Politically and theologically, I am fairly conservative. But when a liberal like Bill Maher makes a good point about Christians, I nod my head in agreement. Heck, maybe Bill has been reading my blog, because some of the points he makes I have made on this blog (Such as this point about a Pastor Leaving no Tip).
Before you watch this video, I should issue a warning: This video clip has foul language and crude humor. If that offends you, don’t watch it.
[Thanks goes to Sam Riviera for sending me this video.]
But someone might say… “Yeah, but Bill Maher is of the devil!”
… Right …
But then I did an internet search, and lo and behold, found a website which had “proof” that Bill Maher was satanic. Here is the evidence:
Not only is Bill Maher flashing the satan sign with his hand, that shirt looks pretty questionable as well… What is that? Some sort of serpent with a crown on it’s head?
Sigh.
I think it’s ironic that when someone criticizes the Christian religion by calling us to live according to the principles we claim to follow, we respond by accusing him of speaking for the devil.
Hmmm… That sounds eerily familiar to something that happened about 2000 years ago when Someone else showed up and started criticizing the established religion of the day…
Of course, now someone will criticize me of equating Bill Maher with Jesus…
There is a huge difference. The ‘Someone’ who ‘showed up’ about 2000 years ago never once said out loud (and not even in his heart) that there was no God.
I happen to like Bill Maher, and I think his calls to action are valid. The problem for a lot of people, though, I think, is that they can’t see past his mocking of their beliefs. I think he might have shot himself in the foot, to be honest.
Yeah, his mocking attitude is difficult to get past…
If he (Bill Maher) does not believe in Christ and spends a large amount of time ridiculing believers -what gives him the mandate to determine who believes and to evaluate the actions of those who he thinks believe. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord is a member of Christ and thus, a member of the body of Christ. True believers must not fall for every bait thrown at them.
By the way, he has not said anything that the word of God has not declared already….”Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
Jesus “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:10-14)
True point! Too bad we don’t listen. Maybe I’ll just speak for myself…. too bad I don’t listen…
The youtube link on this post doesn’t work…
Should be fixed now…
Yup, no link!
Part of the problem with Bill Maher isn’t that he has some valid calls to action, it is that he consistently spreads misinformation that is hostile to Christianity.
I don’t think this makes him “of the devil” (which, to be honest, makes me face-palm when I hear it). However, it does make ignorant, dishonest, or both. This isn’t information where we can simply say “I believe this way, and here is my evidence for it, and Bill believes that way, and here is his evidence…” These are claims that Bill makes to undermine the faith while citing data that is fabricated overtly or else is rejected by the scholarly community.
Thus, what it boils down to is bias. Bill Maher is fiercely anti-Christian, and he will invent or align misinformation to justify his battle against the faith. Worse, people actually believe him.
Yes, we need to love our neighbor better, and this includes loving Bill. However, I would hesitate to elevate him to any position of authority in the claims that he makes.
Certainly, there is misinformation here. But it is the same misinformation that many non Christians have.
Of course, if we were truly doing a good job loving our neighbors, as Jesus instructed, there would be nothing for Bill Maher to ridicule.
It worked fine for me. Great points made. I know of Christians like those Bill points out and disappointed in there actions and responses. If this bothers anyone then a valid response is to remove the options that Bill can use. Loving one another will do just that!
When you’ve made money on a public persona that involves discrediting Christianity, you don’t get to Christians out on stuff. This is a case study in earning the right to be heard.
I don’t know… maybe it is a case in Christians earning the right to not be criticized. We make it too easy.
Kevin is right, though the video is a bit harsh and unnecessarily crude. A lot of professed Christians need a wake-up call. However, this type of video won’t change the “Christians” who need it any more than not tipping a homosexual will turn him into a heterosexual.
Good points. No Christian who needs to change will be changed by this video.
Maher is an idiot. Sorry. He chooses to lash out instead of understand and engage. He is the Glen Beck of liberals, this is a job to him.
“Maher is an idiot. Sorry. He chooses to lash out instead of understand and engage.”
I love irony
Ha! 😉
Yes, it is a job to him. But again there would be nothing for Bill Maher to ridicule if we were truly doing a good job loving our neighbors.
God is a genius. Here He is using this fellow Maher to call on Christians to convert.
Conversion doesn’t happen once, like an appendectomy. It’s a constant process, a rejection of what’s wrong inside you, a making of space so that God can come in.
I think conversion for me happens in these main ways.
1. Talking to God about what’s confusing
2. Contemplation of God. He blows my mind
3. Self-refletion, when I can bare it
4. Being converted by how I hurt others
5. Seeing a young child and thinking about where the world’s currently heading
6. Talking to an elderly person, someone I can admire and respect, and realizing how difficult it is to change the world.
Mahler may dislike Christians — that’s okay. Always allow others to convert you. Don’t let pride get in your way.
I love the perspective, Willow. Yes, why can’t God speak to Christians through Maher?! Of course He can!
“Maher is an idiot.”
“God is a genius.”
Brilliant. Both are right, but one sees Maher, the other sees God.
And, more uncommonly but importantly, sees God in Maher.
If you think this Bill Maher clip is bad, checkout this clip on Pope Francis
Pope Francis Says ‘Personal Relationship with Jesus is Dangerous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB4zdEDljPo‘
The National Catholic Reporter article that the video is based on is here:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/church-essential-faith-there-are-no-free-agents-pope-says
Two direct quotes from the article:
“Pope Francis described as “dangerous” the temptation to believe that one can have “a personal, direct, immediate relationship with Jesus Christ without communion [with] and the mediation of the church.”
“Being Christian means belonging to the church. If your first name is Christian, your last name is Member of the Church.”
Haha. If the Children won’t do it, god will awake the stones to tell the truth. And sometimes a Maher.
Greetings from germany
Jay
Hmm. Yes. Even the stones will cry out… Love this!
That’s just it. The church is the children, not the stones. Let’s love our fellow “idiots” but focus on the Genius.
I’m not a fan of Maher even a little bit, BUT, we as Christians often do give folks legit reasons for not wanting much to do with “Christianity”. There will be plenty of made-up reasons, but let’s not give them valid reasons 🙂 Of course, that does’t mean we’re perfect.
Right! Let them criticize us for being TOO loving, TOO forgiving, TOO gracious, TOO merciful. That’s what people criticized Jesus for… though it was mostly religious people doing the criticizing.
All true points! But remember two things:
First, Maher would have no ammunition if there wasn’t something to criticize (we Christians often make it too easy for him).
Second, just as Maher maybe doesn’t have the right to be heard or isn’t really interested in engaging with us, so also, we Christians who criticize atheists often don’t have the right to be heard either or are only interested in judging and condemning.
Well I do agree the we need to understand what he sees as his opposition. But I have not seen him engage religion in anything other than from a mocking and superior position as a philosophical materialist. Also I just don’t find his humor all that funny. Too much negativity. I probably shouldn’t call him an idiot I guess
Don’t mind my comment about irony. We’re all ironic from time to time. I also don’t think Maher is particularly intelligent or funny. His jokes against Christians are no more intelligent than racist or sexist jokes, but he can get away with them and feed people’s “acceptable prejudice.”
sorry folks, I like Maher