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Susan10

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Very insightful and very true....Take a second to read this:

Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as “Holiday Trees” for the first time this year which prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like to share with you. I think it applies just as much to many countries as it does to America . . .



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, bejewelled 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 crib, 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? 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 neighbour 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.

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 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
 
Amen and thank you.
 
Great post Thank you!
 
Wow that was very well said! Thanks!
 
Thank you for posting this...
 
Great post susan.

There is no christ in christmas anymore..........for the majority its a time to eat and drink too much,get in debt and regret it in the new year .
I know muslims who celebrate it and atheists so how can a jew be offended?how can it be a christian celebration?
I dont celebrate christmas......(theres a shock) Why? Because i was brought up a a jehovahs witness .
People used to say "you dont believe in christ because you dont celebrate it" actually its because of our deep faith in christ and god that we dont celebrate it.
But others celebrating it is up to them,its there choice and what they believe in ..........everyone has a right to there beliefs and we should not be offended by that.

We are taught to do the following.........
If someone says merry christmas,just thank them and say you too.........also if you are invited to someones (family)home for a meal at christmas you should not offend them by declining but say you can but as long as they are aware of your beliefs and not partake in carol singing ect

Only since the past few hundred years has christmas been celebrated,christendom adopted 25th of december to celebrate christs birth.....however the bible indicates he was born in october.
Not only that but the date adopted was a pagan day to celebrate the sun god.
We as christians should celebrate the passover and christs death,they are the most important celebrations.
 
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when is a xmas tree not a xmas tree......when its stored away in the garage.....my xmas tree is up and decorated and my grandkids love it, and so do my missus and myself.....xmas time, mistletoe and wine, fun.......we will spend too much, so what.......i am not a god believer but all are welcome around our house ...i am a john lennon type. no hell below us above us only sky...and xmas tree will always be a xmas tree....freedom of choice yousee......i believe in people...and am proud of us for seeing off hitler and the savages in the world..the war against racism and intolerance...theres a lot to be happy about is there not...johnny
 
Very good post Susan, thanks heaps.
 
Thank you, Susan, excellent post. By the way, Merry Christmas to all!
 
I agree with 99% of that :)

Olly--I'm with you about 90%---we can't celebrate and be thankful for Christ's death--without being grateful for his birth. But that's just my opinion :)

We have taken religion out of everything--but courts still have a bible. The dollar bill still has In God We Trust.

It seems absolutely silly to me to blame God for bad things that happen...we have free will. We were given a planet to take care of-people to love and cherish...lives to live. We aren't puppets. Perfect no longer exists.

I have to believe that everything happens for a reason--even if I don't know the reason. It keeps me sane.

God didn't cause Katrina--a storm did--easily explained by taking a class in meteorology. God didn't shoot 28 people in CT, a horribly unhappy mentally ill young man did.

Bad things happen. Good things happen.

It's kind of funny that the two subjects sure to set friend against friend are politics and religion...and it's a shame that the government is so afraid of offending people that they're afraid to call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.

It's the holiday season--my favorite time of year--it's sad that for many it's also one of the worst times of the year.
 
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