The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by
him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here with a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife. Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? 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
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 Nick and Jessica 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 Nick and Jessica 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 murdered, her body 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 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 and then wonder
why the world's going to hell.

He is a very bright man, isn't he. Thanks for posting this

poo

Thank you.

I have a few people I need to send this to. Thanks for posting it.

longest post i ever read on 2draw, had me gripped, nice one

Lol..sal...hahaha

I dont personally believe in a deity, I dont personally believe in anything. If anything I have ideas, and intriging theories. I think that as long as you take the ideals of a religion, and it makes a better person out of you, then its all fine and awesome, although, I could never say that something that has happened to me is guided by 'fate' or some otherworldy power. Everything, at least by my experience, is easy to root back to human instinct in some way or another. We might have been created by some supreme being, we might have been sent to earth on a pod by a species of aliens as some for of incubation, I dont know. I dont hate religion, or gods, but I do view some people as lunitics, or rather, zealots to something that they think should be the one and only way to live your life. On the other hand, I see lots of people saying that there's nothing you can do its all set on a path of fate, no matter what choices you make, you are damned or saved from the moment you were born. I say regardless of religion, if you live and be happy, without interfering with anyone elses, you're a good person. Regardless of everything that people have done to you, open your arms to all your friends and enemies, if they slay you, you died willing to embrace the one thing that people have pushed away and tried to destroy their whole lives, rather then try to fix it with open arms.

set an example, love your brothers, love the world, and if we're lucky, everyone will do the same.

Murders, terrorist attacks, violence, etc. is born from ignorance of man.

Natural disasters are only known as such because we exist. Its nature. Not the hand of, nor lack of any god (Katrina for example).

I agree with some points in this and others, not so much. Nothing wrong with religion, it does do a lot of good. Helps people cultivate themselves. I believe some of its mistaken though, that a lack of god or religion results in suffering. Yes, religion does build structure. But the problems of our world are caused by more than just a lack or religion.
Theres also the point that religion has been manipulated by some and used for war and violence.
Im conflicted on Religion being tightly woven into our nation. I cant see anything wrong with having a belief in what you choose. By all means. But there does have to be points of boundaires, especially when it comes to influence and decision. Also, agreed on the idol worship he points out with Nick and Jessica, I hope we grow out of that at some point.

What its comes down to most is this: Education/understanding, respect, structure, and awareness. The lack of these things causes suffering. This needless suffering is peoples doing. Its more than religion or absence of. When it comes to nature, we are at its mercy. Also theres one more key element, love.

Anyways, good article Axil. Very interesting read. Im glad to see such posted. : )

Very good, very good. Thanks for sharing.

My take on the subject of religion: I belive its ment to be a guide to life, in which each individual interprets it on their own. I belive it was invented ( the concept of religion LONGGGG ago) as a way of helping people deal with hardships and controling the masses. BUT its a very strange coincidence that every single nation, time, and diffrent type of people have religion in some way or another. Seems to me that the concept of something greater than us is human nature. I've been very turned off of religion becuse of how so many people abuse the concept of religion in order to get there way, be it coruption for wealth, or violence to get there way.

Now as for the Jessica & Nick thing, thats just caused by our lack of hardship and bordom. Media is more on human intrest, then all out facts. Well there are facts, but mostly oppinions. Long ago we did not care about royal cupples breaking up or not, we were trying to survive. Humans are desined to survive, and now we have nothing to survive anymore. WE just care about how much money we make or how nice our car/house is, instead of hunting for food that day. Its all relative. Our thirst for inproving our technology is going to be our downfall in the far far future.
Wonderfull post btw, this indeed makes you think.

solve : Did you say Religion and Understanding/Science together ? how that works ?

Catastrophes, in my opinion, do not come from any diety, or the lack of it. Natural disasters are unpredictable, result of all the forces acting upon our planet: The crash of tectonic plates, el niño, etc... Terrorism, murder, war: This are the actions of man, result of the intolerance, ignorance, fear.

I don't have any religion, it is my choice: a decision I made after many days, months spended in reflection and introspection. For me, the rule that I most follow without exception is 'Live and let live'... yet there is many people that considers my god-less view as threatening: many see me as inmoral, stupid and dangerous without even getting to know me.
But that hasn't clouded my view, I don't despise religion: As it has been said before, it is a life guide. Most of the religions have as one of their main ponts living and leting live, so how can I look down into it? The problem resides in how it is managed by some people, who violate that rule, that precious principle of my life and of many others. Suicide bombings, the crusades, that mother who once told his son don't to play with someone because he is different (namely, none religion... Yes, that happened to me).

Now, let's go more into the article: I think letting religion out of schools is ok, that way our perception of the world is not obstructed by one of our lives more sgnificant institution... that way, if you are really into religion, if you truly feel there is a god that looks upon you and your loved ones, then your view will be more powerful, because it wasn't shaved into you as a truth. You discovered it as it.

Althought I live in Mèxico, I can say that the situation of US isn't very different from here: people, generaly the youth, is more interested in what artist got fatter after summer than, let's say, the difficult situation of our goverment. Why is that? It has been said before in this thread, our lifes are far easier with all the comforts. And also, because it is easier to critizice and comment the recent divorce of a famous than to think about anything.

So, in conclusion, I don't think our (Your, mine, Canada's, Cuba's) world is living difficult situations because lack of religion. And there are a lot of things I would like to bring up and discuss, but is is hard for me to express my ideas clearly in english (Also, please forgive my grammar).

Anyway... interesting letter Axil, thanks for sharing.

IkariIreuL no offence intended but that statement is pretty ignorant. Explain how it doesn't work. There are many things we don't understand and won't because we are not able(some of you may add currently).

Here with a confession from my Thinking Mind:



I am an Atheist, and every single one of my ancestors was a catholic.

I don't like getting pushed around for being an Atheist, and I don't think Jews like getting pushed around for not being Christians, and Muslims don’t like being pushed around for not being Jews It seems the flavor of god is more important than the idea…



I think people who don’t believe in God are sick and tired of watching all the believers push each other around, period.



I have no idea where the concept came from that one religion is right, that believing in some alien being living in the clouds is a good thing, or that America is an explicitly Catholic 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 a God at all, and why is it that for some twisted reason we aren't allowed to be good loving caring people if we don’t?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering when people are going to stop blaming the woes of the world on Gods and spirits and instead take responsibility for the state of the world, and the way we raise our children, and the way we treat each other...

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 a moronic and dogmatic 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.



I think that it was a low pressure system that caused a Hurricane… That’s life… It happens… even when the world was full of believers and we were oppressing the populations and killing the infidels Hurricanes happened… Boy those dinosaurs must have been holy sinners for God to have wiped them out entirely…



How can we be so close minded as to blame a God for the woes of man when man is clearly not bothering to try and make it better, when the hearts of The believers are poisoned against thy neighbor because of his race, creed, and religion?

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started because we gave away our personal responsibility for our deeds and actions, and allowed ourselves to believe that God was able to fix all our nastiness and make it all right, if only we could throw ourselves on his mercy…

and we said it is Gods will.

Then someone said you better read the Bible in school. Because the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.



And we say forget the bible lets take responsibility for our lives and our children’s upbringing, lets teach them that they have the ultimate power and control to change the world instead of teaching about some nonsensical mystical being who has ultimate control, lets say it and mean it ourselves.

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… “It’s not my fault” I never bothered, because hell… God’s supposed to make up for the fact that I can’t be bothered to raise my children right, God is supposed to fix the world because I can’t love everyone regardless of their religion, or race, after all I am only human…

Funny how simple it is for people to put it all on a God instead of working to make it better, and then wonder why the world's going to Hell.



Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, Sad that we believe what the Bible says, yet can’t be bothered to make it so…

Funny how throughout history the Believers have been the cause of the deaths and carnage and nastiness because others did not have the right belief.

Pass this 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. Until we forget about mystical beings and focus on the real world, the hear and now, religion will continue to destroy the world one believer at a time.

My Best Regards. Honestly and respectfully,

If people do blame it on God they will end up in Hell.

if i live my life to it's fullest, i'm clean in any religion :]

not if you eat pork or beef.

McDonalds isn't technically beef

So, nobody even bothered to check if Ben Stein actually said this? Turns out, yes and no. He wrote the first part, but not the last part. He didn't say anything about prayer in school, hurricane Katrina, the 700 Club idea that bad things happen because we've kicked god out of the USA (that's right, folks -- He's everywhere in the universe, EXCEPT the USA).

Also, Dr. Spock's son did not commit suicide.

As a lifelong atheist, the idea that someone would fabricate the words of somebody respectable (and make up facts) to promote their own theology doesn't surprise me a bit.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/benstein2.asp

On a related note, Snopes also purports that Mr. Ed was a zebra. Just saying!

Multicycle2003, I agree with you, even though you obviously copied and pasted that.

I saw Jackie Mason say almost the exact same things about Christmas in an interview on Fox News last year.
More people should come out against that ridiculous notion that we can't say "Merry Christmas" anymore. Everyone's
so afraid of offending some uptight loud-mouthes. It all points to one thing: The pussification of America.

According to a Wikipedia article, it was not Dr. Spock's son but his grandson who committed suicide. This is not to say I support the implication that Spock's parenting techniques can lead to children committing suicide.

A thought: the fact that people use religion as a replacement for personal responsibility does not mean religion advocates a lack of personal responsibility. Seems a bit silly (and ironic) to blame a scapegoat for being a scapegoat.

Yay for me being Canadian. For some reason, not as many people are obsessed over Nick + Jessica anymore.. or more appropriately Nick - Jessica. I suppose more people here are obsessed with Canadian stars like Nickleback or something... But maybe that is just around where I live.

Nickelback are faggot posers.

Arent they those wiggers from canada that rap about weird shit?

Nickelback doesn't rap, what are you talking about?

i would have read this whole post, but the commercials are over and i want to see who wins america's next top model.

deathking: Just about everything you say screams ignorance. The word "wigger" is a passive/aggressive form of racism, consider losing that word from your vocabulary, please.

Deformed: I don't appreciate your language either, if you please, could you refrain from using the word "faggot"?

I'm not enforcing rules here but I think some language spreads hate and if I can help to prevent it, I will.

Quick to blame, but slow to take blame. You think I mean them, but I mean you.
We are always teaching. It's hard to know what your teaching or who your teaching it to, but time will tell.

So is It better to be an Atheist or a Worshiper of a higher power?

.If you’re an Atheist and you were given a box that proved that there is no afterlife would you open it?
..Would you really want to know?
..Would you change how you live?
..Would you show the box to anyone?

.If you’re a Worshiper of a higher power and you were given a box that proved that there was an afterlife would you open it?
..Would you change your life?
..Would you fear Hell?
..Would you show the box to anyone?

A good man fears nether Heaven nor Hell nor death with no afterlife.
.Put a Good Man in Hell and he'll climb and carry. And others will follow.
.Put a Good Man in heaven and he'll jump down, climb and carry. And others will follow.
.At the end of his life even if there is nothing after It a Good Man will be remembered, A Good Man will be missed.


So am I an Atheist or a Worshiper of a higher power?
Would It change how you feel about me if you knew?