Christians learn to be comfortable enough with their own beliefs to allow others the sanctity of theirs, then they will not be met with reciprocal treatment that they themselves force onto others. Everyone in the U.S. knows about the biblical god, there is no need to force belief in him down the throats of non-believers. If Christians wish to be let be, then they should let others be. Or doesn’t respect factor into “neighborly love”.

Answer 8

Every paragraph is chock-full of stupidity, but I'll just respond to one point:

Our children have no conscience? Who thinks this? What evidence is there to suggest there is any basis for this belief?

Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein has no idea what he's talking about. You shouldn't give a soapbox to a moron.

Answer 9

I've read it.

Ben Stein is a religious fundie, and that makes anything he says on the issue no more intelligent than anything any other fundie says.

He might have some book smarts, but he has no common sense. When it comes to this issue, he's an idiot.

Answer 10

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Can I still not complain even though I think this thought process is completely illogical? Can I examine this thought process and find that I don't agree with it? Please can I complain now Sir?

Answer 11

Twaddle. Discarding from my thought process and not terribly concerned about the shape the world will be in as a result.