Thought Provoking

[Doorag]

I'm not going all religious on everyone, but I saw this and it made me think. It 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 creshe, 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 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 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 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

 

[Nelly]

I'm not going all religious on everyone, but I saw this and it made me think. It 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 creshe, 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 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 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 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

You can't really add to that David can you?
I think that it will strike a chord with a good few members here.

Nelly

 

[OZXJR]

Thats a powerful post right there !

 

[04fizzer]

I grew up going to church, mostly out of my parents making me go. Once I hit college, I stopped going because I saw it as a waste of time because I really got nothing out of it. For the most part, that's true. I did get a lot out of it as a kid, and it instilled a lot of good morals in me.

Religious or not, we need to read this and pay attention to what's said, not regarding religion, but regarding life in general, and how we treat one another.

 

[LERecords]

good thoughts..

 

[racerws]

That's moral decay in America.
We, not all, have turned our backs on Godly ways.
He has written an instruction manual for us to use, but we have
put it on a shelf.
I think our country would be better off if we just started following the
instruction manual again. Pray for America we all need it.
Short and sweet just my two cents worth.

 

[keira]

Religious or not, we need to read this and pay attention to what's said, not regarding religion, but regarding life in general, and how we treat one another.

+1. While I am not a religious person myself, I agree that the general lessons and morals are not bound solely to a religion, but rather to a faith in something. Many of his points are right on.

 

[04fizzer]

That's moral decay in America.
We, not all, have turned our backs on Godly ways.
He has written an instruction manual for us to use, but we have
put it on a shelf.
I think our country would be better off if we just started following the
instruction manual again. Pray for America we all need it.
Short and sweet just my two cents worth.

I think you'd be farther ahead paying attention to the 10 commandments than to the instruction manual. The manual is pretty vague and open to too much interpretation. The commandments are more cut and dry.

 

[hardway]

I grew up going to church, mostly out of my parents making me go. Once I hit college, I stopped going because I saw it as a waste of time because I really got nothing out of it. For the most part, that's true. I did get a lot out of it as a kid, and it instilled a lot of good morals in me.

Religious or not, we need to read this and pay attention to what's said, not regarding religion, but regarding life in general, and how we treat one another.

Did the church instill good morals in you or did your parents instill good morals in you?

As to the piece, we've had christianity sanctioned and propagandized from the highest level of government for the last 8 years, and Bush has been the most pro-israel president ever. How many preachers spoke at Obama's inauguration? How many times did you hear god invoked during the campaign?
America is hardly the atheist wasteland that Ben Stein imagines.

This clown peaked in Ferris Bueller, now he's doing social commentary? Give me break. I wonder what Mathew Broderick thinks about the state of our society with respect to religion?

My wife and I are perfectly capable of teaching our children right and wrong, and giving them a strong ethic to live by without resorting to what amounts to the easy way out: "because god said so".
Does that mean anything to anybody? There's supposed religious people all over the planet murdering, raping, molesting, robbing, assaulting, committing adultery, etc... The majority of people on this planet were brought up under some religious system, has it helped us as humans? Or has it just given us another thing to justify ****ing over our fellow man (who happens to believe a different fairly tale)?

 

[04fizzer]

Did the church instill good morals in you or did your parents instill good morals in you?

As to the piece, we've had christianity sanctioned and propagandized from the highest level of government for the last 8 years, and Bush has been the most pro-israel president ever. How many preachers spoke at Obama's inauguration? How many times did you hear god invoked during the campaign?
America is hardly the atheist wasteland that Ben Stein imagines.

This clown peaked in Ferris Bueller, now he's doing social commentary? Give me break. I wonder what Mathew Broderick thinks about the state of our society with respect to religion?

My wife and I are perfectly capable of teaching our children right and wrong, and giving them a strong ethic to live by without resorting to what amounts to the easy way out: "because god said so".
Does that mean anything to anybody? There's supposed religious people all over the planet murdering, raping, molesting, robbing, assaulting, committing adultery, etc... The majority of people on this planet were brought up under some religious system, has it helped us as humans? Or has it just given us another thing to justify ****ing over our fellow man (who happens to believe a different fairly tale)?

My parents went to church growing up, and the morals that they learned from that were instilled in me. But it's really a case of "chicken or the egg", really.

You're missing the entire point of the piece. It's not about religion. It's about knowing what's right and wrong, and doing what's right while stopping the wrongs.

 

[hardway]

My parents went to church growing up, and the morals that they learned from that were instilled in me. But it's really a case of "chicken or the egg", really.

You're missing the entire point of the piece. It's not about religion. It's about knowing what's right and wrong, and doing what's right while stopping the wrongs.

Couched as, "We've abandoned god so he's abandoned us!"
I think I understand the piece perfectly.
Deferring to a mystic entity is not the only way to teach morals, and it comes along with so many, "Us Vs them" connotations, that I don't even think it's a very good way to do it. The negatives, historically speaking, have outweighed the positives.

 

[Doorag]

Maybe it would be best if the Admin locked this thread now. I didn't intend to start a religious debate.

 

[LERecords]

at the end of the day, just try to be a good person.. no matter what religion you are, they all have good info on how to be a good person.. religion should be more of a guideline, not rules.. i was raised christian and had to go to church.. but now i dont go.. nothing wrong with it, just my way of doing things.. i figure, if there is a god, he will be pretty content as long as in the end i tried to do the right things. better to try than to not try i guess.. just my 2 cents

 

[Cali rider]

Although the content here is interesting, it is a collage of several quotes.
snopes.com: Ben Stein's 'Confessions for the Holidays'

 

[pooty]

treat one another as you would want to be treated

 

[bmccrary]

The part about the Dr. saying that spanking a child messes with their head really gets me.

I firmly believe in disipline, as a child I was put across my fathers knee once and a while. I deserved it. However, as he keeps telling me, it didnt happen often. Once I got the picture, things just lined up.

My girlfriend and her sister on the other hand never got a spanking, ever. It upsets me how her and her sister will yell at their parents for the most stupid things. She of course feels that children do not need spankings as it breed violence. She is a physcology major...its an on going arguement.

Then turn around and see the adds on TV for ways to correct your childrens behavior and shows on TV talking about out of hand kids that lead their parents instead of the other way around. And all it comes down to is that the parents should take a little responsibility and give out a good ol' spankin every now and then.

That was a good article, a very good read indeed. Religous or not, it hits alot good topics.

-bryan