What you are about to read is an e-mail I received some weeks 

ago.  It has a very sobering message.  I was asked to pass it 

on and after some thought; I decided I could reach more people 

by posting it on my web site.  I only hope I’m not breaking 

someone’s copy write by doing this but I also am doing it this 

way because I have added some thoughts at the bottom.  Right 

now, all I ask, as I would hope everybody would read all that 

I post, is please read without distraction as it might be more 

important to you than you think.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on 

CBS Sunday Morning 

Commentary.

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 cr?che, 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 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 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. 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. 

Are you laughing yet? 

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it 

to many on your address list because you're not sure what they 

believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny 

how we can be more worried about what other people think of us 

than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has 

merit. If not then just delete 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

I only hope we find God again before it is too late!!

Now for my thoughts on the subject.  Mr. Stein has brought up 

some facts that deserve everyone’s consideration.  There is an 

explanation for what is happening, but like everything else I 

write, if I put it in print, it will be just glanced at and 

forgotten as soon as you click off my webpage.  The fact that 

Jane Clayson had to ask the question that she did is evidence 

that today’s society is about the most ignorant of GOD and his 

ways as any society in history.  They way they keep changing 

the Bible to read that GOD is here for man’s benefit instead 

of us being here for HIS benefit is another strong indication 

of this fact.  The United States was established by Christians 

that demanded a doctrine (Constitution) with certain 

unalienable rights (Ordained by GOD).  This doctrine also 

guarantees the atheist the same rights.  Which means that they

 have the right to have a religion of NO religion.  It does not

 give them the right to deny Christians, Jews, or anyone else 

to worship as they see fit.  It gives everyone that equal right

.  As far off the track as today’s version of Christianity has 

become, those people that choose to worship in that manner have

 that right.  I read where someone said that if it weren’t for 

the second amendment, there would be no first amendment. TRUE!!

  I say that if it weren’t for the first amendment, there would

 be no need for the second amendment or any of the others for 

that matter.  We would be living under a government, as a 

predatory entity, more like that of a dictatorship with total 

martial law and no right other that what the government decides

 to give, or take away, as the government sees fit.  As long as

 I’m on my soapbox, I’ll add, when you vote, vote for someone 

that will preserve the Constitution and Bill of Rights, not try

 to reinterpret or destroy them.

                                                      Harry

Footnote:

The impression I get from the answer that Billy Graham's 

daughter gave, leads me to believe that not only do the people 

not know GOD's ways, the preacher is not even telling his kids

what they are, and makes me wonder if he even knows.  GOD

sometimes uses strong measures, and I'm not saying HE caused

Katrina, but he does have ways of getting peoples attention

and saying "Return to me and I'll return to you".