There was a story that began around 2009, that the White House had designated that Christmas Trees would be renamed as
“Holiday Trees”~and~in response,
Ben Stein, gave this talk on CBS Morning Commentary. Emails have abounded...
Some parts did originate from Ben Stein~beginning in 2005~but they were liberally added to in various emails over the years. Nevertheless, much of what is written below can be attributed to him (over a period of time). I was only able to find one video of the Ben Stein commentary on Christmas Trees (see below). As it was from 2011, the "email commentary" is missing. Still and all, the "email" reprinted here is worth a read. Do take a few minutes to reflect and consider what our world has become...
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 like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrting this happy time of year.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed round for being Christians. I think people who believe in G-d are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.
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 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 G-d? 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 G-d let something like this happen?” (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said: “I believe G-d is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling G-d 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 G-d to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”
In light of recent events...terrorists attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when atheist
Madeleine Murray O'Hare (
she was murdered~her body found in 2001) 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 neighbour 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. 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 G-d 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 L-rd, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of G-d is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what G-d thinks of us...
My best regards, honestly and respectfully...Ben Stein (Well, Partially...)
