Monday, November 23, 2009

What One Jew Thinks of Christmas


(The following remarks were written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning commentary some time ago.)

I Only Hope We Find God Again Before It Is Too Late.

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.



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

This is powerful and so very true. Please God, help us, forgive us, have mercy on us.

Amen.


Cynthia K.


41 comments:

  1. Amazing Post.

    God, the Gentleman. How incredibly profound a thought.

    Happy Thanksgiving~

    Love, Rebecca

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  2. Ben speaks the truth as I see it. Everything he says is true and I wonder everyday how and why we let this happen to us. My son once told me "you get the govenment you ask for" and he was right, Char

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  3. I will second this post!! Wonderful !!
    Happy Thanksgiving Cynthia!!
    Blessings~

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  4. Oh sweetie...
    Good Morning, and I will third this post. What a wonderful write this morning. Thank Ben and God Bless him for having the courage to speak his piece. He hit the nail on the head with each one of his points. Thank you for sharing sweetie.

    You asked me about my glittery graphics. I copy all of my graphics into photobucket. You will then get your glittery effects back. Try it and see. Glad to be of help.

    Country hugs sweetie..Sherry

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  5. I also agree with everyone above! I am a Canadian but I appreciate all of Ben's views. I'm a Christian and I like to enjoy the freedom to worship the way I do. Thank you Cynthia for sharing and I wish you a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  6. Hi Cynthia. Thank you so much for stopping by to check on me. You can't imagine how much that means to me. It really touches my heart that you would think about me just because you remembered me. I'm not sick now just not as cheery as I would like to be when I visit anyone. Thank you for your prayer.

    I love you and wish you the happiest Thanksgiving for you and your family...Tracy

    P.S. I absolutely love this letter from Ben. It's the first time I've ever seen it and would like to post it on my sight as well. I so agree with it and have never understood people being offended by Christmas. I certainly wouldn't be offended if someone said Happy anything that they celebrate. It is a gesture of goodwill and love to be greeted and not ignored in a celebration so important to someone.

    Thank you for sharing this!

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  7. Cynthia,
    Thank you for sharing this article! I am trying so hard to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don't like the commercialization of these special holidays. I hope you have a very blessed holiday season. Vicki

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  8. Cynthia~I'm strolling in to catch up and especially to wish you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving!
    It's such a wonderful time to stop and reflect on all those we cherish and are truly grateful for.

    Even though our Thanksgiving is very small in number, with hubby and son (we don't count the cat cause she doesn't like turkey). We don't scrimp on the menu...from appetizers to desserts with several carb loaded dishes in between! We will be enjoying tryptophan playoffs too!

    Sweet Holiday wishes,
    Sara

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  9. Hi Cynthia,
    Thnak you very much for coming by and wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving! I really appreciate it and to you and your family as well.

    My mother is alive and doing very well and lives in Florida. You are the second person to have mentioned the loss of a loved to me in this particular post and I'm a bit confused. Hmmmmm.... Everyone in my family is doing great and I am so thankful for that. I do feel sad for all who have lost a parent or loved one this year though. It must be sad and very different during the Holidays.

    Have a wonderfullly blessed day my friend.
    ~Warmly, ~Melissa :)

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  10. Amen . . .

    Cynthia, thank you for visiting my blog today! It was so nice to have you visit and leave your kind comments. Yes, the house in my banner is my house. It really was lovely that year!

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful post. It really gets to the heart of the matter!

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and may the Lord shine down upon you and your family as you celebrate God's bounty.

