I saw this interview with Ben Stein and feel that the following commentary bears merit and should be disseminated. Hope you all read it! Traudi
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS
Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
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 attacks, 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