I ONLY hope we find GOD again.....

[Minnie]

The thing I find interesting is that religion is taboo until we have a national disaster.

But when something horrific occurs such as the Oklahoma bombing, the crash of the space shuttle, or 9-11, everyone including our government officials are very quick to want everyone to pray.

Do we only need religion in a crisis?

 

[beachmouse]

It's not about bashing a message because it's about God; it's about bashing a badly written piece that is factually incorrect, not supported by research (see multiple studies on long term outcomes and regular spankings which contradict what's said here) and pushing one particular political agenda.

 

[Lynnie]

Drivel? Ludicrous? No.

It is truly frightening how people rush to jump in and bash a message about God.

There are problems with the authorship of this piece and the statement than Dr. Spock's son committed suicide, and that saddens me because I believe very strongly in the message it was intended to bring.

I wish I had written it.

Please don't misunderstand....I don't believe God is lost. I do remember the email and it not being completely written by Ben Stein and it doesn't ALL sound like Ben Stein.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

I'm ok not knowing

I believe we are far too small a creature in this broad and expansive universe to really have all the answers and know with certainty what or who God is.

We are far too small to know what is the right religion, to know what or who is the right deity. To completely understand what that powerful energy we all feel in our lives is.

I am perfectly ok with not knowing. I'm ok with that. Knowing it is always there but just outside my grasp. That's ok. Whatever it is, I trust it and it works for me. No fear, no judgement, no guilt. I trust it. Come what may.

Dave

 

[Everytime]

The thing I find interesting is that religion is taboo until we have a national disaster.

But when something horrific occurs such as the Oklahoma bombing, the crash of the space shuttle, or 9-11, everyone including our government officials are very quick to want everyone to pray.

Do we only need religion in a crisis?

I don't favor some form of "Christian theocracy" for our nation becuase I do not interpret the New Testament nor our Constitution to establish such a form of government, but I think the legislative hostility towards God that some people desire to be implemented into our society and government is baseless and misguided, especially when you consider that the Declaration of Independence, which predates the Constitution, references rights endowed by our Creator. Does that mean the Declaration of Independence is un-Constitutional by mere reference to the One that some people don't like or believe in? I think U2 & Johnny Cash summed it up best: "They say they want the Kingdom, but they don't want God in it."

 

[dmarie]

The thing I find interesting is that religion is taboo until we have a national disaster.

But when something horrific occurs such as the Oklahoma bombing, the crash of the space shuttle, or 9-11, everyone including our government officials are very quick to want everyone to pray.

Do we only need religion in a crisis?

AMEN! I think that was the message in a nutshell!

It really matters not whether the commentaries added afterward are 100% accurate. What does matter is that "we" as a nation have driven God out of our daily lives. ONLY in a time of tragedy are we all beseeched to pray, and what good politician doesn't end his/her speech with "and may God Bless America."

 

[LuciferSam]

The thing I find interesting is that religion is taboo until we have a national disaster.

But when something horrific occurs such as the Oklahoma bombing, the crash of the space shuttle, or 9-11, everyone including our government officials are very quick to want everyone to pray.

Do we only need religion in a crisis?

Some people need it constantly, some need it in a crisis, and some never need it. One size doesn't fit all, that's why government should stay out of it.

 

[LuciferSam]

Drivel? Ludicrous? No.

It is truly frightening how people rush to jump in and bash a message about God.

There are problems with the authorship of this piece and the statement than Dr. Spock's son committed suicide, and that saddens me because I believe very strongly in the message it was intended to bring.

I wish I had written it.

I'm bashing Ben's arrogance. Faith or lack thereof is a individual preference. If Ben is losing his religion then that's his problem. He shouldn't blame others. It's not the government's job to give a shot in the arm to religious belief. Aren't the tax exemptions the churches receive sufficient?

 

[LuciferSam]

I don't favor some form of "Christian theocracy" for our nation because I do not interpret the New Testament nor our Constitution to establish such a form of government, but I think the legislative hostility towards God that some people desire to be implemented into our society and government is baseless and misguided, especially when you consider that the Declaration of Independence, which predates the Constitution, references rights endowed by our Creator. Does that mean the Declaration of Independence is un-Constitutional by mere reference to the One that some people don't like or believe in? I think U2 & Johnny Cash summed it up best: "They say they want the Kingdom, but they don't want God in it."

It's possible that the Declaration of Independence is wrong about some things, but that's OK. It served its purpose which was to free us from England. It did that a couple centuries ago. I wouldn't worry about it. It's not a governing document. A proper governing document has to be amendable. Furthermore it's not our duty to carry forth all of the personal beliefs, eccentricities, and idiosyncrasies of our founders.

I don't think government is hostile to God, nor should it be. Rather I think it should be indifferent to such personal matters. This would mean that public institutions should not go out of their way to promote faith as a matter of policy. Again, one size, two sizes, three sizes..... do not fit all. I remember Jimmy Carter (say what you want about him) being a man of deep faith, but I never felt as though he imposed his personal beliefs. He seemed to have a firm grasp of the separation of church and state. He also seemed to abide by the more positive teachings of his religion. Contrast this to the birth of the religious right spawned during the Reagan administration where you had fire and brimstone politicians shoving their beliefs down your throat but all too often failing to live up to their own moral standards.

 

[poppy]

Some people need it constantly, some need it in a crisis, and some never need it. One size doesn't fit all, that's why government should stay out of it.

Amen.