Dec. 16, 2007
What Makes A "Good" Christmas?
Ben Stein Says It's Not What Under Your Tree But What's In Your Heart
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Ben Stein On Christmas Spirit
December is certainly a time for shopping, but consumers may lose sight of other matters at hand. Contributor Ben Stein offers his opinion on the true meaning of the holiday season.
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Ben Stein says a "good" Christmas has nothing to do with what's on your shopping list. (AP)
I keep seeing in the newspapers that it might not be a "good" Christmas because while visits to stores are up, purchases per visit are down very slightly.
There is also some fear that it might not be a "good" holiday season because fears about the housing correction will scare shoppers into keeping their wallets zipped.
I'm fascinated by this, because I have looked through a Concordance of the Old and New Testaments and I do not find the word "shopping" even once.
I'm not sure when the idea got to be dominant that a "good" Christmas was about total spending, but here respectfully are some alternative suggestions:
Maybe a good Christmas for this most blessed of nations would be when we as a nation and as communities made sure the homeless had a warm, safe place to sleep.
Maybe a good Christmas would not be about buying your kids the latest gizmo for listening to obscene lyrics, but about teaching them that if they are fortunate enough to have extra time or extra money, they can help out at the old age home or at the local animal shelter.
Maybe a good time would not be buying your parents sweaters they will never use, but taking a trip to see them and telling them how much you appreciate that they spent the heart of their lives taking care of you, feeding you, teaching you, putting a roof over your head, warming you with their love and concern.
Maybe the best time of all would be telling your husband or your wife or love partner that you would be lost without him or her and that you're sorry for the selfish things you did that year, and you'll be better next year.
Christmas and Hanukah presents rarely fit and rarely are to your taste. They sit in your closet and collect dust forever.
But gifts in this special, sacred time of love and caring to your family, your friends, and your neighborhood - those are never forgotten. They bring peace of mind for years.
And I seem to recall from my vanished youth that this is the holiday of the prince of peace, not the queen of diamonds.
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See all 58 CommentsWhile I appreciate the fact that everyone is entitled to an opinion of Mr. Stein and his message, I choose to be impressed by a man that does not necessarily share my faith, but is able to articulate (in a tone that I did not perceive as condescending) the true meaning of one of my most cherished holidays.
To Mr. Stein, I wish a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays or whatever version of good tidings he may accept. In this season of celebration, I vote for peace on earth, good will toward men, no matter what that man may accept, believe or proclaim.
Christians who are insecure in their faith tend to bristle when someone brings up some truths. In fact, hey, that happens with Muslims & Hebrews too!
Read the sentiment; Christmas is not about how many toys you have under the tree, it''s the people around the tree & beyond, your family, friends and caring for those less fortunate, now that is the real gift. Once upon a time, a young man was trying to inspire folks to try a different way treating each other, with kindness, compassion and love, & in doing so was honoring & worshipping God. His message is still there, too bad people still aren''t listening. And this post is from someone who not affiliated with any religion.
God Bless you
Carole Meicke
Colts Neck, NJ
He too often seems to be aligned with social Darwinists and anti-Muslim hate mongers.
In this case, though, I think he has made some good points.
Ben Stein was on Bill O''Reilly''s show once. I recall the segment and Ben beat Bill at every turn.
Unfortunately, I also recall Bill''s talks with Mexican ex-president Fox -- Bill keps wondering why Mexico''s government wasn''t doing more for its people to make itself a strong first world nation...
I don''t watch cable anymore.
Everyone knows Christmas is celebrating Jesus'' birth and spending time with family. That''s why so many sitcoms'' "Christmas" episodes revolve around characters saying "it has gotten too commercial!" for at least 20 years now when not featuring episodes about the things kids want or when kids shoplift or do other bad things...
"Social darwinism" is also an imposed fallacy on our society. Indeed, how many countries'' environments encourage their people to be stupid, then do things under the excuse people are stupid? (never mind the concept alone is tantamount to the nazi empire...)
Anyone can write such a soft piece as this.
Typical of when there is not an original thought or heart behind the writing.
Reminds me of the comedian talking about the cameraman videotaping the hungry kids with one hand as he takes a bite out of his sandwich with the other.
Merry Xmas ben.
Now go visit a sic friend or relative.
I realize the holiday itself was co-opted from the pagan year change festivals, but still Mr. Stein seems like one of the last people that should presume authority to expound on "the meaning of Christmas"...
