I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !!

[teko]

    


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

[Crochetya]

My brother sent me an email stating that the new 42 cent Holiday stamp is  MUSLEM!!!!
What an insult to every American!! I don't know who decides what goes on the stamps of the US Postal service, but......Hey!! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!

He email also stated that we can't have GOD on federal buildings, money, and schools, but we can allow this on a stamp.

I HOPE EVERYONE BOYCOTTS THIS STAMP FOR ALL OF OUR OWN GOOD!!!!

[have 2 kids]

Definately gives you something to think about.

[April2]

I've seen this quote from Ben Stein before and it's quite good. I wholeheartedly agree. We need God more than ever right now. There's so much darkness and confusion in the world right now. We need His light more than ever. I hope others see that too.

[suzi-q]

That says it all....also notice the amount of responses it gets here on med help....much less than the jokes.......hmmmm.....what a shame.

[Crochetya]

I read this before also, and yes it is so true.

While we are on this subject, I have to share this.

There was a suggestion to call the Christmas tree a Holiday tree before the traditional
lighting of the tree, as to not offend foreign students on campus. This was in the college paper. Once this was publicized the town was outraged. There were people protesting
against the new name. We have always called the tree a "Christmas Tree" and we will not change the name of the tree. The public voted and it remained a "Christmas Tree".

Perhaps if we spoke up about small things like this, the change would not happen. Bit
by bit is how the country we now live in has changed. We simply allowed it.

Happy with some changes,.....but, not happy with other changes!

Crochetya

[Myown]

I had seen this already too. Ben Stein says it all in here. It's so true. I think it was really great that he wrote this.
It's up to the people though too. Some people who celebrate Christmas send Santa Christmas cards or Snowman Cards. I receive them sometimes and that amazes me. Everyone can help in their own way. When shopping at Christmas time  you can say "Merry Christmas" to the cashier instead of Happy Holiday. When I was working I had a large Jewish clientele and never did they wish me Happy Holiday, but instead out of respect they all wished me Merry Christmas.
And Christians should remember that Jesus celebrated Hanukah, so it shouldn't seem foreign to us at all when we wish our Jewish friends Happy Hanukah but instead it should be a Holiday we celebrate and learn about too.  So anyhow, anyone can change the atmosphere at their job which will help in putting Christ back in Christmas. If you do it others will follow.

[SassyLassie]

Wonderful post, thanks for sharing, I am going to copy and send it to my e-mail friends, this needs to get sent around.

Hugs
Susie

[margypops]

Someone sent me this earlier in the week on video and I was touched by it, I see exactly what he means , I see it all the time it did start a few years ago,but somehow it has taken up a momentum and I think that Christians and Jews  have to stand up and fight , for their beliefs, crosses that veterans have placed many years ago in the hills are being covered up then taken down, there is no singing of hymns and carols in the schools.they have taken words away that the founding fathers ,put there ,the pledge of allegance has disappeared . Its time to stand up and be counted ,before its too late ...and for goodness sake use the word Christmas its not just a Holiday ,you can also say Hannuka....