Discussion:

Discussion for article #228991

It was nice to watch Bill get slapped down a few notches by a Hollywood A list celebrity the other night. I guess it still hurts.

Fame makes all kinds of people all kinds of arrogant and stupid.

He said during the panel discussion that a woman in Pakistan who recently was sentenced to death for blasphemy.

Yes, go on.

Your take is very interesting. I believe many thought just the opposite.

The whole conversation was fascinating, though, and brought up a lot of issues- especially about ineffective governments. The discussion wasn’t about Islam specifically, but rather about Ebola. One of the guests noted that in Islamic countries where there is a far more stable government, you hardly ever hear anyone being executed for blasphemy.

It’s the religious version of Bread and Circuses in action in places like Pakistan. You find a scapegoat, and use it to the hilt. In places like Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Bahrain, the governments are so terrified of being toppled, they play up the religious oppression to the hilt. They go on witch hunts for witches, gays, and heretics, then have show trials, then show executions.

It was interesting to watch it even if Maher didn’t want to discuss things about Islam in a more nuanced sort of way.

It’s a good thing that officially-atheist governments have no history of brutality and oppression.

Of course, it’s easy to find reasons other than the tenets of atheism to explain the brutality of the Pol Pot, Mao, and Lennin governments, but that of Pakistan and Sudan can only be explained by their doctrines about religion.

When religion becomes blasphemy it is just Religulous.

Unsurprisingly, the media personality who thinks Islam is particularly bad is a big supporters of Israel, and spent the recent Gaza War defending its actions. “People die in wars,” doncha know.

But, really, this is the just the ultra-rational conclusion based on reason and evidence from an uber-man who manages to rise above the rest of us and base his views of other people’s religious leanings on nothing but the purest of reason and evidence.

Any system which has a vested interest in containing power to a small group of people will be brutal in some manner shape or form.

In places which are officially atheist, the tendency is to replace the State with Religion. This is why the Soviets deified Lenin and Stalin, and North Korea has deified the Kim family. In the United States, Conservatives have attempted to do this with the Founding Fathers in an effort to cut across religious lines.

In deeply religious countries, the tendency is to use religious laws to impose brutality so that they can then maintain power.

In all cases, this is designed to keep a small group of people in political power. The brutality does not come from the religion, but rather comes from the people in power trying to maintain their power.

Bill is a classic egocentric. He’s never wrong and never will be.

Certainty is a sign of sociopathy.

The great irony of Maher is that he gives atheists a bad name. He makes them look like narrow-minded, smart-aleck, intolerant bigots, who have no depth of knowledge in the fields they criticize. It’s like facts don’t matter. Satire would be fine, even desirable - but this has been nothing more than a spewing of irrational hatred.

“Of course, it’s easy to find reasons other than the tenets of atheism to explain the brutality of the Pol Pot, Mao, and Lennin governments, but that of Pakistan and Sudan can only be explained by their doctrines about religion.”

What tenets of atheism? Pol Pot wasn’t trying to enforce the Laws of The Book of Atheism. If the argument is Revolutionary Communism is, like Islam, an ideology prone to inspiring violence, I’m sure Maher won’t argue.

There are times when I like Maher, but he’s basically an arrogant putz.

When asked by Miliband if he’d ever been to Pakistan, Maher said: “Never, nor will I.” “When they open up a lesbian art gallery, I’ll go there,” Maher said.

That’s a reasonable position. I’ll visit the Vatican under the same condition. Lesbian art gallery openings all around! Spunky artists unite!

If the microphone isn’t pointed towards Bill then he has to say something to make it so. His ego drives him to absurdity.

I think that Bill Maher’s show is very informative. He is able to take on root causes and important issues very effectively despite the fact that his show is a comedy show. Supposed Islamic scholars like Reza Aslan live in a mirage of religious delusion and take on every scholarly argument and fact by resorting to anti-Islamic bigotry. Bill should continue to do what he does so well.

I love Bill and stand with him on 99% of the issues. But not on this one. Bill has always stood hand in hand with Israel and is a classic Arab/Muslim hater.

Oh well, nothing is perfect.

LOL. It has nothing to do with atheism you quack.

When they open up a lesbian art gallery, I’ll go there

Have to admit that’s a pretty good comeback, despite his asshattery.