This one just has...everything. Wow. -Adam
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| Dear Friends, 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 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 pro tection 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 |
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7 comments:
Not much of Jew if he actually spelled out the name of G-d.
And, most Jews I know don't call it "the Bible."
This is the email my mom forwarded to me stating that it summed up pretty much everything she believed. (because it pushes her religion/fear buttons)
It's also the email where we had the biggest exchange and I eventually got her to realize these emails are toxic.
I had to show her that all you had to do is go to Be Stein's site to see that he only wrote about half of that text.
The other half, including the grotesque equivocations to Dr. Spock's work and the suicide of his son, is being passed off as Stein's.
Before we can even have a discussion on what Stein wrote (which is also unsubstantiated hog wash), we have to consider the intent and hypocrisy of the person who included the additional text. Why they are trying to pass it off as Stein's? How can they claim any oral high ground for their argument by the dishonesty of their action or for that matter some of their statements (ie. the reference to Dr. Spock's son)
As for what Stein actually did write. There are no atheist laws or assertions that we live in an atheist country. If Stein is trying to say secular is the same is atheism, he is wrong and and a moron. Were it not for a secular government, it would be less likely we could have the diversity of religions (including the numerous brands of Christianity).
There are, however, plenty of laws based on religion. (For example, where I live I cannot buy alcohol on Sundays) Religious fundamentalists are constantly trying to merge Church and State, trying to establish their religion as America's religion, trying to dictate personal matters of birth control and abortion, trying to force their religious mythology to be taught as science in public schools (is Sunday school not enough for indoctrination?)
There is no atheism being shoved down anyone's throat.
However, when anyone, believer or non-believer, tries to stop religion from being shoved down everyone's throat, the Christian fundamentalists scream persecution.
I was fortunate enough to get my mom to see how these emails or toxic, unfortunately she still buys into many of the erroneous statements made by stein and the religious-reich.
Funny thing is, she's a Catholic which make's her Christianity not good enough for the crowd pushing this bullshit.
Right-wing motto: If you're not cheatin' you're not trying.
Ben Stein is a whore and any lingering respect I had for him went out the window when he did Expelled.
Richard Dawkins was right -- if it wasn't for his status as a pop culture icon, he'd be just another Watergate survivor.
I agreed with the part about Christmas trees and Merry Christmas. Other than that... complete BS, and I'm saying that as a Jew. (Oh, and while I will write God in English, I will NOT in Hebrew, because to me, it is only the Hebrew that is sacred... ah, Judaism, most don't realize it isn't that much less varied than Christianity)
'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Is that similar to raep? Ben Stein should prepare his Anus
Anne Graham said that about 9/11, not Katrina.
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