Ben Stein

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 Nick and Jessica 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 Nick and Jessica 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 recently) 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?

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

decision

While risking my life in Charlotte traffic today in an attempt to get some stuff done, I started thinking about how we live our lives. There is a certain member of my family who has appointed himself the spiritual guide to everyone. This is no exaggeration - I mean EVERYONE. It drives us crazy. At family gatherings everyone tries to hide-out or avoid him all together. He still finds us and corners us as starts telling us how he has it all together and how many people he "Led to the Lord" and that we should be doing the same and are we "saved" and would we like to be. It feels like being beaten with a Schofield Bible around the ears and neck. The problem is, we all know someone JUST LIKE HIM!!! Maybe a friend or co-worker or a co church-attendee. They have a corner on the market of "truth"

I do not believe that truth is relative. There are absolutes, otherwise the entire universe would come unraveled. As a Christ follower, I have to cling to truth everyday or my life would come unraveled. Redemption, grace, mercy - all of these are more than necessary . They are cornerstones of what I have chosen to be and believe to be truth. Some people have added their 2 cents worth and decided that that, too , is truth.
Not so.
Jewelry, makeup, music, card playing, mixed bathing (which sounds like a swim in a Kitchen Aid appliance), and a laundry list of other things have all been debated for years. Don't even get me started on alcohol and tattoos. We'll be here for days . . .

We have to decide, and fairly soon: what do we as Christ followers and human beings want to be known for? Do we want to be the ones who have all of the answers and all of the rules perfected so that we look righteous OR do we want to be the ones who love people (ALL people no matter if their lifestyle and choices don't match with what we believe to be true). This is a decision that we will have to all wrestle with as we journey with Christ.