I watched Real Time with Bill Maher last night. As usual I found it very entertaining. He had an intelligent cadre of guests. Appearing were author of The Satanic Verses: A Novel Salmon Rushdie, author of Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth? Alan Weisman, Seth MacFarlane, author of The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America tiger mom Amy Chua, and conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan.
It was an intelligent show. He covered overpopulation with Alan Weisman. His panel discussed the Ukraine crisis. Andrew Sullivan more than anyone on the panel understands the crisis. He seemed to paraphrase Robert Parry’s analysis in some areas. They talked about the neocons. The change in the SAT test inflamed a few. Seth MacFarlane spoke about the rebirth of Cosmos.
Bill Maher closed out the show with a pretty rough New Rules. This New Rules was likely his harshest attack on religion in this venue. To be clear, all his points were valid to those of us that not only love science but that read the bible or any other religious book literally. The points are valid for those of us that see the inconsistencies of the religious. The points are valid for those of us who see Christians, Muslims, and others maim or kill in the name of their God or religion.
That said, there are many good people who are culturally attached to their religion and they have no desire to analyze it with scientific precision. These are good people working within their churches helping people throughout their communities and the world. These are people doing much more than many who absolutely believe that religion is crap.
As a Humanist I believe much of what Bill Maher believes sans a supreme being or supreme force that I use to ease my mind when I try to figure out what came before the beginning. Bill Maher would do well to freely articulate his disbelieve while leaving the religious their space to worship whatever they want to worship.
Watch The Bill Maher New Rules religion slamming rant below.
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So often I wish I were not an atheist because we get slammed, criminalized, shunned, looked down on, and made to feel we are less than dirt by so-called Christians. In my mind, they are hypocrites in the truest sense. Like you, I have always tried to respect their beliefs and acknowledge the good they do, and always will. Yet in the same breath, we all know that religions have always and will continue to create havoc in our world. I do have to admit that the devil in me did enjoy his ranting momentarily — shame on me for being human!
As a Humanist I feel your pain. Our solace should be we are the honest and consistent adults in the room.
It is this kind of elitist attitude that often turns deists off. Many brilliant and highly intelligent people believe in some kind of higher power. Being an atheist does not automatically grant a person some sort of higher intelligence or maturity, There are approximately 85 or so million atheists and agnostics in the world, the rest are deists of some fashion. I’m very happy we live in a world where for the most part people believe in live and let live, that pluralism is a good thing. You should rejoice that most people thin that way rather than inferring that any one who isn’t a secular humanist is some how less than; it is a fine line between having strength in your convictions and being a plain old-fashion bigot. Sincerely, a Christian, IQ 148.
Is this a preconceived notion? I am a Christian. I don’t like religion, but I believe in God, the God of Abraham and Moses. I don’t accuse atheist of anything, but I like to discuss with them on their beliefs and non-beliefs as well as mine.
Sorry but in my view Bill still hasn’t gone far enough. Religions and so called religious leaders need to be called out on all their hypocritical BS beliefs as often and as loudly as they spout it. I for one am tired of religious people trying to cram their beliefs down my throat at every turn while telling me that I am not suppose to say anything or complain that they use public tax dollars while pushing their beliefs.We need more people like Bill Maher who have the ability and means to reach large groups of people to combat their idiotic belief systems.There are also plenty of good atheists who do good works with various groups and on their own. The difference is those people are doing those good works for the right reason and out of compassion for the fellow man and animals. Not because it might get them a spot in “heaven” or because they are trying to help their church spread its message among other things. I have yet to see any religious sponsored group offer their services to all regardless of faith with out some sort of caveat of conversion to their faith or beliefs. They do not help just to help and there is usually a catch for their services. One final note..if you want to be the honest and consistent adult in the room then you have confront all the dishonest and inconsistent adults who may greatly outnumber you about those lies and inconsistencies,otherwise you are just as dishonest and inconsistent as them.