By Manila Ryce
Published Saturday, August 25th, 2007, 5:14 pm
Filed under: Videos: Political, World: Asia, World: North America, Economic, Society/Culture: Religion, Videos, Society/Culture, War, US Politics

6 Responses to “Real Time with Bill Maher 08/24/07 – Mother Theresa, Iraq, and China”

1. I have not missed a Bill Maher show since the year 2000, so of course I had to watch the newest episode of Real Time on HBO. Being a libertarian, I rarely agree with what Maher says, but he is funny and I enjoy being entertained. Surprisingly, the debate on his most recent show was filled with intellectual honesty.

   You can read my Review of the New Season’s First Episode at Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty

   Devil's Advocate
   08/25/07 at 5:33 pm
   

2. […] The Largest Minority Published Saturday, August 25th, 2007, 5:14 pm With newly published personal writings giving Mother Theresa a more human appearance, Maher takes the opportunity to address the unrelenting chip on his shoulder. Tim Robbins and Michel Martin corrected Maher by explaining that doubt is not the opposite of faith, but rather a necessary element of faith. Doubt and disbelief are two different things. […]

   Bill Maher: New Rules By Manila Ryce (video) (updated with new video) « Dandelion Salad
   08/25/07 at 7:15 pm
   

3. Maher has strong convictions about religion. How come that’s an “unrelenting chip on his shoulder”? Does the Pope have an unrelenting chip on his shoulder for talking about Jesus all the time?

   Fargus
   08/27/07 at 4:31 am
   
4. 

   @Fargus
   Maher uses every opportunity to rail against religion. The Mother Theresa story is just one case in point where Maher has done this and been shot down for the absurdity of his argument. Not believing the same thing as an irrational person does not make you any more rational. Maher may have strong convictions, but so does Pat Robertson. When it comes to the topic of religion, neither one is able to formulate a rational thought.

   Manila Ryce
   08/30/07 at 1:45 am
   

5. Why is every ad on this page to sign up to have Ann Coulterguist’s column emailed to me?

   Leon Trosky
   08/30/07 at 10:26 am
   
6. 

   While I actually agree with Maher’s position on Religion, which is, simply put, that it is Bad, I don’t agree with having a perpetual bone to pick with religion in general. Especially when someone, in the name of religion, does so many Good things. Mother Teresa may have had doubts…hell, she may have pretty much done what Bill said and thought the entire thing is bullshit. But that doesn’t for one second change what she actually did. Regardless of her doubts, she indeed dedicated her life to helping out some of the most impoverished people on the face of the planet. It’s hard to knock that.

   Actions, as always, speak louder than words, or thoughts, ever could. One could compare this to the very pious Jesuits, from the order founded by most compassionate St. Francis of Assissi, who upon setting foot on the new world preached a message of peace and goodwill, while proceeding to torture, slaughter, and annihilate nearly every indigenous culture in their path. We know the truth because of the actual history. No amount of rhetoric or sermonizing can negate that.

   I myself take almost every opportunity to rail against religious wackjobs, as if you couldn’t tell. But in the face of right action, there’s not much one can say. I know for a fact that if modern religious institutions suddenly ceased their anti-gay, anti-evolution, anti-feminist agenda and actually started doing something useful, (a non-profit health insurance plan immediately comes to mind. Don’t know where I got that one!), you wouldn’t hear a negative peep out of me!

   PapaFigue
   08/30/07 at 4:07 pm
   

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