Food for Thought
I know that this won't be popular with some of the people on my LJ, but so be it. It’s something that has been in my heart quite a lot lately, and I feel it needs to be said.
Ben Stein is not merely a comedian or the host of a game show, but a high-powered and successful attorney. The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, Sunday, 12/18/05.
Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have
no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us
constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the
checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who
are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up?
Why are they so important?
I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom
Cruise's wife.
Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive?
Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.
If this is what it means to be no longer young, it's not so bad.
Next 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.
********
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 attacks, school shootings, etc...
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.
Anon
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we'll figure it out. It has a great deal to do with "We reap what we sow".
Strange how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world is going
to Hell. Funny how it was predicted centuries ago. Do we never learn?
Ben Stein is not merely a comedian or the host of a game show, but a high-powered and successful attorney. The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, Sunday, 12/18/05.
Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have
no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us
constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the
checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who
are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up?
Why are they so important?
I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom
Cruise's wife.
Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive?
Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.
If this is what it means to be no longer young, it's not so bad.
Next 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.
********
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 attacks, school shootings, etc...
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.
Anon
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we'll figure it out. It has a great deal to do with "We reap what we sow".
Strange how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world is going
to Hell. Funny how it was predicted centuries ago. Do we never learn?