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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

America: A Nation of Atheists???


Ben Stein, actor, author, commentator
AP Image
Heading into the end of the year, it is politically correct to not offend anyone's seasonal sensibilities - God forbid you wish anyone a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah."

As such, the rule of the day is to wish everyone generic "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" to help keep peace on earth and goodwill toward all.

In response to the aforementioned holiday homogenization, the following was written and delivered by guest editorial contributor, Ben Stein [see photo insert] on a recent segment of CBS Sunday Morning.

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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 ?  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.
[NOTE: According to the reputable urban legend busting site www.snopes.com the remainder of this content was not written by Stein although many sites do attribute it to him. You've been warned.]

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.

A while back, 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 the fact that 'you will reap what you 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?

I wonder how widely a transcript of my words today might circulate. I suspect that 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.
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Question: Does this message resonate with you? Do you agree or disagree with its premise?

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