Does this___

[LifeHiscost]

___strike a chord?

"

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.

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 "

[karl]

Ben Stein did not write all of this. Parts of this have been circulating the internet for years.

Below is what Ben Stein actually wrote, from his website, benstein.com:

Herewith at this happy time of year, 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. Is this 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.

[LifeHiscost]

Ben Stein did not write all of this. Parts of this have been circulating the internet for years.

Below is what Ben Stein actually wrote, from his website, benstein.com:

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.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Ben Stein did not write all of this. Parts of this have been circulating the internet for years.

I generally use www.snopes.com to check my emails of this sort to check for veracity

[LifeHiscost]

I generally use www.snopes.com to check my emails of this sort to check for veracity

Sounds like a winner. I should practice it more often.

Joy!

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: rudywoofs

I generally use www.snopes.com to check my emails of this sort to check for veracity

Sounds like a winner. I should practice it more often.

Joy!

Who cares who wrote that. The OP was something that should hit a nerve for each and evey one of us. This is exactly what has happen to this wonderful country of ours. Thanks for the post LHC.

pk

[karl]

Who cares who wrote that. The OP was something that should hit a nerve for each and evey one of us. This is exactly what has happen to this wonderful country of ours. Thanks for the post LHC.

pk

I think it is worthwhile to know who wrote what and why, if for no other reason than to just be accurate. The quote from Billy Graham's daughter was actually in response to 9/11, not Hurricane Katrina.

Check it out here: http://www.ggcg.org/why911.html

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

Who cares who wrote that. The OP was something that should hit a nerve for each and evey one of us. This is exactly what has happen to this wonderful country of ours. Thanks for the post LHC.

pk

I think it is worthwhile to know who wrote what and why, if for no other reason than to just be accurate. The quote from Billy Graham's daughter was actually in response to 9/11, not Hurricane Katrina.

Check it out here: http://www.ggcg.org/why911.html

Again if it had no author than would it mean something? As far as I'm concerned its the context that is meaningful. Obviously if it was gossip to hurt someone than maybe or probably we need to know, but in this particular instanced it says things that need to be said and pretty good and accurate.

pk

[karl]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

I think it is worthwhile to know who wrote what and why, if for no other reason than to just be accurate. The quote from Billy Graham's daughter was actually in response to 9/11, not Hurricane Katrina.

Check it out here: http://www.ggcg.org/why911.html

Again if it had no author than would it mean something? As far as I'm concerned its the context that is meaningful. Obviously if it was gossip to hurt someone than maybe or probably we need to know, but in this particular instanced it says things that need to be said and pretty good and accurate.

pk

I guess if it's accurate enough for you... then it's accurate enough for you.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I guess if it's accurate enough for you... then it's accurate enough for you.

Kind of a snide remark.

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: Karl

I guess if it's accurate enough for you... then it's accurate enough for you.

Kind of a snide remark.

Thanks for that, but no need to worry, I don't take things that personal. Most if not everyone would probably not say those things face to face. But I really didn't take it that way from Karl at all. But thanks anyway. I appreciate it. And your right also, from some I would say that's what they meant. Having lived in NYC I can sense who means what and who is being honest.

pk

[GreatLakesGramma]

Again if it had no author than would it mean something? As far as I'm concerned its the context that is meaningful. Obviously if it was gossip to hurt someone than maybe or probably we need to know, but in this particular instanced it says things that need to be said and pretty good and accurate.

pk

It isn't a matter of whether it means something or not. It's a matter of not putting words in other people's mouths. I don't think celebrities like having things they didn't say attributed to them any more than the rest of us, especially if they/we don't agree with what has been promulgated in their name. Just because Ben Stein is a Jew and isn't offended by Christmas, doesn't mean he agrees with the rest of that.

I don't agree with it all. I don't believe in teacher-led classroom prayer in school. Individuals have the right to pray privately whenever and wherever they want. But would you want you child or grandchild to be in a public school classroom where the teacher led them in daily prayer to Krishna or Lord Maitreya?

[LifeHiscost]

Who cares who wrote that. The OP was something that should hit a nerve for each and evey one of us. This is exactly what has happen to this wonderful country of ours. Thanks for the post LHC.

pk

That's kinda what I thought. I suppose there is some merit in getting it straight from the horses mouth. I believe if it's Truth, it's inspired by the Spirit of God.

Thanks PK.

Joy!!

[LifeHiscost]

I'm of the opinion that whenever God wishes to get a message across, there is always someone or something brought up to completely derail the reason for the message.

Joy!!

[karl]

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: LifeHiscost

Come on, guys, get over it. It was a simple correction of data, not a personal attack. Then you come back with an attitude, pkrause, ("Who cares?")

Well, obviously I do care about accuracy, but I wasn't dissing the message.

[/quote']

What attitude Karl? You know what, no comment!

pk