[the truth]

Originally Posted by Cherie

With or without religion human being will still want to **** on one another power, money and status and wanting control are Gods for a lot more people than Religious Deities.

The only post I agree with here , spot on

As for gervais hes a brilliant comedy mind, religion is by far his weakest subject as he ends up always going for the cheap shot, the cheap laugh and the obvious cynicism. I really think his thoughts in this area lack and insight and compassion.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by the truth

The only post I agree with here , spot on

As for gervais hes a brilliant comedy mind, religion is by far his weakest subject as he ends up always going for the cheap shot, the cheap laugh and the obvious cynicism. I really think his thoughts in this area lack and insight and compassion.

But where was he wrong?

[the truth]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

But where was he wrong?

his whole attitude and approach is wrong, its judgemental tedious mean spirited on the whole, attention seeking, hypocritical and condescending...he tries to over simplify and put into a box the billions who believe in a God or a greater being.if people want to believe in a God or superior being good for them. what people believe in is none of my business or gervaises. He doesnt come to it from a good place...now billy connolly a man of profound sincerity and a heart the size of texas approaches these subjects differently, he rips the piss out of anything and everything , yet remains open minded and benevolent soul...just seeing him getting highwith the navajo indians and running around naked in the desert was proof enough of that lol....gervais becomes quite sad and cynical when discussing religion. i remmeber well him sneer at kevin kline when discussing religion and beliefs in a greater being and wonderment at creation. its ironic too because gervais is more preachy than any comic ive ever known. hes far better in character playing a smug deluded buffooon...strange how hes soo great at playing that role...leave the real great comedy to billy, louis ck, richard pryor and larry david, etc

[Johnnyuk123]

Originally Posted by the truth

his whole attitude and approach is wrong, its judgemental tedious mean spirited on the whole, attention seeking, hypocritical and condescending...he tries to over simplify and put into a box the billions who believe in a God or a greater being.if people want to believe in a God or superior being good for them. what people believe in is none of my business or gervaises. He doesnt come to it from a good place...now billy connolly a man of profound sincerity and a heart the size of texas approaches these subjects differently, he rips the piss out of anything and everything , yet remains open minded and benevolent soul...just seeing him getting highwith the navajo indians and running around naked in the desert was proof enough of that lol....gervais becomes quite sad and cynical when discussing religion. i remmeber well him sneer at kevin kline when discussing religion and beliefs in a greater being and wonderment at creation. its ironic too because gervais is more preachy than any comic ive ever known. hes far better in character playing a smug deluded buffooon...strange how hes soo great at playing that role...leave the real great comedy to billy, louis ck, richard pryor and larry david, etc

This too can be said of many religious people.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Johnnyuk123

This too can be said of many religious people.

it can be said of loads of idiots regardless of religion

[Maru]

Originally Posted by the truth

his whole attitude and approach is wrong, its judgemental tedious mean spirited on the whole, attention seeking, hypocritical and condescending...he tries to over simplify and put into a box the billions who--

Originally Posted by Johnnyuk123

This too can be said of many religious people.

I've seen some atheists who are just as intolerant and bigoted as some religious folk. I'm surprised to see it so often coming from the atheist side but admittedly it's helluva a lot easier to troll religious followers than it is to troll most any other group. If you love trolling people and happen to be atheist, then it's a tempting buffet of self-amusement.

Personally, it's easier to just judge people according to what they do and the values they represent through those actions rather than they go what they actually (or claim to) believe or the # of degrees they've obtained. Usually for the sake of flaunting said belief in lieu of various personal flaws...

In the end, what they do or don't believe has no real bearing for me if the actual person is a horrible human being... life is too short to waste time on it. Most people who quit religion or start a religion do so for personal reasons, which is not really our business unless they somehow make it our personal issue. Things like trauma, chronic harassment, mass suicides, war or murder are problems... not trite things like someone said something religious today and you felt funny.

In that vein, I love watching cult documentaries on things like Scientology and the FLDS. Both groups are ****ed up, but even more interesting how they rope people into their cults and shape the beliefs of their followers. How the US still puts up with Scientology's crap, I don't know, but they managed to beat the IRS for non-profit status... even though there's ample evidence it's nothing more than a pyramid scheme to separate people from their money.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Maru

I've seen some atheists who are just as intolerant and bigoted as some religious folk. I'm surprised to see it so often coming from the atheist side but admittedly it's helluva a lot easier to troll religious followers than it is to troll most any other group. If you love trolling people and happen to be atheist, then it's a tempting buffet of self-amusement.

Personally, it's easier to just judge people according to what they do and the values they represent through those actions rather than they go what they actually (or claim to) believe or the # of degrees they've obtained. Usually for the sake of flaunting said belief in lieu of various personal flaws...

In the end, what they do or don't believe has no real bearing for me if the actual person is a horrible human being... life is too short to waste time on it. Most people who quit religion or start a religion do so for personal reasons, which is not really our business unless they somehow make it our personal issue. Things like trauma, chronic harassment, mass suicides, war or murder are problems... not trite things like someone said something religious today and you felt funny.

In that vein, I love watching cult documentaries on things like Scientology and the FLDS. Both groups are ****ed up, but even more interesting how they rope people into their cults and shape the beliefs of their followers. How the US still puts up with Scientology's crap, I don't know, but they managed to beat the IRS for non-profit status... even though there's ample evidence it's nothing more than a pyramid scheme to separate people from their money.

Oh I went through a phase of being totally obsessed with Scientology, so bizarre

But what makes Scientology and "cults" any different from other religions though? Scientologists shape the beliefs of their followers? so does every other religion

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Oh I went through a phase of being totally obsessed with Scientology, so bizarre

But what makes Scientology and "cults" any different from other religions though? Scientologists shape the beliefs of their followers? so does every other religion

I can't recommend "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" enough. It's a documentary film (about Scientology obviously) and it's brilliant, really eye opening, and quite shocking too, and puts across really well how it's very different from 'normal' religions.

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Mormonism and Scientology are two modern cults

the only difference betwixt them and say Judaism or Islam is time

I think there's a lot more to it than that tbh. Mormonism is very new but it still follows the classic pattern of how religions have been set up, and why people become followers etc. Scientology on the other hand is totally separate in my opinion from any other 'religion', especially in it's methods of how it treats people involved in the 'church' but in many other ways too (and shouldn't even be classed as a religion... again, watch "Going Clear" if you haven't seen it, it's great).

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Oh I went through a phase of being totally obsessed with Scientology, so bizarre

But what makes Scientology and "cults" any different from other religions though? Scientologists shape the beliefs of their followers? so does every other religion

Uhhh.. the church doesn't call you, stalk you, threaten you, pressure you for hours on end to donate money and will even call the bank for you to get you a line of credit, "expose" you to your family, chase you down for talking bad about them... it's very much voluntary to be in a normal organized religion. If you go and stop showing up, nobody will call you. Scientology and FLDS will try ruin to your life for trying to leave... especially if you don't do it quietly.