    God Bless,
    Teresa

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  11. Cynthia, I'm so glad you posted this. I had read this before, but it certainly is worth reading again. Ben may have a Jewish background, but I believe he is very much swayed by Christianity. I think The Holy Spirit is working on him, big time! Everything he said is so true. I know after 9/11 I asked God how this could happen and He said that we as a nation had been busy "tearing down the wall" instead of building it up. (from Nehemiah). So true, we are eroding every Christian principle that is foundation to our country.
    Blessings to you, Cynthia,
    Debra

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  12. Hi sweet Cynthia, I have been thinking of you and wanted to stop by and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Have a beautiful and very blessed day~
    Love & Hugs, Carol Anne

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  13. Fabulous post and comments by Mr. Stein!
    Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
    Anne

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  14. Hi Cynthia,
    WoW !! How true and so profound this is !! It makes me soo sad to see the direction this Country is CHOOSING to go, and without following Christ !! Very sad indeed, But, people like this that speak the truth and share from the heart, they are the ones to be uplifted and applauded .. I pray daily, and choose to follow HIM !!
    Thanks for sharing, and wishing you a blessed, happy Thanksgiving Day ~~~
    hugs ~tea~xo

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  15. Hello Cynthia, thank you so much for sharing this post... I have been wondering so many of these same things...I will pass this on! thanks also for your visit to my blog tonight... I made those little heart boxes you see under my pink tree... my sister bought an old 1940's house to renovate and there were layers and layers of old wallpaper they removed... I asked her for some, and used it to cover those little heart boxes... I made one for my sister and my nieces and myself for Christmas, and put little "wishes" inside... I love vintage anything, and thought they would think that was fun... thank you for commenting about them! Love to you... Bisous... Julie Marie

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  16. Amen, wonderful post.

    *®*´¯`•.¸¸.♫• Happy Thanksgiving Wishing your and yours a Happy Holiday ♫•.¸¸.•´¯`*®*
    ♥´¨)¸.+´¸.•*´¨)¸.+*´¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.+´♥♥¸.+´
    ¸.•*´¨)¸.+*´¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.+´♥ Heidi ♥)

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  17. Cynthia, I loved, loved this post..it is the first time I have heard of it and I thought it was so true and thought provoking...I also wanted to thank you for all your lovey comments that you have left me and how they always make my heart smile and I come to your blog to tell you and I read more of it and I want to comment on so much and then my life (family) gets in the way :) and I tell myself to come back to tell you how much you are appreciated and how much I enjoy and love your blog. So I am taking the time this quiet afternoon to do just that :)Besos, Rose

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  18. Cythia amor, could you please email me, I tried sending you an email to the address on the right, but it came back to me, Thank you :) Besos Rose

    Bellarosa118@yahoo.com

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  19. Hi Cynthia
    Thanks for entering my Christmas teapot give away!
    I've seen Ben Stein so commentary many times on the CBS Sunday Morning TV show and actually heard him read this...I thought it was very well said.

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  20. Thank you Cynthia for visiting my blog recently and becoming a follower as well as entering the give away of the 3 jewlery designs. Good luck to you.
    I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving. I've rec'd these words of wisdom of Ben Steins in an email before, and couldn't agree more with him.
    A great way to get it out there through your blog.
    Blessings-
    Gretchen
    Mimi-Toria's Jewelry
    http://mimitoriasdesigns.blogspot.com

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  21. Thanks so much for stopping by Buttercup's. Hope you will visit often. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

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  22. Love that! I've read that Ben Stein article before and really enjoyed it!

    Blessings,
    LMM

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  23. What an amazing post!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us...
    Stephenie

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  24. Hey girlfriend!

    Welcome to blogland! And what a beautiful post!!!! Hopefully, I will see ya again soon...love ya my sista! xo...deb

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  25. Thanks for visiting my blog & leaving such a sweet comment! Your blog is so very inspiring & beautiful. I will be visiting it often!
    Sherry

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  26. Hi Cynthia! I have read this before...Amen to what Ben says!! And good for you for posting it!!!

