Do you believe in God? Bill Maher doesn't.

POSTED BY: OPPYH
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 16:34
VIEWED: 10740
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OUT2THEBLACK

Thursday, October 2, 2008 7:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whisper:

...I think it looks hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time.

Being that that's your standard , how'd you like EXPELLED ?

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php

Bill Maher , like so many other fictitious characters , does occasionally cause me to laugh...

OUT2THEBLACK

Thursday, October 2, 2008 7:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Have you seen his movie? He is not saying that believers are dummy's, nor does he say he does not believe in God. He is simply asking how the people who believe absolutely can.....believe absolutely.

I mean come on, do you ACTUALLY believe that Noah built an ark and got all the animals on it? Do you ACTUALLY believe that the dinosaurs and man resided on earth at the same time? Do you really think that God created the earth in 6 days about 3000 years ago? 6000?

He is simply asking the question. If one is trully faithful and a believer then they should not feel threatened.

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“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi

Who are you lying for , Maher or yourself ?

" We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies. I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder. " --Bill Maher , Appearing as a guest on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" , February 2005

Bill Maher and Larry Charles made this film together...At the Toronto Int'l Film Festival , they go on record with the following :

“What do you believe , why do you believe it , and why do you need to believe it ? Can we be good without God ? Is religion a calling or a mental illness ? Were Jesus, Moses and Mohammed prophets and visionaries, or crackpot nut cases who today would be put away ? Is religion an obsessive-compulsive disorder ? ”
--Bill Maher , again

One reviewer at a major newspaper said this about the film :

" The film they've produced is a...combination of uneasily merged elements. Though Maher is known as a comedian, his qualms about religion are serious and sincere. But because he wants to be amusing above all else, he takes his questions not to sober religious thinkers but to the assorted fruits and nuts that populate the fringes of religion just as they do the fringes of atheism. The humor he creates at their expense proves nothing except that dealing from a stacked deck benefits no one but the dealer."

So it is only about making a buck...It's not an unbiased inquiry into anything...

Larry Charles , who produced the film with Maher , says :

“…a raunchy, rude, irreverent, outrageous, and shocking nonfiction film about the greatest fiction ever told. Set to the rhythms of ‘Sympathy for the Devil’…”

Seems that he and Maher both reveal their biases , by only disparaging the belief systems of others...

But , when they do it , they call it nonfiction...

Hunh...

AGENTROUKA

Thursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by out2theblack:
Quote:
Originally posted by Whisper:

...I think it looks hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time.

Being that that's your standard , how'd you like EXPELLED ?

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php

Bill Maher , like so many other fictitious characters , does occasionally cause me to laugh...

This one looks hilarious!

I'm not sure I can fully agree with the line of questioning, as ultimately, "intelligent creator" puts an end to the line of questioning, which is not the point of science.

Science is about knowing facts and extrapolation based on these known facts. Religion or faith are not about facts or knowing, they are about faith and the transcendent. By definition, the two are incompatible. Science IS a line of questioning, religion is a form of answering questions. Different questions.

So, theoretically, you can make every line of "I don't know that" the startig point for "Intelligent Creator" belief, but that also makes it not science anymore because it removes the possibility for a "yet" at the end of that sentence.

I'm an agnostic, I do not recount any possibilities, simply because there is no knowing. But science is 'how', religion is 'why' and, indeed, they cancel each other out when mixed. Try to prove religion theoretically, you remove faith. Try to explain the world based on faith, you remove the quest for factual knowledge.

The two can and should exist quite beautifully in parallel lines.

KHYRON

Thursday, October 2, 2008 10:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whisper:
Here's my question...

Why is it that when a movie comes out that is "anti-religious" is some fashion there is a big outcry, but when a movie comes out obviously pro-christian, no one says boo about it?

When I saw what this thread is about I wanted to ask the exact same thing.

I generally object to the fact that Christians are allowed to say that atheists are morally inferior and will burn in hell (and if they don't say it, in most cases they still think it), but on those few occasions when atheists bring out books or movies critical of religion, it's an "unprovoked attack" that's based on "one-sided arguments designed to cause rifts between people". The hypocrisy is astounding, although not surprising given the history of hypocrisy that defines organized religion, as well as the hypocritical day-to-day behaviour of many of its most ardent supporters.

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Trolls against McCain

ZEEK

Thursday, October 2, 2008 3:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Please, wake up - spend some time in a hospital or a nursing home and you will discover that we're full of parts that wear out and break and then we just stop living altogether. Perfectly imperfect really.

Did God create disease? Cancer? Cholera? Tuberculosis? Alzheimer's? So he could watch us be tortued before we die? At least many of us will be able to do some extreme suffering before we die - Thank you God! And those that survive us, their suffering may be even worse. Double thanks Big Guy - u da man!

Season's are nice though, unless you're talking about hurricane season. Katrina? Official Act of God.

"Abundant food supplies?" Africa? Children starving by the thousands?

