Posted on 02/18/2005 2:58:40 AM PST by ViLaLuz
Television personality Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," says Christians and others who are religious suffer from a neurological disorder that "stops people from thinking."
"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. If you look at it logically, it's something that was drilled into your head when you were a small child. It certainly was drilled into mine at that age. And you really can't be responsible when you are a kid for what adults put into your head."
The former host of "Politically Incorrect" said the lack of enlightenment of so many Americans means the nation actually has more in common with its enemies than one might think.
Said Maher: "When you look at beliefs in such things as, do you go to heaven, is there a devil, we have more in common with Turkey and Iran and Syria than we do with European nations and Canada and nations that, yes, I would consider more enlightened than us."
Maher explained that he was not singling out evangelicals, but was targeting all "religious" people.
"I think the vote in Missouri [rejecting same-sex marriage] and a lot of other states is because people are religious," Maher said. "They don't have to be evangelical, but they're religious. They believe in religion, which as I think it was Jesse Ventura who had that quote about religion is a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers."
The television host told Scarborough he was convinced evangelicals' influence will wane.
Said Maher: "When people say to me, 'You hate America,' I don't hate America. I love America. I am just embarrassed that it has been taken over by people like evangelicals, by people who do not believe in science and rationality. It is the 21st century. And I will tell you, my friend. The future does not belong to the evangelicals. The future does not belong to religion."
Later in the interview, Maher returned to the childhood-religion theme, comparing fairy tales to Bible stories:
"When you were a kid and they were telling you whatever you believe in religion, do you think if they had switched the fairy tales that the read to you in bed with the Bible, you would know the difference?
"Do you think if it was the fairy tale about a man who lived inside of a whale and it was religion that Jack built a beanstalk today, you would know the difference? Why do you believe in one fairy tale and not the other? Just because adults told you it was true and they scared you into believing it, at pain of death, at pain of burning in hell."
Like the last 10-20 yrs?
All I have to do is look at Bill Maher's current "woman" problem and I can laugh at his silly rantings.
No, but I've noticed an increase in Bill Maher sightings...and he says the same thing everywhere he goes. Larry King Live, Imus, Scarborough. He's just out promoting his HBO Show. The shame is, his twisted anti-Christian rantings get repeated.
I think Bill Maher has a neurological disorder.
Really, why even bother paying attention a man who hates marriage anyway?
Yes, much more so since the election. But Bill Maher has always been like that.
Personally I can't stand the man.
I didn't know Maher was still on the radar. I thought he was working in a carwash or something... |
I try not to take the opinions of entertainers, pundits and journalists too seriously.
He's a stalinist.
His Manureness is having a bad maher day.
This is one of the most ignorant statements that I have ever heard. Evidently, according to this foolish Maher, all of the religious people throughout history, i.e., the vast majority, including geniuses such as Aquinas, Newton, and even Bill Clinton (I suspect that Maher considers Clinton brilliant), have a neurological disorder and cannot think.
I'm sure you make your parents proud...
The hubris of Rationalism. Hey Maher - haven't you heard reason and logic are tools of the White European Male Oppressor?
(pssst... I've tried the secular way. It doesn't work. Leaves you feeling empty. No matter how full your life is.)
Bill Maher the Crap on the Crapper. Who is Bill Maher? Who Cares? HBO must allow so many liberal jerks on per year. Something in their contract with Cableing probably. This jerk isn't funny, they use that "Tapped Laughter" for his so called jokes. Why waste your time!!
Bill Maher - (sigh) as Judge Judy says, beauty fades; dumb is forever.
(Maher was NEVER a beauty!!)
Anybody whose argument against an opposing belief is that they have a "neurological disorder" cannot lay claim to any logic whatsoever.
The statement that religion is a crutch is a lame argument by those who are put on the defensive by religion.
Bill Maher thinks he's terribly clever, but his comments are shallow and his arguments false.
Better watch out Maher, Hillary's starting to get religeon. Faking in that direction anyway. She may decide she needs a scalp under her belt. Than again,,,,,
Bill Maher with his girlfriend, Nancy Johnson (aka Coco Johnsen) former Playboy bunny (in yellow) and Traci Bingham.
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