Bill Maher is on Larry king Right now ,saying the world is anti -Semitic

[orpupilofnature57]

[AlCzervik]

1. ok but thats probably not breaking news.

[orpupilofnature57]

13. Sorry , your absolutely right

[SoCalDem]

2. oy vey !

Let's say you don't like your neighbor.. his name is Dave.. Does that mean you hate every person named Dave?

[msmcghee]

18. Only if you have something against people . .

. . named Dave.

It happens.

[Wise Doubter]

19. Personally, I hate everyone equally !

No one is going to monopolize MY hatred. I just hate people....


Sometimes.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

3. Wonder if there'll be a call-in

from Alan Dershowitz? Then they can both agree that anyone who ever served them a cold cup of coffee is an anti-semite, and anyone who forgot the cream and sugar was an outright Nazi.

For an atheist, Maher's turning awfully religious lately.

[Nomad559]

6. Bill Maher

Is not an Atheist

:)

[Flubadubya]

7. So, then why does he profess to be an atheist?

I've heard him say so... right on the Larry King show as a matter of fact.

:shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug:

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I don't think he was actually talking about religion, in this case.

He's a lapsed Catholic, so has issues with the Catholic Church, but is also part Jewish, so is bound to have an opinion on this. I don't think his remarks were necessarily about religion, but about prejudice, which makes sense, given his background, and he does make a valid point in this context.:shrug:

[msmcghee]

20. How does someone become . .

. . part Jewish? Is it genetic?

[NYCGirl]

31. His father is Jewish. Bill was raised Catholic. NT

[mitchtv]

37. Maher is an Irish name

I thought it was the other way, but I am not sure.

[NYCGirl]

38. I stand corrected — usually in a mixed marriage, according to Jewish

"law" the line is through the mother, so if your mother was Jewish and your father was Christian, you were raised Jewish. Leave it to Bill to do it ass-backwards!
:hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

51. You're absolutely right. I learned this on "All in the Family."

The little girl, Stephanie, who Edith and Archie adopted, was Jewish because her mother was. Her father, who was related to Edith, was not. This obviously didn't please Archie, but he came around because he loved the little girl, and in the last scene, he gave her a Star of David necklace. For some reason, that moment really stuck with me. :-)

[NYCGirl]

54. That show had many moments like that. Comedy is so important in this

world.
:hi:

But yes — I knew that because I am Jewish (both my parents were); there's much intermarriage in my generation of the family. My ex was Catholic, no kids though.

[Rhiannon12866]

57. I don't know if you're old enough to remember "All in the Family,"

but it was pretty ground-breaking and I revisited it when it was shown on Nick at Nite. That's when I saw this series of episodes, and found Archie's relationship with Stephanie to be very touching. I remember that the last words he said in the scene where he gave her the Star of David necklace were that you had to love someone very much to give them such a present. Pure Archie Bunker. :-)

And I'm lapsed, which I have said in previous replies on this thread, and belong to the Atheist/Agnostic forum here, but I respect anyone else's religious beliefs, wish that I could share them. My grandmother, my father's mother, who I was closest to and lost most recently, was the only WASP in an Irish Catholic family, and I learned tolerance and acceptance from her. Intermarriage has become more common, though it wasn't in her day, but she just accepted everyone, unusual in previous generations, and I have followed her example.:-)

I just don't see religious differences as a point of division, acceptance which took place in your family, as well. I am baffled that religion continues to be a point of contention, since beliefs should be both private and respected, but understand Bill Maher's point, though he's an atheist. Persecution of anyone is just plain wrong...:-(

Thanks,
Rhiannon:hi:

[mitchtv]

56. In those days, RCs were not permitted

to marry non catholics unless the heretic/apostate/schismatic, etc had signed a contract to raise all kids RC.

[Rhiannon12866]

45. One of his parents is Jewish, while the other is not.

:-)

[Flubadubya]

24. I didn't hear him make a comment on tonight's Larry King show...

it was several months ago and I heard Bill Maher say, "I'm an atheist." Don't know what else it could mean, but that Bill Maher is an atheist... at least he must think so.

[Rhiannon12866]

47. I saw the interview when it first aired, earlier this week.

And I'm aware of his attitude about religion, since he talks about it all the time. "Politically Incorrect" was still on when the Catholic priest scandal broke and he really ran with that one, talked about it every night. And he talks about the problems caused by religion often on "Real Time," with a lot of passion.

But he did have quite a rant about the persecution of the Jewish people when he most recently appeared on Larry King. I'm not disputing the fact that he's an atheist and disparages religion, but IMHO, in this case, I believe he was talking about the persecution of a people, rather than defending any religion.

[Nomad559]

22. You must have misunderstood him

I have videos of Bill Maher stating that he Is not an Atheist.

I also once thought that he was an Atheist, because he has been very critical of organized religion.

:)

[Flubadubya]

26. My bad memory then...

I'll take your word for the videos... I only have my memory to go on, but the reason it stuck with me is that it was so abrupt and forthright when I recall that he said it. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't... maybe he changed his mind. At any rate, it's really no big deal to me whether he is or he isn't, and I'm getting too old to trust my memory, LOL!

[Nomad559]

29. If Bill Maher has

ever stated that he was an Atheist, I am sure someone would have added his name to the Celebrity Atheist List.
http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

But for now, he Is still listed In the Ambiguous category.
http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Bill_Maher

"I'm not an atheist. There's a really big difference between an atheist and someone who just doesn't believe in religion. Religion to me is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don't need. But I'm not an atheist, no." I believe there's some force. If you want to call it God... I don't believe God is a single parent who writes books. I think that the people who think God wrote a book called The Bible are just childish. Religion is so childish. What they're fighting about in the Middle East, it's so childish. These myths, these silly little stories that they believe in fundamentally, that they take over this little space in Jerusalem where one guy flew up to heaven—no, no, this guy performed a sacrifice here a thousand million years ago. It's like, "Who cares? What does that have to do with spirituality, where you're really trying to get, as a human being and as a soul moving in the universe?" But I do believe in a God, yes."

:)

[Flubadubya]

30. Thanks Nomad...

that clears it up quite nicely! Thanks for posting. :)

[orpupilofnature57]

25. Actually I think He's agnostic

[AlCzervik]

10. it was on the other night actually, this is a rerun.

[mountainvue]

41. No kidding. He's referred to the fact that

he is half Jewish quite a bit lately, not something I recall him doing very much in the past. And his first two shows of the new season of Real Time have sucked hard, IMO.

[MichiganVote]

4. Sigh....is "anti" everything supposed to form the basis for all strife?

Bill Maher's description of "the world" as being anti-semitic is over the top in my opinion.

[iamjoy]

5. Correct At Its Core, Phrased Incorrectly

There is a lot of anti-Semitism in the world. I think if you factor in the whole world, more people vocalize or take action on hatred of Jews than any other religion. I include in the hatred of Jews the patronizing ConSWERVEative Christian Fundamentalists who pretend to be our friends.

I realize that depends how you define religion. Pagan religions are probably more hated, but they usually stay under the radar. And you can't count atheists since that isn't a religion.

[MichiganVote]

9. Racism, sexiam, ageism, these forms of hate also live in the world

Are we surprised that religious discrimination exists also? In my locale growing up, the Wasp's hated the Catholics and the Catholics thought the Wasp's were religious lightweights. Racism against blacks and hispanics was/is a big deal. When I lived out west, westerners had blatant hatred for those of Indian descent. Today, in case you haven't noticed, there is a lot of anti-Islamist sentiment in some locations of the world.

The whole world, a lot of people, a lot of anti this and a lot of anti that....factually, its all hatred and hatred can be found in any part of the world.

So who gets the bigger bang for the buck by claiming to be hated or discriminated against? Who has suffered the worst of the worst in the world?

In my humble opinion, the children of the planet get the worst of the worst regardless of religion, sex, skin color or age.

[msmcghee]

21. So, are you saying that since some people might hate . .

. . Catholics - that's it's OK for some others to hate Jews?

[MichiganVote]

34. No, that's not what I am saying.

[etherealtruth]

48. I'm with you ...

Hatred is alive and well in the world.

It seems that "hatred" is a more powerful unifier than ideas/movements with positive or altruistic intents ... I guess "hatred" is really a tool in order to achieve greedy/selfish goals.

[Bucky]

17. "you can't count atheists since that isn't a religion"? Not quite, amigo

If the topic is religion-based hatred (which in a perfect world would be an oxymoron), then hatred of atheists certainly does count. But it, like hatred of pagans, is less pathological, less institutionalized than hatred of Jews. No one's really going out of their way to demonize pagans and atheists. But certainly that's not consolation to people who get ostracized from their families over what (again, in a perfect world) should be a trivial matter.

[alfredo]

23. I used to hear the term "Christ Killer" all the time when I

was growing up. I had that slur directed at me because people didn't know what Armenians were they just figured we were Jews. We were Episcopalians. We called ourselves English Catholics because the grits in our neighborhood didn't know what Episcopalians were, couldn't pronounce it. They took to calling my dad Abe, or "That old Jew."
My sister would turn real dark in the Summer, so dark that we were refused service in one restaurant.

My sister and I lucked out. She really blossomed into an intelligent, beautiful and very well built gal, and I became a fighter. So even though they weren't sure what the hell we were, they didn't mess with her because of her beauty, and they didn't mess with me because I would fight them at the drop of a hat. So it didn't matter that our status defaulted to Jew, we coped.

Though I have some old issues over the Israeli government (The USS Liberty murders) I have sympathy for the Jewish people because I got to see a bit of the ugliness they have had to endure.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. I heard that, as well, and I understand where he's coming from.

He constantly bashes religion and I don't necessarily disagree with him, most of the time. But he's a lapsed Catholic, so tends to be over the top, I've felt, on bashing the Catholic Church, and is also half Jewish, so is bound to have an opinion on anti-Semitism, as well. He has an excellent point, since much of the world has been anti-Semitic, and the Jewish people have suffered greatly for it, and I don't think that this is a religious argument with him, but one about prejudice, which is understandable...:shrug:

Rhiannon:hi:;)

[Lexingtonian]

11. I think

he's simply been hanging around with Ann Coulter too much.

[MichiganVote]

14. Yup. Bill's adopted a little too much ego of late

[Rhiannon12866]

15. But she's Catholic...

:shrug:

I take your point...;)

[mountainvue]

42. She's Presbyterian. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

52. I stand corrected. My mother told me that she was Catholic,

but I should have considered the source. I figured that she knew what she was talking about because she had one of Coulter's books.:eyes:

My mother told me that she reminded her of me because she smokes, as I do. She said that she knew that because Coulter finds it difficult to sit through an entire church service without having a cigarette. I assured my mother that smoking is the only thing we have in common...x(

[orpupilofnature57]

16. Johnny Carson is his inspiration , and though just a comedian he like Bill

conveyed the heartbeat of America ,more than I can say for most MSM.

[JI7]

27. there is a lot of anti semetism in the world

a few other groups tend to be hated a lot also like africans, Muslims, Women, atheists etc.

[elf]

28. ..................not anti semitic

I think, most of the western industrial world judges by common sense ( no, not listen to propaganda!)

And most of the citizens in those countries are much more interested and educated in politics, due to their horrible history.......wars and wars and wars............the last big ones where WW1 and WW2.

Nazism can never happen again, because most of the young people where raised by the generation who was mislead in the worst case.
Warning signs are all over the place here in the United States.

What do you think Americans would have done, if there would be a "Goebbels"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels

Excuse my dear friends, I'm German born 51 and highly concerned about my dear guest country (green card, living here since ten years on our own decision)

No, the world is not anti semitic, common sense rules over there.:cry: :pals:

[tnlefty]

33. Hello elf! I think that our modern day Goebbels is KKKarl Rove and

the corporate media that most Americans see is TV and hear is rwing radio and read is whatever, but the alternative (hence in my mind- warning signs) aren't distributed to those who are not willing to seek it.

I'm glad that you're here and I've been very concerned about your "dear guest country", my country for a few years. "hi"

[kerry-is-my-prez]

32. The world is even MORE anti-Arab (the Western World)

They are the most hated group in this country for sure.

[ikojo]

35. I didn't think he identified as a Jew...I've heard him

say he was raised Catholic since his mom was Catholic. Guess when it's convenient he'll play the Jew card. Opportunist.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

36. I don't know...it's a crazy thing.

Most of my Jewish friends are born and raised here and fairly well off. They have a home here in Florida and a home somewhere up north, and they can afford to travel all over the world, and sometimes (but not often) they go to Israel. But they have no desire to fight and die over a postage stamp piece of land in the middle east.

These are the Jewish people I know, and they are kind gentle loving neighbors and friends and a few are closer to me than some of my own family.

But I admit that the Jews in Israel as well as the people of other nationalities who occupy the "Holy Land" just f%#$*#g piss me off. All of them over there are like those two Dr. Seuss characters who just dig their feet in to the sand and won't budge to let the other one pass. They have fought and quibbled and grumped and groused for thousands of years, and then the feud escalates, and they blow each other up and threaten to blow up the rest of the world. And always someone, usually us, has to go in there and try to broker a peace that might last, oh, maybe three months.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it isn't really anti-semitism. It's more anti-want to keep putting up with this crap year after year after year. It's not so much that we're sick of the Jews in Israel. We're sick of the whole lot of them over there and the constant threats and violence and bloodshed. So if that is anti-semitism, then I guess I am.

