Ben Stein

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Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as 
Holiday Trees for the first time this year which prompted CBS 
presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like 
to share with you. I think it applies just as much to many 
countries as it does to America . 

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? 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 




How do you feel about this? 
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Thank you for reading.
Merry Christmas