Confession from Ben Stein

[SonSeeker]

This is a fwd sent to me by a Christian friend:
Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !





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.








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

[Robert]

(Yeah, I now I wasn't going to come on today, but the Lord had other ideas... )

[mattfivefour]

The following part of the OP:

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?

was NOT written or said by Ben Stein. Somebody else added this (along with another segment not included in the OP). It's a shame they did this because it brings the authenticity of the entire message into question. The fact is though that the rest of the message in the OP was indeed written and delivered by Ben, as you can see from Robert's post.

[Robert]

The following part of the OP:was NOT written or said by Ben Stein. Somebody else added this (along with another segment not included in the OP). It's a shame they did this because it brings the authenticity of the entire message into question. The fact is though that the rest of the message in the OP was indeed written and delivered by Ben, as you can see from Robert's post.

Right, Matt. No matter how "well-meaning" it is, such tampering harms our witness. The world figures if we're willing to do this, then what DIDN'T we alter, such as scripture?

[SonSeeker]

I uploaded this as it was received, and after reading your post, I did my own checking, and found this from Snopes, http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/confessions.asp .

Adrian,
If you wish to simply delete this thread, that's fine with me.
John

[Robert]

I uploaded this as it was received, and after reading your post, I did my own checking, and found this from Snopes, http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/confessions.asp .

Adrian,
If you wish to simply delete this thread, that's fine with me.
John

I wouldn't worry about it John; you checked as best you could, so no harm done. :) Besides, the parts Ben did say are very valid and stand very well on their own.

[SonSeeker]

I wouldn't worry about it John; you checked as best you could, so no harm done. :) Besides, the parts Ben did say are very valid and stand very well on their own.

Thanks, Robert.

[Meg]

I agree, this thread should stand. There are too many people out there, who are now known as "carnal Christians", who have convinced themselves that self interest justifies all manner of sin, including lying, which is what altering Mr Stein's speech is. Pagans and practitioners of spiritual obscenities have the same attitude. Self-interest justifies whatever it takes to gain self gratification.

[GlennO]

Snopes - notes attribution was correct from Mr. Stein December 2005. The addendum of mid 2006 gets murky....

Yes, Snopes has flaws, but in some cases it is useful as a quick screening tool.

snopes.com: Ben Stein's 'Confessions for the Holidays'