[Parisle]

40. I Like This One, Tin,.....

---- I'm tired of it, too, TIN. I asked a wise acquaintance of mine, " Just what does this "ally status" do for the US? What does Israel do for America?" He gave a one-word response .... "software."

----- I'm sorry , but that doesn't cut it with me. I'm not religious, and I am only barely tolerant of those who are, and it doesn't strike me that foreign policy matters involving Israel have a goddamned thing to do with religion. What would be the US foreign policy position regarding Israel if the country were populated by transplanted American Indians,... or Irish Catholics,... or even Baptists? We should cut Israel off.

[meisje]

39. I'm anti-maher

That big nose Hugh Hefner want-a-be!

[rucky]

43. anti-smartalec?

[LaPera]

44. I'm getting awfully fucking sick of Maher, If he's going to do a turn

around like Dennis Miller, fucking do it...get it fucking over with Maher...There'll be no big loss for us true liberals & progressives!

Who's Maher trying to score points with in Hollywood...I guess it really is more than stereo types there...Maher must know....

I really used to like Maher, enjoyed his humor...Though he's never been very informed on certain issues...I overlooked it most times...though he frustrated the shit out of me with his right-wing view on something, from out of nowhere...

Maher is ALWAYS trying to have everyone like him...which of course is impossible...Still Maher continues to embarrassingly try...(Ann Coulter).

I'm just so sick of his patronizing shit for self gain...another Hollywood phony!

[Rhiannon12866]

50. I've always liked Bill Maher, as well, loved "Politically Incorrect."

But he really ticked me off when he appeared on "Hardball," after the invasion of Iraq, saying that he was wrong to have opposed it because it turned out to have been so "easy," with few casualties...:eyes:

He's obviously changed his stance on this, yet again, but I've taken him with a grain of salt, ever since. And he sure didn't score any points with me when he called Jimmy Carter "a failure...":grr:

[tabasco]

59. Yep, he's as phony as they come.

He showed what a gutless wonder he is after the fallout from his 9-11 remarks. He totally caved and did not stick to his guns. This is not a guy you want to be with in a foxhole.

[donsu]

46. the world isn't anti-Semitic just anti Israel's neo con govt.

nt

[cali]

55. Nothing like

a little denial. There's plenty of anti-semitism around. Plenty. It existed far before Israel was a nation. It exists now. It's bigotry and it's ugly.

[Beelzebud]

49. Bill Maher's a hypocrite. One second He's firm atheist, then the next

he's "Half Jewish" (His words, not mine), and Israel can do no wrong.

Bill Maher is Neo-Conservative. Period. He's just more realistic than most of them. If Iraq were truly a success, he'd have Kristol and Pearle on his show every fucking week... As it is now, he only has them on after people dip their fingers in purple dye.

I wonder when Annthrax Coulter will make another appearance on his show. He usually lets her on there about once a season, before he goes on vacations that put George Bush's to shame.

[treestar]

53. You know what we should do

Let's just all convert back to Judaism.

None of the offshoots can get along, or with each other. Let's just abandon Christianity and Islam and all go back to the mothership.

Then there will be so many Jews we really will run the world.

[newspeak]

58. well, if we all converted to Judaism

there'd still be problems. At the time of Jesus there were altercations, sometimes violent, between the various sects. So, you'd still have disputes, like the Shiites against the Sunnis or Southern Baptists against the Mormons. Because no matter if your practicing the same religion, your interpretations of said doctrines may be different.

[treestar]

60. My favorite on this is Garrison Keillor

In Lake Woebegone days, he talks about sects of fundmentalism that have broken down into schisms to much that they are meeting in somebody's basement.

There is no way for everyone to agree on religion. I was being silly, but really, it would make for at least an era of peace for everybody to convert to a generalized sort of Deism and start over again from there. Everybody would still fight and make schisms, but they might not be as attached and emotional in modern times. But I know this to be impossible, except in such a way as to get people less attached to their various religions.

People could think of them as like languages. Each culture has one and it is different from another culture's but they serve the same function. The reason these religions are dangerous is because people think they are "right" as over another entire culture, as if God would allow huge groups of people to be born into the wrong religion and need conversation to save their souls.