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 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 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."
I like his thought process. For a reverse perspective, I'm a Christian and I love seeing Menorahs. I'm glad that those who practice the Jewish faith believe in God and know him on some level. I hate having to worry about who I can say "Merry Christmas" to and who I can't. There's a couple of episodes in the second season of Grey's Anatomy that follow this idea. Christina is Jewish so Burke puts out a Menorah for her even though he celebrates Christmas. I am firm in beliefs and I wish I was allowed to freely practice my faith without worrying about whom I might offend. Just some thoughts.
And with that in mind, here's a little bit of early Christmas cheer for you to enjoy:
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