Speaking Out

2007-11-15T06:24:27Z

I want to thank Dani for an email she sent me this afternoon. I thank her mostly because it covered something I have been wrestling with for a very long time. I got a big dose of it this weekend when I went back down to OU.

I never considered myself a very religious person. In high school I refused to go to church because I heavily denied the ideas spread by my catholic church. Over the years I came around to the conclusion that I did believe in God, only I still didn't trust my religion because of the people I was surrounded with.

The question of God though never left me. It always found a way to come up, and sometimes I would say I did believe, and other times I said I didn't. I was agnostic at best.

When I graduated OU I didn't realize how blinded I was to many things that I was apart of and witness during my tenure there. This time when I went down, I got to see the world from the eyes of someone who has now stepped out into the real world, has met people from all different walks of life, and have all sorts of different opinions on the world around us.

I never realized before how anti-religion and even anti-God the majority of the OU campus was. Down there they were celebrating the man who wrote "The Golden Compass" because it was written by a man who said he was vehemetly against religion and had his main character even kill a character named "God" at the end of the story. I heard left wing friends of mine claim that those who believe in God are ruining this country. Here are some quotes I wrote down:

"Anyone who believes in God has a mental disorder."

"There is no God. Church is for fucking morons. Good, I'm glad people slammed the church and wrote a book saying all people with religion are evil!

"Fuck religion."

"Ever listen to a band called Eye Hate God? They rule."

"Fuck God."

What amazes me more about this was that I never even brought up the subject of God and religion. Every time it came up it was introduced by one of the people who seemed very angry with religion and God. I think that is very relevant.

Anyway, at one point I even turned to my friend and told him he'd changed. He asked me how, and I told him, "Do you realize you just went on a ten minute rant about how much you hate the idea of God and he doesn't exist?"
"So?" He responded.
"Do you realize that a year ago you told me you believe in God?"
"Yes."
"So why the change?"
"I did some reading."

I know religions, most of them really, have been everything but clean and virtuous at times. There are many who have used it in the name of their own goals and abused something that should have been much more powerful than they are. But does that mean that we must sacrifice God because some moron in history and currently use it for personal gain? Why would I blame the gun instead of the person who was firing it?

Alas, I digress. Time is short with work looming tomorrow so i will try and get to my point. Ever since I left OU I realized that my beliefs in certain things are starting to form and grow strength. There are so many people I know that are against the idea of God and religion that it was literally eating away at me. I was deeply saddened by what I saw, and by the time I left OU, I knew deep down that I didn't miss it any more. I even asked Jen a few days ago about that. I asked her how I could have gone to the same liberal arts school as these people yet come out with such a different mind set on things. How could I, after taking the same classes with the same professors, come back to the real world and realize that I honestly do believe there is a God, and in some way, some how, he is working to help those who want his help.

This was all swirling around in my mind the past week or so. I've felt so tense and preoccupied with it, and other than Jen I wasn't sure who I could honestly talk about it with. So many people I know would say I was mentally disturbed, or think I'm a raging moron. It's fine if you doubt that would have happened, but I have seen it happen many times before. I've done it to someone before, and will be apologizing to them the next time I see them.

So there I was, lost and confused, and even a little bit afraid. And then, just as I was checking my email before getting into bed for the night, I get the following email from Dani:

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 creche, 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 Nick and Jessica 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 Nick and
Jessica 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 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.

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?

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

As read on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

Some of us look at the things in our lives and see simply luck, either you have it or you don't. Others look at their lives and see signs that help them find their way. The timing of this email has taught me that not everything in life is a coincidence.

I'm the type who believes in signs.

I also am the type who believes in God.

And from now on I'll have the balls to admit it.

Until next time, dear reader...

A Little Piece of Sanity

Speaking Out