This Article is Worth Reading even though it is LONG

Subject: Comments from CBS evening news
Ben should be a carpenter-he sure hits the nail on this one. I like this and so I'm sharing it...The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS SundayMorning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestorswas Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when peoplecall those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don'tfeel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what theyare: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'MerryChristmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting readyto put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we areall brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn'tbother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a keyintersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crïeche,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 beingChristians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired ofgetting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept camefrom that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it inthe Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did theidea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowedto worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'mgetting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering wherethese celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one anotherfor a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be ajoke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on theEarly Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something likethis happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profoundand insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened bythis, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out ofour 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. Howcan we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if wedemand 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'twant prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said youbetter not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt notkill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And wesaid OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank ourchildren when they misbehave because their little personalities would bewarped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committedsuicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. Andwe said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have noconscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn'tbother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hardenough, 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 andthen wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what thenewspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you cansend 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when youstart sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice aboutsharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freelythrough cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in theschool and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you willnot send it to many on your address list because you're not sure whatthey believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what otherpeople think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not thenjust discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard thisthought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape theworld is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein