lately i havent had much to say, and though ive heard that even a fool knows when to keep his mouth shut i cant help it. In politics they are already ranting and raving about november elections which i can only pray go well for the country. but the the thing that stuck in my crawl was this news piece about how people in NYC dont want a mosque anywhere near the fallen towers. Sigh....its called FREEDOM OF RELIGION, the SAME freedom of religion that christians shout about and yet they r now discriminating against another religion...dont judge an entire race or religion by the acts of a few

Counterpunching Ben Stein

THIS WAS AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BEN STEIN AND SPOKEN BY HIM ON CBS, THE ALL CAPS ARE MY ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS FOR HIM AND OF COURSE THE SMALL WORDS R HIS , TRUST ME IT WAS THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT LOL

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.

BUT SOME DO GET OFFENDED, NOT JUST BY THINGS LISTED ABOVE BUT BY THE LACK OF OTHER RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS BEING ACKNOWLEDGED. AND NO IT ISNT JUST CELEBRATING A HAPPY TIME OF YEAR, AT LEAST NOT TO EVERYONE IF SOMEONE ISNT RELIGIOUS THEN THEY DONT WANT TO GET CONSTANTLY HIT WITH MANGER SCENES AND RELIGION, THATS GREAT IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALL BROTHERS, BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT DOES FOR EVERYONE, I FEEL COMFORTABLE WALKIN AROUND IN MY UNDERWEAR, DOESNT MEAN IM GONNA DO IT WHEN I HAVE COMPANY...YOU FOLLOW ME??


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 THINK EVERYONE IS TIRED , I KNOW ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTIC PEOPLE THAT R TIRED OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS (SOME OF THEM) TRYING TO PUSH RELIGION DOWN THEIR THROATS

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.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HES TALKING ABOUT THIS IS FAR!! FROM AN ATHEIST COUNTRY REALLY FAR,AND AGAIN WHERE IS ALL THIS ABUSE COMING FROM??WHO IS FORCING ATHEISM DOWN HIS THROAT?? GO TO THE LOCAL LIBRARY FOR INSTANCE AND LOOK FOR BOOKS ON ATHEISM, THE LOOK FOR RELIGION, YOU TELL ME WHICH SECTION IS BIGGER, DO THE SAME EXPERIMENT IN ANY BOOKSTORE, O AND TRY TO FIN ATHEIST BOOK STORES IN THE PHONE BOOK OR GOOGLE MAPS THEN LOOK FOR ALL THE CHRISTIAN ONES... WHERE DOES MR STEIN LIVE,WORK AND PLAY THAT HE IS BEING BOMBARDED WITH ATTACKS, TRY BEING A DEMOCRAT AND WATCHING FOX NEWS OR BEING AGNOSTIC AND WATCH SOME TV STATIONS THAT ARE ENTIRELY RELIGION CENTERED AND THE CONSTITUTION SAYS WE WERE FOUNDED ON THE FREEDOM!!!! OF RELIGION THAT MEANS CHRISTIAN,MUSLIM,JEW IS FINE BUT SO IS ATHEISM,AGNOSTICISM AND WICCAN, IF YOU DONT WANNA BE TOLD WHAT YOU CAN AND CANT BELIEVE THAN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ANYONE ELSE, IN GOD WE TRUST IS ON THE MONEY, YOU REALLY THINK AN ATHEIST COUNTRY WOULD ALLOW THAT??

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?

YOU CAN WORSHIP WHOEVER U WANT ITS A FREE COUNTRY BUT UR NOT ALOUD TO FORCE IT ON ANYONE THATS ALSO FREEDOM, ALSO THIS STATEMENT HAS BECOME DATED LOL BUT WHATEVER, HIS POINT REMAINS THE SAME, AGAIN THOUGH COUNT THE CHURCHES,MOSQUES AND SYNAGOGUES I GREW UP IN A TOWN THAT WAS ABOUT 2 SQUARE MILES AND THERE WERE 10 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES...OO BOY THATS REAL DISCRIMINATION THERE, NOT TO MENTION THE DOZENS OF WEEKLY RELIGIOUS SHOWS ON TV AND THE SEVERAL 24 HOUR RELIGIOUS CHANNELS, WHO IS KEEPING YOU FROM WORSHIPING??

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.

WHAT AMERICA IS HE TALKING ABOUT....THE ONE FROM THE 50S IN WHICH SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WAS WORSHIPED EVEN THEN, THAT HAS TO BE IT BECAUSE HE ISNT ALL THAT OLD HMMM THE 50S-70S IM GUESSING YEA NO ONE IN AMERICA HAD POSTERS OR IDOLIZED ANY POLITICIANS,ACTORS OR MUSICIANS, YEA RIGHT! AND MINORITIES REALLY COULDNT VOTE OR EVEN GO TO THE SAME SCHOOLS UNTIL THE LATE 60'S???? SAME WITH WOMEN VOTING, THEY COULD LEGALLY DO IT, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING , BUT ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO DIDNT WANT THEM TO MADE IT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE SOMETIMES EVEN IMPOSSIBLE , IT WASNT UNTIL JOHNSON SIGNED THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT THAT LAWS BEGAN TO WIDELY ENFORCE VOTING AND EDUCATION RIGHTS

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.

WE ARENT THROWING GOD OUT OF ANYTHING REALLY , I KNOW OF ALOT OF SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BIBLE STUDIES AND OTHER CHRISTIAN RELATED GROUPS, AND EXCUSE ME BUT THE LAST 3 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS HAVE MENTIONED GOD HEAVILY, THOUGH THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT THE STATE SHALL NOT PROMOTE ANY ONE RELIGION

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.

AGAIN THE BIBLE IS STILL ALOUD IN ALL SCHOOLS, THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED THAT THE STATE SPONSORED PRAYER/BIBLE STUDY TIME WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND IT IS, RELIGION SHOULDNT BE FORCED ON ANYONE, ESPECIALLY NOT CHILDREN, AND TO BRING UP MS O'HARE IS RATHER COLD, OBVIOUS SHOCK TACTIC, AND I READ MY BIBLE IN SCHOOL , I WENT TO BIBLE STUDY EVERY MORNING (THAT I WAS EARLY ENOUGH LOL) AND NO DISRESPECT BUT I DONT NEED A BOOK TO TELL ME KILLING AND STEALING ARE WRONG AND LOVE IS GOOD

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.

THIS ISNT EVEN BIBLICAL BUT OK...DR SPOCK WAS WEIRD, BUT TO THROW UP THE FACT THAT HIS SON COMMITTED SUICIDE IS TERRIBLE AND WRONG, THERE ARE EASILY HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF CONFLICTING PARENTING BOOKS ON THE MARKET, USE YOUR COMMON SENSE

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.

OUR CHILDREN HAVE NO CONSCIENCE BECAUSE WE STOPPED PAYING ATTENTION, THERES EITHER NO RULES AT HOME OR TOO MANY FOR ANY CHILD TO FOLLOW, MANNERS,BEAHAVIOR AND THE SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG COME FROM HOME, IF YOU RELY ON OTHERS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS THEN DONT COMPLAIN WHEN THEY DO SOMETHING YOU DONT LIKE, MY MOTHER RAISED ME , NOT MY TEACHER,MY PRINCIPLE OR THE GUY DOWN THE STREET AND CERTAINLY NOT THE TV OR A MAGAZINE, SHE RAISED ME BECAUSE SHE LOVES ME AND IT WAS HER RESPONSIBILITY, AND MORE ADULTS LACK A CONSCIENCE THAN KIDS DO, AND NO NOT BECAUSE PRAYER ISNT IN SCHOOLS AND GOD IS BEING PUSHED AWAY, LOOK AT ALL THE CULTS THAT HAVE HAD MASS DIE OFFS

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."

I GOT PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ABUSED WHEN I WAS FOUR , WHAT EXACTLY WAS I REAPING???? I WAS 4 FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD I WAS INNOCENT, AND THAT WHOLE REAPING SOWING THING IS HARSH AND NOT PROVABLE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO SUFFER IN SPITE OF INNOCENCE AND PEOPLE WHO PROSPER IN SPITE OF OBVIOUS WICKEDNESS

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

I DONT BELIEVE ALOT OF NEWSPAPERS BECAUSE LIKE THE BIBLE IT WAS WRITTEN BY A CERTAIN PERSPECTIVE, THE WRITTEN WORD CAN BE CHANGED,ALTERED AND SUITED TO FIT THE NEEDS OR BELIEFS OF PEOPLE , I QUESTION ALOT, THATS WHAT INTELLIGENT PEOPLE DO, IF ITS TRUE, IT WILL STAND UP, AND PEOPLE FIND IT EASY TO TRASH ALOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT OR WRONG, CHRISTIAN OR ATHEIST, WE AS PEOPLE TEND TO THINK WHAT WE BELIEVE AND LIKE IS PARAMOUNT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG

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.

I SHARE ANYTHING!!! I DEEM IMPORTANT AND GOD IS DEF ON MY LIST, I HAVE FORWARED 3 JOKES MAYBE IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, MOST ARE STUPID SO I DONT BOTHER

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

I HAVE WORKED A FEW JOBS WHERE WE OPENLY DISCUSSED RELIGION AND POLITICS AND I CANT NAME ALL THE PLACES IVE BEEN HANDED OR FOUND LITERATURE REGARDING RELIGION, WHENS THE LAST YOU SAW PEOPLE GOING DOOR TO DOOR SELLING PORN??? NOW THINK ABOUT RELIGIOUS PEOPLE THAT GO DOOR TO DOOR

Are you laughing?

YES BEN STEIN AT YOU


SOME OF YOU ARE GONNA DISAGREE AND SOME WIL AGREE , PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHERE U STAND, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ANY THOUGHTS