Sunday, November 15, 2009

Ben Stein, Political Correctness, and Christmas



I found this nugget on Conservative Lakota's blog.  A great letter.  Something to make you think. 

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 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 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 Hurricane 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 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 okay.






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






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


11 comments:

LL said...

As always, insightful commentary from Ben Stein.

Heather Chandler said...

He has quite a point.

When I was younger, I worked in a grocery store. We were told even then to wish people "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas", as to not offend.

One customer wished me a "Happy Hannukah" and I wasn't offended at all. She apologized when she found out I wasn't Jewish (apparently I look it?), but I took it as a wishing of well-being more than anything else. Who cares if I wasn't Jewish or didn't celebrate that particular holiday. She took time to wish me to be happy that time of year - not as a secret code word or something to only be used among a certain group of people, and definitely not to offend.

I wish people would see it that way, as a gesture of goodwill, instead of some horrible offence. Whatever happened to "It's the thought that count"?

kid said...

Ben Stein is a Tom. He worked for the most anti-Semitic President ever, Nixon.He also hates blacks.

On Bill Oreilly's show he tried to make racist Bernard Goldberg say "Merry Christmas".Since you're tolerant of Religions you probably wouldn't mind saying "As Saalam Alikum" on Ramadan to your Muslim neighbors.How about celebrating Kwansa with the brothers?The right are hypocrites.

Hannityinaskirt said...

Actually the most Anti Semitic President was Jimmy Carter as he wants Hamas removed as a terrorist organization and Hamas has caused untold Jewish deaths and has promised "to kill Jewish children wherever they find them" Also because of Carter the Shah of Iran was over thrown replacing it with the religious crazies over there now and many Jews that once lived in Iran in peace where executed for being supposed "spies of Israel" even though that had been born and raised in Iran. Nixon, even though being horribly unethical saved Israel in the Yom Kippur war, saving many Jewish lives. I don't see anything wrong with wishing anyone a happy holiday-its good to see people kind and cheerful to one another, I wish people where like that all year long. I am not a Christian, but I have no issue with people wishing me Merry Christmas, who doesn't love the Christmas season? I'm a Jewish Conservative but not a hypocrite, I've gone to Church with Christian friends and visited a Hindu Temple with a Nepalese friend of mine. What is the point you are tying to make?

Opus #6 said...

Excellent post. Well chosen.

A Conservative Unclogged Blog said...

Ha....MerryChrismaHannuhKwanzaacas...

Um, I think I will just stick with Merry Christmas

And Kwanzaa has some pretty rotten roots according to my knowledge ..very sinister, created and made up by a man who was militantly pissed off at white people and was also involved in the murders of some Black Panther members....yeah...sounds like a real peaceful guy........I know my Kwanzaa information....and yeah, it looks benign ....but it isn't, it may piss off a great deal of folks who celebrate it....but they really need to read up on who started Kwanzaa and his motives for doing so.

But, it doesn't offend me they celebrate Kwanzaa...just don't try to take the Merry & Christ out of my Merry Christmas season....

If my knowledge of history is correct, the right are not any more hypocrite than the left...after all, most of the push for freedom of slaves came from the right....among many other benevolent movements which the left (Democratic party) has historically fought against. The Civil Rights did not start with the Dems....

Go read your history Kid-do before you assert a definitive stance on matters you know not...."hates blacks"

entertaining to see indeed

Fredd said...

I could be wrong, but I think Christmas is making a comeback and may be removed from the 'Endangered List', as I have yet to hear anyone call a Christmas tree a 'holiday tree' yet this year. Of course, it's a bit early.

NOTE: If Ben Stein hates blacks so much, why is he doing all those commercials with Shaq?

kid said...

A Conservative Unclogged Blog said...

Ha....MerryChrismaHannuhKwanzaacas...