Only you have taken some time to give the words some elegant meaning. You must be an educator.
The Moslem''s sin (a haram) is equivalent to congratulating someone for committing a murder.
Louis Farrakhan, the recently deceased Black Muslim, racist bigot once called Judaism "a gutter religion".
Islam isn''t a gutter religion, it''s a cesspit religion, a pschitthouse religion.
I was attempting to observe a rather confusing relationship between the Jewish Mr. Stein, and a Christian holiday. It would seem that the religious aspect of Christmas has been negated to the point that other people, who usually don''t celebrate Christmas for religious reasons, now feel the urge to indulge in its most salient aspects, one might ask if they are not being drawn into a pit that they themselves helped to dig.
I hope that no one ascribes anti Semitism to my observation, because none is intended, I just ask how it is that a Jewish person can now presume to expound on the Christmas holiday, when their own religion does not recognize the reasons behind it''s existence.
A few points;
How is it that a person who cites and recognizes the history of adversity between his brethren, and other ethnicities that have colluded to exclude Mr. Farrakhan''s ethnic brethren from the positive aspects of American life, and without provocation, a bigot?
Is it bigoted to recognize groups that regard and treat you as second (or third) class humans? Is it bigoted to recognize that fire is hot? Can you honestly deny that "Black" people to this day, and probably well into the future have been, and are systematically oppressed throughout the history of relations in America?
What great sins have "Black" people committed towards "Whites", and Jews, that justifies such exclusion and oppression? Do you find it OK that Jews will invest in German corporations, or that staunch anti communists will invest in China and Russia, while denying access to capital for "Black owned firms?
I will never consider Judaism a "gutter" religion, but I do understand the heat of anger and frustration that came from Mr. Farrakhan. I will, however call those who hide behind it in a false "us vs. them" mentality, just as the right wing fake Christians do, "gutter religionists", and if their followers agree that their religion is as those people misuse it, they themselves then have made it thus.
So if Kahane says that exchanging greetings with a gentile is a sin, would you believe that also?
Or if Oral Roberts says that greeting a homosexual is a sin, you would also assume that all Christians thought such?
Can you not tell the difference between a minister and a religious pimp?
I could write a Ph.D. dissertation on the points you bring up, so I''ll just give you a few of my immediate thoughts (intolerance is a continuing topic in these Comments, so I''m sure there''ll be more opportunities to address your other issues).
Would I follow the instructions of a cleric if I disagreed with him/her? No, but I''m highly educated in a Western sense. On AVERAGE, the followers of Muslim imams, globally, are barely literate and have been implicitly brain-washed from birth to look up to and obey one of the few educated persons they know, the local imam. On the instructions of an imam, or a Hitler, or a local Ku Klux Klan bigwig, rampaging lynch-mobs of uneducated morons can be quickly assembled and perform unspeakable acts under the umbrella of protection created by their numbers. Louis Farrakhan didn''t call DIRECTLY for a pogrom against Jews, but he came THIS close to it. I could give numerous examples, where analogs of his "gutter religion" insult have led to mobs rampaging through Jewish sections of cities, not just in Germany and the Middle East, but in every European country and even in America. Not only in the last century, but over the entire last MILLENNIUM. Don''t you know anything about the Inquisition?
My time on this public library terminal is almost up, unfortunately -- only 1 minute left!
I respect all religions and do not consider mine superior. I do not even believe in practicing in a church. My relationship with God is personal. I do not believe he can only hear me with clarity in a house of worship. He is with me always. I just talk outloud to him. I ask him for the strength to make me a better, more loving human being. For the intelligence, to respect and listen to others points of view and the clarity to take a deep breath when I feel stressed and see the whole picture, not just a view through a window.
While I don''t agree with most of his politics; Stein is that rarest of conservatives (or liberals too for that matter) in the same style as George Will. Pricipled, uber intelligent, extremely well-read and will listen to opposing viewpoints without being scared that somebody who debates them might actually make a valid point from time to time.
There isn''t enough of that right now and it is sorely needed.
Posted by gopsux at 08:07 AM
I thought something similar.
Arrogance to talk about how another religion is doing it all wrong.
It would be great if CBS had a Muslim/Islamist talk about how Jews are not properly celebrating Chanukah.
I also saw Ben Stein''s game show once and it was pathetically stupid.
Every time I see Ben''s photo he half possum half moose.
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