More to think about-----long
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I'm embarrassed to say; I love ToonTown, an online game by Disney. There are forums about it. This one women throws religion into the threads all the time. I'll add my thoughts in the comment section to make this less lengthy.
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 ther e 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 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 murder ed, 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 a nd then wonder why the world's going to Arizona 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 ba d shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
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 ther e 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 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 murder ed, 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 a nd then wonder why the world's going to Arizona 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 ba d shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Just KimU on -
Tell here that the letter she presents is nothing like the original letter from
Ben Stein. From Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/benstein2.asp
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Permalink Reply by Joyce on -
Thank you for that! This woman takes a lot of things out of context.
This is her latest addition to the post:
If we chose to not include God in things, and we're asking him to get out of our schools, we're not going to pray anymore, heck, we're not even going to discipline our children!! Then, you get what you have created!
Which incredibly bothers me. My son is so well behaved. It has nothing to do with my religious belief. It is my human belief system. This is how you treat someone: how you want to be treated. If you want to be treated bad act bad towards them.
I promise I will add more. Real life is in the way
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Permalink Reply by Crista Talbert on -
Why in the world does she feel she needs to throw her religious 2 cents into a forum for Toon Town? There is an appropriate place for that nonsense, and I am sure that you are not the only one bothered by it.
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Permalink Reply by Joyce on
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Okay, it has taken me a bit to get back here and say what I think. That time I've used to absorb what was said and ponder out how I feel. For the record, Just KimU, I had the moderators post the snopes link. I was not feeling kindly to this post and am trying to stay out of it (over there.) Christa, I agree it is in an inappropriate forum. Fortunately, there is a section that is only for adults. I really, really could write a book on this woman's small mindness. I can not respond to her because I want to rip her apart. I know this is my bias. I try not to judge a person. I will challenge their thought patterns. She will not accept the challenge. I challenge my own thought patterns as much as I can bear. One of my favorite quotes is "Don't believe what you think."
I mentioned in my introduction, that I grew up in the Seventh Day Adventist church. My grandfather is a minister. This is truly what has made me definitely anti religious. The woman who posts her beliefs so freely just confirms it. Its the fanatics that drive me insane. Why do "they" not realize, I personally don't believe what you believe. I could care less what you believe. You need that belief system. Don't force your opinion on me. I am not less of a person because I don't believe in your God. I'm not bad. I have not broken any of the 10 commandments. I have not touched the 7 deadlies. I don't believe in the after life of heaven and hell. My purgatory was when I lived in the bible belt.
I don't believe its the "athiests" that are forcing God out of the country. We are not that organized. Are we? I believe its all the different factions of believers who feel that their belief systems are being lessened by the others.
The whole Spock and disciplining our children. What a bunch of bull! I know preacher kids from more than one religion who are the worst behave little brats. They get away with so much stuff because a preacher's kids "would not do that."
I actually have a friend who is a minister. He likes to tell me he would love to have me in his congregation. I am a better Christian than most Christians. He knows I am not a believer. I ask him what that says about Christians? That stumps him every time.
I feel I have babbled without making any points. The most I can do is hope I made sense.
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Permalink Reply by HIRH on -
LOL. Seriously?!
I don't think God had anything to do with Katrina, just like God wasn't present when my hubby and I got freaky and created our little crotch goblin (although there are MANY people that would argue with me on that)... but were they there? NO.
Then again, my idea of God is different than almost every other human on the planet so...
Announce yourself!
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