Thoughts from Ben Stein

Many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks ina monotone. He's also an economist and a very intelligent attorney whoknows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to swayjuries and make people think clearly.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. He begins with:

"Here with a few confessions from my beating heart:I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on thecover of People and Us constantly, when I am buying my dog biscuits andkitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They neverknow who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change mylife if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they soimportant?I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all aboutTom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am asubversive? 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 thosebeautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feelthreatened. 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. Idon't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in aghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothersand sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me atall that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection nearmy beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as finewith 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 thinkChristians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I thinkpeople 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 anexplicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and Idon't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that weshould worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God aswe 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 camefrom and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is alittle 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 JaneClayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?"(regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. Shesaid, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but foryears we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out ofour government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman Heis, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to giveus His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. Ithink it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, herbody 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 Biblesays thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love yourneighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when theymisbehave because their little personalities would be warped and wemight 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 theydon't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to killstrangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure itout. 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 theworld's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what theBible says.Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread likewildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, peoplethink twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely throughcyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school andworkplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many onyour address list because you're not sure what they believe, or whatthey will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of usthan what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... noone will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don'tsit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards .. honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein"