Ben Stein's CBS Sunday morning commentary

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday morning commentary.

My confession: I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christian. 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 explicitly an atheistic 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 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 wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went?
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 joke, it is not funny. It is intended to get you thinking.
In light of recent events. Terrorist attacks, school shootings, ect.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'hara(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 must 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 long enough and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with, WE REAP WHAT WE SOW!
It's funny how simple it is for people to trash God then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny why we believe what the news papers say but question what the bible says. Funny how you can send jokes through the e-mail and spread them like wildfire; but when you send messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd and 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?

Originally posted by cantyousee
I have no Idea where the concept came from that America is explicitly an atheistic country.

What
The
Hell

How the hell can he say this when this country clearly is biased towards Christianity. Hell this country voted for a guy once just because he was a Christian and it also initially loathed Romney just because he was a Mormon. The hell guy....

This country has never been toward the idea it was an atheistic country. Not once. And the majority of people in this nation are still very religious

reply to post by mr10k


They always climb behind Christers especially when they need another war. Not falling for it.

Only a fool denies God, but I dislike the bible crowd as much as any cult on earth. This is an impotent speech filled with diversion, and hopefulness that we will be diverted.

Thank you Ben Stein for putting a fat line under why I think all religion should be totally outlawed... Why the hell did people in the old days ever let themselves be lured into these lies?!? You have to be some desperate fool to rely on religious faith to get through the day or to "do right"...

Religion is poison....

reply to post by cantyousee


Wow Go Mr. Stein! I have felt the SAME way for a very long time now ..I agree with him on every point he makes. Thank you for posting this !! Gives me renewed faith in Humanity.. Now to implement what he suggests will be considered Digression or Regression..But not progress..as our controllers have it setup...S&F..

reply to post by mr10k


Isn't the very idea that he spoke about, totally removing religion from public schools an atheist move?

Cripes! I'm a pagan and I get it. Isn't that why they aren't allowed to say the pledge of allegiance in schools? God is mentioned.

reply to post by davidmann


Call me Mr. Fool then because, to me, all religion is man-made. Anyone, IMHO, who uses the good old this is what god would do or we did this in the name of god are idiots. Basically these people are unwilling to take personal responsibility for their actions so why not blame an almighty supreme being to avoid any persecution.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
reply to post by mr10k

 

Isn't the very idea that he spoke about, totally removing religion from public schools an atheist move?

Cripes! I'm a pagan and I get it. Isn't that why they aren't allowed to say the pledge of allegiance in schools? God is mentioned.

Since when can you not say the pledge of allegiance? You can still say it, I don't know of any law banning the pledge.

God is mentioned in the allegiance but you don't have to say the allegiance, nor is the allegiance about God. It is about being an American you can switch it around whatever you like. It isn't mandatory to say the pledge nor is it mandatory to say it correctly

I can freely bring my bible or my quran to school, and there is a freely available Bible, Quran, Koran, and other religious books in the school Library that anyone can go check out.

Anyone can pray, anytime they wish, wherever they wish to do so.

There is no 'secret attack on religion'. Atheism is still the minority and may always be the minority. Even if there is a secret attack, there are so few Atheists compared to religious people that an 'attack' wouldn't make any difference.

And finally, there is a difference between wanting the country to seperate secular government from religion and crushing religion outright

If I read it right, it sounds good to me. ha ha

reply to post by mr10k


I was basing it on the fact that when I was in elementary, we said it every morning.
Neither of my sons classes recited it.

Although, doing some searching, I did find that our Governor just past a law requiring it in schools.

reply to post by RedShirt73


Yes, agreed. One sees God when one sees God. The bible, or any book, is the last place I would seek it, personally. I don't doubt much of what is written, but I do dislike the watering down, and twisted distortion, of what is 'God'. I really don't like the feudal serf system, which is what the bible became under king james. Especially wary am I of how the jews use the bible just to gain power and military support~whenever they need it. It's no different than how they set up, stack, the election deck. They offer the worst possible scenario of both sides, and then have every possible scenario acted out, in advance, once they see the goyem have taken the bait, just in case they can't jam all the voting machines as per their preference. i.e.., the united states is being ravaged by catastrophe because we didn't help the jews expand their lebensraum in the ME. A common cry among the belters. Okay...so THIS is 'God'? Then don't bother telling me what is 'the devil'. Let me guess....s you win, tails I lose?

I am firmly agnostic and even I can get behind this.

reply to post by chiefsmom


My 5th Grade teacher was a Vietnam vet who firmly believed in God. We never said the pledge of allegiance. When asked why it's because he thought it was stupid to have people swear a loyalty oath to a symbol rather than ideals.

As it turns out the pledge was written by a socialist.

I'm a vet now and I haven't said the pledge since 5th grade for the same reasons.

I like Ben Stein, atheists aren't the majority, but their bullhorns are bigger and louder in this country as of late. I don't apologize for believing in God, yet being mocked as an 'obvious idiot' for believing in God is something that is commonplace, this is the type of sentiment he was talking about. It's rampant on the internet, & especially in Hollywood. When you are God-less you are always going to try to fill that void, Steven Seagal fills it with martial arts, some fill it with causes, anti-religion causes, whatever the alternative it's never as good as the real thing. I would never apologize for believing in God. God lives, He does have a white beard, when I see Family Guy mock God I cringe, God has a sense of humor but he is not a fan of blasphemy.

Originally posted by flice
Thank you Ben Stein for putting a fat line under why I think all religion should be totally outlawed... Why the hell did people in the old days ever let themselves be lured into these lies?!? You have to be some desperate fool to rely on religious faith to get through the day or to "do right"...

Religion is poison....

Exactly what lies are you talking about? Tell me one lie that is in the good book. And explain to me why we have all these problems that we didn't have before we kicked God out. I think you may have a bad attitude. A bad attitude is the mother of many evils. Would you rather have a world where there was no God with any rules?

Originally posted by RedShirt73
reply to post by davidmann

 

Call me Mr. Fool then because, to me, all religion is man-made. Anyone, IMHO, who uses the good old this is what god would do or we did this in the name of god are idiots. Basically these people are unwilling to take personal responsibility for their actions so why not blame an almighty supreme being to avoid any persecution.

I challenge anyone..It can't be done. The beauty and grace, not to mention the wonderful aweinspiring story that the bible contains. No man or group of men could have written such and epilogue without the direct inspiration of a Holy almighty God. The God of Abraham and the bible is the complete answer to everything. Nothing is left out. Every question you ever had..the answer is in there.
I suppose for you it is easier to not believe. I suppose when you die you just disappear into nothingness. That is a sad way to look at life. A wise person would want the story of Jesus to be true even if they did not believe it was. I hope you are young and not set in these agnostic ways.

Originally posted by flice
Thank you Ben Stein for putting a fat line under why I think all religion should be totally outlawed... Why the hell did people in the old days ever let themselves be lured into these lies?!? You have to be some desperate fool to rely on religious faith to get through the day or to "do right"...

Religion is poison....

So we can live under your petty tyranny? Oh ye God Flice, exalt us with your wisdom and outlawing a thought process and belief......what a putz....

I am personally not religious but I am willing to die for another person's right to be.

Too many people in America confuse freedom of religion with freedom from it.

Our constitution was very specific on this issue. People have a right to worship as they see fit - this includes while at school and when in a government building etc.

Freedom of religion doesn’t guarantee a person’s right to never see or witness the worship of another person just that the government would not compel them to participate or discriminate against them for not doing so. Also the government was not to establish or fund a particular one.

The difference is subtle but important. While the government is to not endorse, support, fund or establish an official State religion its employees are free to practice theirs as they see fit. Even while working. If a teacher, coach or elected official thinks it’s appropriate to pray for guidance or whatever at a particular time she should be able to do so. Their personal choice is not the same as a government endorsement.

It is no sweat for me to be silent as others pray or to see them do it, I feel no need to participate no compulsion to change my views.

In the military there were prayers before every major event, some participated some didn't - it matters to some people. I get that. It is there for them. It takes 30 - 60 seconds usually for the chaplain to whip one out. It doesn't cost anything to be quiet, respectful and accept that while not important to you personally it is to a good many others.

I have while in Command had the authority to not have invocations and such at my events - why as a person completely ambivalent about religion have the invocations anyway?

Because it’s not just about me - these things motivate others and matter to them, while you can't hit all the people and all the religions all the time you can hit the major one, which happens to be Christianity. It mattered to a lot of my Soldiers why deny them their comfort...?

The rest of the people can chose to pray to whatever god(s) or ideals or just stand there - personally I don't care.

I don’t feel as though my beliefs are challenged by witnessing someone practicing their own.

reply to post by Golf66


In my estimation arguments such as these in this thread do fall prey to the subtle distinction you pointed out Golf. The OP states that they (or is it Ben Stein's words; not clear on that) cannot find anywhere in the Constitution an explicit reference that the nation is "atheist". That notion is true, just as you will not find an explicit assertion or proclamation of any faith. That is the basis of the First Amendment.

On the other hand, while the structure of the republic and the various states are strictly secular, the people that make up that government are, by majority, not. Arguments on both sides of this issue tend to define and create a "thin red line" between the factions.

I commend your understanding that another man's faith or observance of it does not impact your own way of life; as it should be if one isn't a rampant narcissist.

Ben Stein is testament to the idea that smart people can have stupid beliefs (for even more proof just look at his creationist documentary expelled). There's so many things he got wrong, but I'll just a single a few out:

I have no Idea where the concept came from that America is explicitly an atheistic country.

I have seen people refer to America as a christian nation, but never seen anyone refer to it as an atheist one. They usually just say a secular nation, or a land of religious freedom, probably because it's more accurate that way.

Murray O'hara(she was murdered. Her body found a few years ago.) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools.

*Mandated school prayer. You can still pray to yourself, you just can't force others to do it, which religious people seem to abhor for some odd reason.

Funny why we believe what the news papers say but question what the bible says.

I would say this is the dumbest thing in his commentary. Those two things aren't even remotely comparable in the slightest.

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

I take it back. This is pretty stupid as well, for the same reason, not to mention making the claim that public discussion of God is suppressed in the school or workplace.

For one, school isn't the place to have a public discussion of god, unless you're in a religion/mythology/philosophy class, or if you happen to go to a religious school (which contrary to Christian beliefs aren't taxpayer funded). Two, there isn't any proof whatsoever that this is happening on the level that Ben Stein or other believers in Christian Persecution claim.