Any religion worthy of following shouldn't be afraid to answer tough questions or stand up to a comedian's scrutiny. Don't you want to know the truth?

And fwiw I'm not a fan of Bill Maher.

Sorry but human beings and well pretty much all living things are incredible technological marvels. We couldn't create anything even close with the knowledge we have. "Perfect" is all relevant. Is it perfect for humans to constantly die out and at the same time spawn a new generation hopefully slightly evolved to handle their environment better. Would it be more perfect if we were immortal but eventually died because we couldn't live with the changes in the environment? Would it be perfect if humans started to overpopulate the planet and a disease sprung up to counter the overpopulation and kill us off? Is pain bad?

You seem to have made a lot of assumptions about perfection that I don't think everyone would necessarily agree with.

Quote:
Originally posted by Khyron:
(and if they don't say it, in most cases they still think it)

lol Come on are you really claiming to know people's thoughts? It sounds more like you're believing what you want to believe to justify your feelings. There's almost never a good situation for projecting qualities onto a whole group of people. Turns out people are fairly varied and diverse. You might be surprised what they really believe if you ask them.

PIZMOBEACH

Thursday, October 2, 2008 4:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:

Sorry but human beings and well pretty much all living things are incredible technological marvels. We couldn't create anything even close with the knowledge we have. "Perfect" is all relevant. Is it perfect for humans to constantly die out and at the same time spawn a new generation hopefully slightly evolved to handle their environment better. Would it be more perfect if we were immortal but eventually died because we couldn't live with the changes in the environment? Would it be perfect if humans started to overpopulate the planet and a disease sprung up to counter the overpopulation and kill us off? Is pain bad?

You seem to have made a lot of assumptions about perfection that I don't think everyone would necessarily agree with.

You are absolutely right about one's own perspective being the main guide for defining what is perfect, and I make assumptions only for myself.

Totally agree: I completely botched the pony I was trying to make. So complex!

I was going to try and address your questions but ended up typing an opus which was completely boring. If your faith makes you a "better" person, then amen brother! Just don't get your chocolate in my peanut butter. The Golden Rule is all we really need imho.

And pain is not necessarily bad. Fire hot, pain good! People suffering, pain bad.

OPPYH

Thursday, October 2, 2008 6:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Have you seen his movie? He is not saying that believers are dummy's, nor does he say he does not believe in God. He is simply asking how the people who believe absolutely can.....believe absolutely.

I mean come on, do you ACTUALLY believe that Noah built an ark and got all the animals on it? Do you ACTUALLY believe that the dinosaurs and man resided on earth at the same time? Do you really think that God created the earth in 6 days about 3000 years ago? 6000?

He is simply asking the question. If one is trully faithful and a believer then they should not feel threatened.

There are no threatened feeling whatsoever on my behalf. And as I said I don't read the bible. Just don't know why people try to debunk others beliefs. It's our belief, and our business.

I believe in a supreme being, and I do believe absolutely....without question. I believe in God. Man cannot comprehend the greatness of God, and it won't be until we pass away that we learn what exactly the meaning of life is. People tend to have answers for every question, so when it comes to something we can't explain then of course there will be people who doubt.

NE0VEN0M

Thursday, October 2, 2008 6:42 PM

I do not believe in God. But I also don't believe it's right to impose your beliefs or lack of beliefs onto others. Bill and Bible thumpers are in the same boat to me, the boat of disrespect and intolerance towards others.

KHYRON

Friday, October 3, 2008 9:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
lol Come on are you really claiming to know people's thoughts? It sounds more like you're believing what you want to believe to justify your feelings. There's almost never a good situation for projecting qualities onto a whole group of people. Turns out people are fairly varied and diverse. You might be surprised what they really believe if you ask them.

Yes, I "never asked them", lol! I feel you're being a little naive if you think that the only way to know what people are thinking is if they articulate their thoughts. Sometimes what they don't say, or the way they say what they do say, is just as revealing.

It's ironic that you scold me for making assumptions about people and end up making an assumption about me, namely that I don't know enough Christians to have formed an opinion of them. I'm a life-long atheist and grew up with Christians all around me; I've been involved more religious discussions than I care to remember and I think I know the Christian mindset well enough.

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Trolls against McCain, you betcha!

MIGHTYROAR

Friday, October 3, 2008 9:57 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ne0ven0m:
I do not believe in God. But I also don't believe it's right to impose your beliefs or lack of beliefs onto others. Bill and Bible thumpers are in the same boat to me, the boat of disrespect and intolerance towards others.

I agree. I don't believe in God either, but I do respect the feelings and beliefs of those who do. Faith is a very personal thing, and trying to impose your feelings on someone one way or the other offends me. My in-laws are catholic, and religion is very dear to them. They know I'm an athiest, and they don't (I hope!) think any less of me for it. They never ask me to come to church, though they have said I'd be welcome if I ever wanted to, but it really never comes up. Likewise, I would never dream of telling them that I think they're wrong. They get a comfort and strength from their faith in God, I get it elsewhere.

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