~ What do you think ??? ~
I feel the following message is one I should share~ these are some very intersting thoughts to ponder~ written & delivered by Ben Stein,CBS SUNDAY MORNING~
An eloquent comment from CBS SUNDAY MORNING.
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 y ear. 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 crèche, 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 a ren'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 J an e 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
bo dy 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 k now 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.
&nb sp;
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 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 says so very much ~
Light & Love
Dr Daragh