A letter from Ben Stein Options

[*Steven*]

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 inter section n 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 Jess ica an d 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 e xpert 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 art icles 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

Bold = Ben

[brooklyneast05]

this is so f**king ridiculous. i wanna kick ben stein the face for being such a f**king douche.

[monster]

Well said.

[*Steven*]

this is so f**king ridiculous. i wanna kick ben stein the face for being such a f**king douche.

Go on

[brooklyneast05]

this makes me laugh

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.

i feel the same

[hypnotique]

Wow.
He has a point somewhat.

[monster]

1. The hell does being in the presence of something affect god's independent and individual perfection?
2. Even if your rebuttal made any sort of sense, why can't the omnibenevolent god choose, in his omnipotence, to place the non-believers and sinners into an entirely new realm - beyond heaven and hell (someplace where no suffering is necessary).
3. How is god just if he infinitely punishes us for finite crimes?
4. If non-belief is a natural result of the tools god gave us (intellect, honesty, and curiosity) and if we follow these tools dispassionately why must god feel such disdain? Aren't these truly the children he should love the most - for, as Ayn Rand put it, it is the atheists, the agnostics, and the free thinkers that have taken god most seriously.
5. Why the f**k do you still believe in fairy tales, how old are you?

I feel the same as well.

Atheists and others may feel pressured to believe in God, but we as Christians feel pressured to forget God. So much for religious tolerance.

[*Steven*]

George Bush hates black people.

[monster]

George Bush hates black people.

Who doesn't?

[hypnotique]

oh I just thought he didnt care about them..


As kanye put it.

[missnh]

This is all under the belief that a God exists and he controls what the f**ked people in this world do and what the people do to the government.

I think Christians are not forced to forget God; I try to force Christians to stop imposing their damn morals on other non-Christians. Like, if you're not Christian, you're going to "hell." Please shut the f**k up. Many do not believe hell exists.

[brooklyneast05]

This is all under the belief that a God exists and he controls what the f**ked people in this world do and what the people do to the government.

I think Christians are not forced to forget God; I try to force Christians to stop imposing their damn morals on other non-Christians. Like, if you're not Christian, you're going to "hell." Please shut the f**k up. Many do not believe hell exists.

x2

if someone wants to believe in god, cool
if someone wants to teach my kids fake science in school, thats not cool

anyone heard about ben steins new movie where they bitch about how religious people aren't getting freedom of speech because schools won't teach our kids the earth is 6000 years old and we came from two people.

[arcanum]

That was an interesting read. Seems somewhat familiar, but idk why...

I try to force Christians to stop imposing their damn morals on other non-Christians. Like, if you're not Christian, you're going to "hell." Please shut the f**k up. Many do not believe hell exists.

I agree with that. I am a Christian, but I can't stand christians who are like that.

[*jeanna*]

can someone sum this up? i dont want to read that whole thing especially if youre saying it's crap lol

[missnh]

can someone sum this up? i dont want to read that whole thing especially if youre saying it's crap lol

Because we are pushing God away, GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING! OH NOES!

[monster]

This is all under the belief that a God exists and he controls what the f**ked people in this world do and what the people do to the government.

I think Christians are not forced to forget God; I try to force Christians to stop imposing their damn morals on other non-Christians. Like, if you're not Christian, you're going to "hell." Please shut the f**k up. Many do not believe hell exists.

Of course, I don't impose any of my beliefs on others directly, unless people want to know. The thing as Christians and the part where we really f**ked up was where we started to condemn everyone to go to Hell. This is God's job.

Also, I'm made fun of for being a Christian. You guys tend to impose, as well.

[arcanum]

can someone sum this up? i dont want to read that whole thing especially if youre saying it's crap lol

Just read it. It isn't that long. Plus, making a summary of it could be difficult.

[*Steven*]

Global warming is happening because of the republicans.

Also, as you can see from my avatar, Zoidberg is causing global warming.

[*jeanna*]

Global warming is happening because of the republicans.

Also, as you can see from my avatar, Zoidberg is causing global warming.

LOL
i thought he was smart.

[xtwitchyx]

I think Ben has a point. All religions should be able to be talked about without someone bitching, getting offended, crying, whining, etc... All because they don't believe in that religion. None of these people who follow different religions need to try and cram their beliefs down everybodys throats, but they should be allowed to not have their religions discriminated against. Excuse the hell out of me if no one likes my input.

[missnh]

I think Ben has a point. All religions should be able to be talked about without someone bitching, getting offended, crying, whining, etc... All because they don't believe in that religion. None of these people who follow different religions need to try and cram their beliefs down everybodys throats, but they should be allowed to not have their religions discriminated against. Excuse the hell out of me if no one likes my input.

I'm not against the idea of exploring all religions on my own. Some people don't want to, especially in school. I don't want to learn only about Christianity in school - if it must be that way, then I want a course on Satanism, Catholicism, Wicca, and EVERY other religion.



---


Isn't he the guy who is one of the judges on America's Most Smartest Models?

It's kind of difficult for me to take ANYONE seriously who is a part of that show. -_-

[*icecreamisyummy*]

i really dont know what to think about this. but the ending is kind of questionable.

[brooklyneast05]

i really dont know what to think about this. but the ending is kind of questionable.

yeah i think it gets a bit too cheesy at the end. just like all those bulletins that say things like, "jesus died on the cross for u, and u can't repost one bulletin??!!?!?"

[arcanum]

I do agree. I didn't like the ending at all.

[xtwitchyx]

Same. The ending is fishy.