Um, I think I will just stick with Merry Christmas
________________________________________________

Ha Ha Ha Eff other minorities!
_____________________________________
And Kwanzaa has some pretty rotten roots according to my knowledge ..very sinister, created and made up by a man who was militantly pissed off at white people and was also involved in the murders of some Black Panther members....yeah...sounds like a real peaceful guy........I know my Kwanzaa information....and yeah, it looks benign ....but it isn't, it may piss off a great deal of folks who celebrate it....but they really need to read up on who started Kwanzaa and his motives for doing so.
_____________________________
What was his name liar. Also the Black Panther were non-violent until COINTELPRO.
________________________________________
But, it doesn't offend me they celebrate Kwanzaa...just don't try to take the Merry & Christ out of my Merry Christmas season....

If my knowledge of history is correct, the right are not any more hypocrite than the left...after all, most of the push for freedom of slaves came from the right....among many other benevolent movements which the left (Democratic party) has historically fought against. The Civil Rights did not start with the Dems....

Go read your history Kid-do before you assert a definitive stance on matters you know not...."hates blacks"

entertaining to see indeed
November 16, 2009 8:18 AM
Fredd said...

I could be wrong, but I think Christmas is making a comeback and may be removed from the 'Endangered List', as I have yet to hear anyone call a Christmas tree a 'holiday tree' yet this year. Of course, it's a bit early.

NOTE: If Ben Stein hates blacks so much, why is he doing all those commercials with Shaq?
_____________________________________________
The same reason that Jesse Lee Peterson, Sean Klannity's favorite "negro" thank white people for slavery...money.

Just a conservative girl said...

Kid:
People that are truly bigots, wouldn't work with someone that they "hate" willingly for any reason. True bigots have no problem saying so. It is the people who have undercurents of racism that you really need to worry about.

Your are correct about Nixon, it has come out that he said many anti-semitic things. He also grew up in an age where bigotry was much more acceptable. Not to say that it is justified, but it a statement of fact.

That doesn't mean that Ben Stein knew about it. He has never shyed away from his faith. Ben Stein probably has enough money to live on, I don't think he needs to go out and make commericials if he didn't want to.

Hannityinaskirt said...

Kid,

Ha....MerryChrismaHannuhKwanzaacas...

Um, I think I will just stick with Merry Christmas
________________________________________________

Ha Ha Ha Eff other minorities!

_____________
So you actually think people should go around saying happy RamHannuKwanzMas to not offend anyone? Come on now. "Merry Christmas" is not offensive, its kind and sweet, even if someone mistakingly thinks you are a christian when you are something else, they are just trying to show you holiday cheer.

Also you misunderstand bigotry. If you hate someone because of their race, religion, etc- then no amount of money is going to end that hatred. Hating someone for no other reason than their skin is irrational. Making money is a rational ideal that most of us, I think want to do! If Stein truly had a irrational hatred of black people or any other people I personally don't think he would do commercials with a black guy especially if he has other money making opportunities in his life. What is it about Stein that you think makes him a "racist" I looked it up, couldn't find anything. Perhaps you could tell us instead of just decrying racism but never saying WHY. Knocking Sean Hannity as "Klannity" is also a no facts, just a smear move. Sean Hannity takes on racists have it they are the Westboro Baptist church or Al Sharpton for calling another black man the "N" Word. If you can make a case for bigotry, great, do so. No one likes bigotry (Unless of course you are a bigot) But people also don't like fake charges of bigotry. Because being called a racist is a serious thing, and should not be thrown around lightly as it really diminishes and makes real cases of bigotry and racism less believable. So really you do no good to the real victims of hate and intolerance when you start calling everyone under the sun racists -siting no reason other than wishing someone a "merry Christmas" is some how "eff" other minorities.

Anonymous said...

According to benstein.com, most of this is made up. That is, Stein did not say it. Everything from "I am a Jew" to "the America we knew went to" is his work. all the rest is not. Now, bentstein.com may or may not be his official website, I do not know, but before people get all upset, annoyed, and angry, they need to start filtering out the truth from the hype and spin.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
 
Google Analytics Alternative