Ben stein

[Jae Williams]

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 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 celebrities 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 these celebrities 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 Hurricane 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 a few years ago) 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 okay.

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 yet?

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.

[George A. H. Luck]

I liked him on 'Ben Stein's Money'.

[Bob Elliott]

Very powerful and true words.
I do not agree with his politics , but I do agree with what he said in that powerful passage ,if I may call it such.

[Nick Gromicko]

Cool. Cause we are having a big online Christmas party here with plenty of door prizes next month.

[Nick Gromicko]

Ben Stein did call the sub prime problem "a tiny blip" in 2008. Ooops.

One of my favorite clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdVP_sgCETo

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Ben Stein did call the sub prime problem "a tiny blip" in 2008. Ooops.

Barney Frank said the subprime wasn't even a blip--no problem here, he said.

Now I have to go decorate...

Time to put up the old Christmas menorah...or is it the Hanukkah tree???

This dual belief (Judeo-Christian) can be so confusing to me sometimes. Especially when we have an egg hunt on Passover. Or set a place for Elijah at the Easter dinner.

Help me out here Will.

[Joseph A. Ferry]

Originally Posted by belliott

I do not agree with his politics

Hunh? Ben Stein is about the most central of all centrists.

[mnahrgang]

Originally Posted by jferry1

Hunh? Ben Stein is about the most central of all centrists.

Remember Joe, to a liberal that means your are conservative. If you say you are conservative, that makes you a RWNJ...

[Joseph A. Ferry]

Originally Posted by mnahrgang

Remember Joe, to a liberal that means your are conservative. If you say you are conservative, that makes you a RWNJ...

Actually, if you can walk and chew gum at the same time, you are a RWNJ.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by jferry1

Hunh? Ben Stein is about the most central of all centrists.

So ?
Your idea of categorizing has nothing to do with me or what I believe.

If you think you know what I think you would be wrong .

You only know positions I take on a forum that are sometimes not what I actually believe

I have seen Ben Stein make comments that are opposite what I think at the time.
I also change my opinions as I am not one for rigid thinking.

[mnahrgang]

Originally Posted by belliott

You only know positions I take on a forum that are sometimes not what I actually believe

Does that make you a liar, a jerk, or both?

Originally Posted by belliott

...
I also change my opinions as I am not one for rigid thinking.

So truth is relative for you? What do you say about absolute truth?

[Joseph A. Ferry]

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Brian E. Kelly]

As long as everyone Celebrates the Winter Solstice in the Druid Tradition by decorating an Evergreen Tree, I am good with it all.
Call it what ever you want, just make sure I get invited to the party/dinner.

Happy Thanks Giving Jae.

[Joseph A. Ferry]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

As long as everyone Celebrates the Winter Solstice in the Druid Tradition by decorating an Evergreen Tree, I am good with it all.
Call it what ever you want, just make sure I get invited to the party/dinner.

Happy Thanks Giving Jae.

Isn't that what we've been doing?

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by jferry1

Isn't that what we've been doing?

Of course it is Joe. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.