    :) T

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  27. DEAR CYNTHIA,
    THANK YOU SOOO VERY MUCH FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND LEAVING SUCH A WONDERFUL COMMENT.
    AMY IS WITH YOUR MOTHER, BROTHER, AND HUSBAND. YOU ARE SO VERY RIGHT, THERE WOULD BE NO PEACE IF I DID NOT HER SALVATION WAS ASSURED BY JESUS, NOT WORKS.
    MY HEART IS SO SAD FOR YOU LOOSING THREE PRECIOUS MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY IN NINE MONTHS...IT MOST ASSUREDLY SPEAKS OF YOUR FAITH BECAUSE AMY GRADUATING TO HEAVEN HAS LEFT A HUGE HOLE IN ME, MY HUSBAND, HER BROTHER, HER GRANDMOTHER, AUNTS, UNCLES, COUSINS,FRIENDS....SHE WAS LOVED BY SO MANY PEOPLE. IT MUST BE HARD LOOSING YOUR MOTHER, YOUR BEST FRIEND AND YOUR SOUL MATE. DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT ARE A SUPPORT....DO YOU HAVE OTHER SIBLINGS
    YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL LADY WITH AN AWESOME SPIRIT.
    I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT JESUS....YOU COULD NEVER OFFEND ME...I AM FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT RELIGION THAN BEING A CHRISTIAN...A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST....BELIEVE IT OR NOT SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE SAVED BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES.
    FOR STARTING AN ON LINE SHOP..........PONDER THIS................HOW BIG WOULD YOU PLAN IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN'T FAIL.........
    I THINK OF THE SCRIPTURE....COMMIT YOUR WAYS UNTO THE LORD AND HE WILL DIRECT THY PATH.....
    I KNOW THAT GOD WILL OPEN DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN SHUT AND HE WILL SHUT DOORS THAT NO MAN CAN OPEN.
    I WILL BE PRAYING THAT GOD CONTINUES TO HEAL YOUR HEART.
    YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION. I JOINED YOUR LOVELY BLOG.
    ANGEL HUGS
    DEBBIE

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  28. Cynthia, Thank you for stopping by and leaving such sweet comments. It mean so very much to me. Your post from Ben is perfect! I have been wondering about my blogging buddies thoughts toward our posting about Christmas cheer if they do not believe. In our excitement we must never forget to extend our love toward them too.
    Blessings to you for such a profound post,
    Sharon

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  29. Cynthia...If I had not left a message before on your wonderful, wonderful blog...I should be severly chastised. And I apologize.
    It is such an inspiration and is so apparent... that you are a loving, caring person with compassion for people and many things.
    It is meaning a great deal of me that you are praying for my daughter today...during her surgery and recovery.
    I too am so sad that you have lost so many in your life so quickly.
    Our FAITH is the main thing keeping us SANE I am certian.
    Your grief is still very fresh...so don't be surprised if you take two steps fowards and three steps back..at times...it most certainly happens, but the grief will eventually become more tolerable.
    So admire this post from Ben Stein..he makes complete sense doesn't he ?

    By the way, I am a Texan now too..having lived here going on 12 years. Transplanted from Indiana.
    If you care to leave your email addy when you respond to this I would be delighted. If not, I understand and repsect your privacy.

    With Love,

    Rose

    http://delightfulclutter.blogspot.com/

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  30. Hi Cynthia!

    Thank you so much for coming by my Blog and visiting! I have you signed up for my Giveaway now. Please do come and visit again!

    Warmly,
    LuLu Kellogg

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  31. Thanks for your nice message. I loved the butter rum life savers, too. Just picked up a bag of life savers for the office. It's a special assortment for this season of cherry, peppermint and apple and the red and green will look very festive in my glass candy dish. Take good care!

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  32. I've been a Ben Stein fan for a long time. His words are always true and powerful. This is the perfect example of that truth and power. Thanks for posting it.

    and...

    Thanks for visiting, commenting, following and/or blogging about my 300th post giveaway! Good Luck!

    Blessing. Dixie

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  33. I got this as an email some time ago and I think it is great. Thanks for sharing it again.
    Hope you have a Merry Christmas!
    Hugs, Pat

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  34. Hi...thanks for coming by and saying hi. Have a very Merry Christmas!!

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  35. What a wonderful message ~ thank you so much for sharing it and thank you for visiting my blog!

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  36. Hello darling, I do hope you had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year and that 2010 turns out to be the best year of your life, followed by many more. Thanks for all your visits and sweet comments; you are a dear friend...a treasure.

    Love & Hugs
    Duchess

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  37. WOW.....Thank you so very much for sharing this! It is truly eye opening and inspiring! God bless you! Julie

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