i'm going to explain this, and I'll try to keep it simple the religious bigot wants everyone to live by their rules, within a framework of religious beliefs the anti-religious "bigot" wants everyone to be allowed to live by their own rules, within a framework of laws for example: religious bigots in the outer hebrides tried to block a ferry from operating on sundays religious bigots in israel tried to stop taxicabs from operating on saturdays an anti-religious "bigot" would merely argue, religious people don't have to ride the ferry on sundays, and don't have to take a cab on the sabbath, but there's no reason why i should be forced to swim or walk i think, from my brief readings of the bible, that jesus, with his render unto caesar argument, would today be condemned as an anti-religious "bigot"
@Monique. First off yes I am an Ordained Minister. Anyone can be if you know the right website. Second off you brought up Education like that makes one "Progressive" and a genuinely concerned individual. I've had to question how you define "Progressive". Because to me being self righteous and everything else I've pointed out that Maher does doesn't make you progressive it makes you a bully. Just like Bill O'Reilly is a Bully. Just like Michael Savage is a Bully. Just like Rush Limbaugh is a bully. Before I make any decision on any issue I like to hear both sides. Obviously that is why I only catch a few minutes of Maher at a time because he only want's his side of the issue heard. Again I have to ask if this is really progressive. When I see John Stewart and Steven Colbert holding a "Return to Sanity" rally in DC. I feel that is something truly progressive. Both extremes have gone too far. When I see Andy Bickelbaum and Mike Bonnano setting up very realistic fake websites outing companies like Dow Chemical and the World Trade Organization on their bullshit. Then getting invited onto the BBC and taking the prank onto international television and costing Dow Chemical 2 Billion Dollars over 2 hours and forcing them to come out and admit that they aren't doing shit to clean up their mess. That makes me want to cut my hair shave may beard and buy a nice suit at the Goodwill (if you know the right neighborhood you can get an Armani for $10) to pull off something similar. When I hear Amy Goodman speak and point out the absurdity of the large corperations it makes me feel better informed. When I see Bill Maher scream and act like a spoiled 2 year old, spout hateful intolerant bullshit, and not let opposing guests speak their case it kind of saddens me. And the fact that people are being led to believe that this is progressive and that this is one of the most popular shows on TV is just disheartening. And just because it is "Popular" doesn't mean it's good. In 1966 "Ballad of the Green Berets" by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler was a number one hit. It was Popular but still a lousy song. Stay Brown, Rev J
Then by this definition Maher is a Religious Bigot. He says time and again "It's time everyone grows up and quits believing in this Fairytale that is 'God'". And it has gotten to the point where Maher injects his disdain for religion into discussions where it doesn't belong. Also his mantra of "Am I wrong" and his statement of "I'm not going to stop until everybody agree's with me" further this point. He is a religious bigot who's religion is Athiesm. Stay Brown, Rev J
fair enough i don't have a tv so don't know much about him or his show just wanted to get the terms straight
No jmt, I am not a bigot. I'm bigoted only in that I am bigoted against bigots. Maher is in some ways is progressive. He believes in quality universal health care and protecting the environment, and those are progressive issues. In some ways perhaps he isn't progressive. If you don't like his show, then don't watch it. No one is making you watch it. wabluska, I agree with you. People expressing dislike for religious bigotry doesn't necessarily make them a bigot. Jesus himself, if he were alive today, would probably be appaled at some of the politics of the so-called Christians who support some of the reactionary Republicans. Condemning bigotry doesn't necessarily make a person a bigot.
Reverand JC, perhaps the reason Maher tells people to grow up and quit believing in religious fairytales is because much of what religion is is in fact fairytales. Is there anyone out there who is over the age of ten, who has an IQ of over 75, who actually believes that when you die you go to a place in the clouds where there are little angels with wings playing harps as the Christians believe? Or that when you die, if you died fighting the infidels, you go to a place in the clouds where there are 72 maidens waiting for you, which is what the Muslims believe? Or that the universe and all of it's solar systems and planets has only been around a few thousand years, and was created in a week's time? Of course that religious stuff is fairytales, it is ancient mythology invented thousands of years ago by primitive tribal people, before the age of reason and modern science. There is no more truth to Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim, or Hindu mythology than there is to the mythology of the ancient Greeks or Romans, or the mythology of the Vikings or African triibesman. The only reason religions like Christianity and Islam became larger religions and replaced earlier mythologies is because powerful rulers of ancient times forced those religions on to their subject populations. Otherwise people would still be believing in the previous Gods and mythologies, the Greek Gods, Zeus or whomever. All religions have had their little moral stories and their fantastic otherworldly fairystories and myths. What they all have in common is that they are mostly mythology. I don't necessarily object to people having a religion, some of my family members and friends are religious, and some religious folks do positive things, run charities or what have you, but religion over the centuries has done alot of harm as well; numerous religious wars, subjegating people in ridiculous ways, denying women and gays their rights, denying science. But regardless whether religion was used in negative or positive ways, much of it is mythology. Are there things about the universe that people don't know? Of course there is. But believing in primitive anicient mythologies and fairystories is not going to help people much in learning about what the truth is in regards to spiritual matters. Some people might argue that people need religion for moral reasons. But any rational civilzed person, whether they are religious or not, believes in basic human rights, and believes it is wrong to murder, rape, loot, etc.. A secular humanist, or an agnostic or atheist can believe in human rights as much as a religious person.
My husband has a philosophy similar to yours San Fran Brent. He is an agnostic. I understand what you mean, but I still consider myself a Christian, although I am a liberal/moderate Christian and don't necessarily believe everything in the Bible is fact. Some of the moral teachings attributed to Christ, the ten commandments and so forth I believe do have some value. And I don't like religious fundamentalists or religious extremists, or religious reactionaries, like some of the religious people in the far right wing, some of the Republicans who I believe misuse religion and use it for bigotry.
I agree with you. I used to like him but as time went on I just... found myself agreeing with you. He's the quintessential limousine liberal. In the 60's people like him threw extravigant parties where they'd invite a black panther as a fashion statement and only hire 'colored help' because that's the liberal thing to do. They need it more then whitey, "that's right, fuck you dad" sort of deal. Vanity under the pretense of liberialism masqueraded as humanism.
If you ever get a chance read "The Tao of Physics" By Fritjoff Capra. It is a treatese exploring the parallels between Eastern "Religious" Philosophy (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.) and Sub Atomic Physics. When J. Robert Oppenheimer went to India to discuss the Science that led to the nuclear bomb that leveled Hiroshima the response he got from the Indians was essentially "You're just now figuring this out. We've known this for thousands of years." In the wise words of the Dalai Lama "Science trumps Dogma." In Buddhist terms everything is an illusion. The table that your computer is sitting on looks solid but in all actuality it is billions of sub atomic particles bouncing off each other and vibrating giving the illusion of it being solid. If we were to remove all of the space in the human body it would be the size of the nucleus of one atom. The greatest liability in humans is perception. And beyond that perception is directly tainted by experience, and diluted by language. The "Myths" of Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. are merely stories to simplify complex Ideas. Just like mathematical formulas are merely symbols to simplify complex phenomena. Before you try to write me off as an Idiot realize that I have a 138 IQ, was reading on a 3rd grade level in first, and was the youngest student in my states gifted and talented program in 3rd grade. Stay Brown, Rev J
You are obviously too smart for me to argue with you. Not that I feel like arguing, really - just trying to post in the right place. Wish I knew wtf is going on. I am staying light brown, it's still winter in the south. Peace -
Reverand JC, I never stated that you were an idiot. Alot of religious people are idiots however. I also stated that there are some positive parts to religion. It isn't all bad. My point is that much of it is mythology. I can also respect you for believing in science. Some religious idiots don't. If religious people are modern, moderate and believe in genuine science, I have much less of a problem with them. Monique, I have no problem with religious moderates. It's the extremists I don't care for much. As far as Bill Maher goes, I enjoy it. I don't necessarily look to him as my leader, but I have found the show to be entertaining at times. I don't always agree with him. I don't need to. But generally I agree with him and most of his guests (who are more often than not Democrats), more than I disagree with him and them. There is no doubt he votes Democrat. The liberals have their disputes amongst themselves, and are critical of each other at times, but they are still Democrats. Which to me is much better than being a Republican, at least the way Republicans are these days.
First off your a equal bigot as the religous bigots you dislike. Second I never seen his show other then his movie and the video Reverend posted. Get your facts straight.
You base your "facts" from word of mouth, so your just another bigot. You haven't studied any of the three top world religion yet you make such wild statements. Who sounds more ignorant here you or the religions you hate?
Your actually not christian. I find it annoying when people call them selfs a certain religion yet rebuke certain passages that don't suit there lifestyle. You cant be 80, 60, 75 percent in agreement with a religios text books and deny the rest. You need to accept it as a whole or not. You don't read a book and make up a different ending becus it didn't fit your beliefs of it what it to you should of been. You accept the book as a whole.
jmt, how do you know what I have studied, you don't even know me. And I don't "hate" religions, or most religious people, but it is true, I don't believe in mythology. Only a fanatic or an idiot would take every single thing in the Bible or any other religious text literally. From what she wrote, it seems to me that Monique is rational. The Bible justifies such things as slavery, stoning people to death for adultry, and other horrible things that no serious civilized Christian in the modern world would accept. Most modern Christians do not accept 100 percent of the Bible as literal truth. The western Christian world has been through an enlightenment process, starting roughly 500 years ago during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, when people started believing in a rational modern interpetation of the Bible. Few people today, except for a few very extreme religious fanatics, take everything in the Bible literally. Even most Christian fundamentalists don't.
