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In reply to the discussion: Bill Maher is really turning into a vile racist [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)If a brother or a sister has a divinity degree, they LIKE being called "Reverend." Anyone who knows a reverend or two knows this. I get the sense you're unclear on the pride associated in the community with that achievement.
"Chocolate Jesus" got a million bucks from Maher. That was a compliment, and the fact that you didn't "get" that indicates that you don't get this guy's schtick at all.
Apparently you've misplaced your irony meter, and had a humorectomy.
Further--he HATES religions--he has no "double standard" -- he hates it all. For someone commenting so robustly about the guy, you plainly know nothing of his work. He did a MOVIE telling us all how stupid he thinks religion is--you can probably find it at your local library. Israel is a "Jewish" STATE--the operative word being a state, a nation, with a standing military, a massive budget for it, and nuclear weapons. There is no "Islamic state" --at least not one with the same infrastructure and standing military, ISIS notwithstanding--so you are, in essence, criticizing a comparison that he did not make.
I reply because I abhor inaccuracy and naive, uniformed, keejerk "PC" commentary. That doesn't mean I am "upset" (though that's the go-to goad for people who can't argue their points, they get personal--so I suggest you should eschew that line or be noted for it). It means I have a certain level of impatience for absurd remarks that have no basis in fact. As anyone with a brain should have.
Comedy is dangerous. Maher is a comedian. If you can't bear him, cancel your HBO subscription or avoid him on Friday nights--I mean, really--get over it. For a supposedly "liberal" venue, that is supposed to have a broad acceptance of divergent views, your excoriation of this guy for his atheist beliefs (or lack of religious beliefs, however you want to phrase it) is intolerant in the extreme. You don't have to agree with the guy, but in the USA, we don't do that censorship thing.
And since you didn't take the point the first time, let me try again--Dennis Miller and Rush have, as their core audience, CHRISTIANS. Right wing, abortion hating, Jesus on a dinosaur loving CHRISTIANS. The difference between Maher and those two you keep bringing up is that Maher hates ALL religions, he's an equal opportunity hater--while your two little buddies you keep mentioning only hate one.
Now, if you want to toss everyone who hates religions out of the "liberal" club, you go right ahead and try--but I think you'd catch some noise from more than a few DUers who are robust atheists and share many of his views on the topic. In sum, you'd be looking at some pushback on that score.