My confession: Ben Stein

Yahoo Answers ^ | 2007 | Ben Stein

[Blue Turtle]

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.

[Blue Turtle]

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?"

[AppyPappy]

You need to read what you post

Ben Stein did NOT write most of this message...see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_ben_stein_christmas.htm for more information.

[elcid1970]

Read the hostile responses to Ben Stein on the yahoo.com site.

The End Times may already be here.

[bolobaby]

“How could God let something like this happen?”

Here’s my theory on this...

God exists in the realm of the eternal - the realm of the infinite. Your salvation leads to eternal life in Heaven (i.e. infinite joy).

What is any finite amount compared to infinity? Or, better put, what is the value of the ratio [any finite quantity] over infinity? Mathematicians? Alternately, what is infinity minus any finite number?

The suffering on Earth is finite. The joy in Heaven is infinite. You do the math.

It may seem significant now, but stay the course with God and all your suffering becomes nothing in the end.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. ;-P

Good article by Ben Stein nonetheless.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Good points.

[poobear]

“How could God let something like this happen?”

I can’t resist.

God gave ALL the people in harms way several days to get out of the path of this storm. While there was some local governments paralyzed by incompetency these good people could have done more to help others to get out! They simply sat there.

[Last Dakotan]

Do you have a link?

[DManA]

It doesn’t matter what Ben Stein says. What he DOES is give money to radical socialist candidates.

[dfwgator]

It’s like the old joke:

There’s an imminent flood, and a neighbor tells a man, “It’s going to flood; you’ve got to leave your house.” And he says, “No, God is going to save me.” And the flood comes, and they send a rowboat. And they say, “Get in the rowboat.” He says, “No, God is going to save me.” The flood comes up and he’s on the roof of the house, and they send a helicopter. And the guy says, “No, God is going to save me.” And then the man drowns. He goes to heaven, and he says to God, “I’ve been a good person all my life; I’ve gone to church, and done everything. And you still didn’t save me!” To which God replied, “Wait a minute. I sent you a warning, I sent you a rowboat, and I sent you a helicopter.”

[maica]

RE: “How could God let something like this happen?”

@@@@@

Also, hurricanes are nature’s way of redistributing heat, water, power, wind, etc in order to keep our little blue marble home twirling through the universe on a steady circuit.

When people choose to live in the path of hurricanes they have to understand what they have chosen to do. And when they choose to depend on manmade barriers to the natural occurring forces of mighty water, they have to understand what they have chosen. God did not make them live there.

[VRWCmember]

It doesn’t matter what Ben Stein says. What he DOES is give money to radical socialist candidates.

You got a source on that? Last I heard, he supported capitalism and free enterprise, small government causes.

[mad puppy]

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

---

That would make a great bumper sticker.

[DManA]

It is public knowledge that he contributed to Al Franken’s campaign for Senate from Mn.

[Freeport]

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.

Funny... I read that book as a new dad and threw it in the garbage... Don't know about you, but my kids are good kids; they get in a bit of trouble now and then, but they're kids! I fought my battles with them when they were younger (three swats on the butt per infraction), my ex-wife didn't... Me and my kids have great times together... They and my Ex fight... Figure it out people... Figure it out...

[sportutegrl]

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

Snopes has been around a lot longer than about.com. They say Stein did write it.

[AppyPappy]

The one on this example has stuff added to it.

[SF Republican]

Blue Turtle, where ever this came from, thank you.

[SuziQ]

I like the one that says, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

[sausageseller]

Ben Stein did write it!

http://www.benstein.com/121805xmas.html

[elc]

The Snopes version and Urban Legends version are different. The full text included in the Snopes version is what Ben Stein said.

The full text included in the original post and the Urban Legends version is what Ben Stein said, plus a bunch of crap written by other people thrown in there for good measure.