Bill Maher on 'Religulous' (interview with 'The Onion')

[Rob H.]

Thought my fellow unbelievers might like to check this out. Full article is here.

Excerpt:

AVC: It's all about getting elected, surely, and not necessarily about actual belief.

BM: Certainly every politician has to kiss pious ass in this country. Even somebody like McCain, who never was religious, who never talked about it, who called Falwell an agent of intolerance… You see how he in the last year has had to cozy up to the religious nuts. He went to Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, or ranch, whatever it is. He was asked, "What do we do about evil?" "Defeat it." Really, Senator? Would that take two terms, or could you defeat evil in your first term?

AVC: To play devil's advocate, though, is all religion bad in your eyes? Is there room on a personal level for people where it's actually useful?

BM: You can't deny that religion has done some good. It organizes lots of anti-poverty programs and soup kitchens and missionary work. But I would say that, first of all, all those things can be accomplished without religion. You can be ethical, somebody who does the right thing without feeling that he has to in order to get his ass saved in the next life. He does it because it's the right thing to do. And also, whatever good religion has done, it has come at a terrible price. I would say an analogy would be the Iraq War. People say, "The surge worked now, we got rid of Saddam." But the cost was 4,000 American lives, untold Iraqi lives, ethnic cleansing, four million refugees, a trillion dollars and counting of U.S. money that could've rebuilt every road, bridge, and school in America, started a Manhattan Project for energy alternatives, given health care to everybody… Did the surge work compared to that? I'd say with religion it's the same thing. Yes, it has done some good, it gives people comfort, but most wars have been about religion. The oppression of minorities, the oppression of women, the Crusades, burning witches, honor killings, suicide bombings, fucking children… On a scale, you'd have to say it has not been worth it. People always ask that question and I wanna say, "Delusion on a mass scale. Is that a bad thing?" Seems like it should be obvious, but I know it isn't.

:thumbsup:

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Great interview! Thanks!

I've heard him say many of these things before, since I watch his show and he's really been making the rounds to promote his new movie. But I share his POV and he's a great ambassador, since he tells it like it is and does it with humor, always a good thing since people are more likely to listen.:thumbsup: