stewart lee - don't get me started - part 2

[McHanraohanrahan]

"As a safety measure, I'm recording this voiceover wearing a cycling helmet." Superb.

[Flowerblood]

I don't really know what I believe about the nature of eternity and faith, but I was brought up in the Christian faith and my family are pretty much all believers. As someone who has affection for both sides of the argument, I really do think that things like Jerry Springer the Opera and the Muhammed cartoon are good things. Something as influential and powerful as religion can't remain unchallenged, and Lee is right: religious fundamentalists are divs.

[apranakumudu]

Need to marry you **busizz4me.info**

[darbone]

Thank you for doing the work we should all be out there doing. I am sick of the "hands off" approach to Islam.

Thank you for being out there.

[12345l6789]

Lee is very correct.

Religion has been the biggest cause of global unrest over time. It does nothing but cause segregation.

Why can't people take the key principles of good will from religion and strip away the fripperies of a "God". Humanism all the way!

[owenhunt]

@12345l6789 .. Why put an -ism in it? Particularly when the root of the word at base suggests the promotion of humans, instead of the entire ailing animal kingdom.

I can understand your suggestion about stripping the concept of God away from religion and leaving the key principles of good will over, but I don't see how a "God" can be a frippery. The concept of God itself demands that nothing can be better than it, ergo such a concept cannot be a frippery.

What could be better than a being

[owenhunt]

@12345l6789 .. whom cannot be surpassed in any measure, prompting all of us earth dwellers to up our game both in civility and morality?

I honestly believe it is the cultic aspect of religion that poisons people from the top downwards. God and his arguable existence has no implication on how we humans act.

[rpadair]

I'm reading this voice over wearing a cycling helmet! Ha!! :D

[flawedforever]

i love his dry tone, he argues so elegantly its hard not to agree with him.

[vunderground1]

SL rocks da house (as they say in Compton or Brixton even maybe tho I am a white Englishman and so can't really pull it off)

[wid85]

Being a Christian I beleive that.... Stewart Lee is the best stand up currently working bar none.

[wid85]

I agree, the basic principles of liberalism that Lee espouses dictate that anyone who has an ideological difference with him should kill themselves, simply as a result of the fact that they are unable to understand him. Never mind that Lee has made two documentaries in which he interviews two particular Christians and holds them up as ideals of the point he is trying to make (on clowning and the freedom to criticise religion). That is clearly irrelivent.

Deem my wrists to have been slit.

[Mesnesl]

But, what you don't realise is...

Stewart Lee is a comedian.

[harryhazard]

yeah man, cos christians are so close minded. about as close minded as your own statement.

[ch1mpanzeethat]

The difference between offending Muslims and offending Christians is that from case to case we see people deliberately targetting Muslim beliefs, whereas Christians take offence at shit that rarely has anything to do with them.

Both groups are just as mental as the other, but Christians definitely dishonour themselves more by looking for things to be offended by that Jesus wouldn't have bothered with.

If either group protested outside my place of work i'd hit them with sticks lol.

[GerardBlaize]

5:03: Muslim fundamentalism:

its explosive xD

[GerardBlaize]

i'm not trying to spark a reaction, i just thought explosive was an infelicitous adjective to describe the reaction of muslims to blasphemy and i responded with an equally inappropriate joke. but, all of that is subject to bias, so before anyone responds i just wanted to point out that it was just an observation on the context of that adjective, i'm not laughing at the thought of religious reprisal by means of explosives.

[FATTGAZZ93]

STEWART LEE IS A GOD.

[artstuX]

@FATTGAZZ93

...and therefore doesn't believe in himself.

[Richard7901]

I dont believe in god(s) I believe in freedom of speech and respect for all. All of us are equal, people can believe what they want, if it works for them thats ok but I dont have to agree. respect my belief that god(s) dont exist xxxx While Stewart Lee is one of may many heroes. He makes me laugh he makes me think. Nuff said xxx

[Penfold200]

These religious protests are attempts at intimidation due to a misguided superiority - a person who holds a belief, even a profound one as religious people claim, have no need to defend it; they quietly hold it as their truth and go about their business.

[ROCKYMARCIANOXX0]

agreed Windyruss :P

[winterstellar]

OK, time for some more blasphemy: Allah and Muhammad just yesterday sucked my dick and drank my cum! "Yummy", they said afterwards! : )

[windyruss]

Why does such a great piece of journalism result in such radical, ridiculous comments? Stewart Lee for PM.

[artstuX]

@wundyruss

Too true; he's wasted on standup.

[SoapClawtooth]

@windyruss Because in order to allow Christianity to remain legal, we must also allow Retardedness and Ludicracy to also remain Legal as, I feel, none of the above are mutually exclusive.

[14mm2]

YOU OUT OF EUROPE!!!

[winterstellar]

To all muslims: Shove your allahs and qurans up your buttholes, please. And all christtards out there, you can do the same thing with your jesuses and bibles.:)

[mgrh001]

Contrary to what Dawkins may think (and as someone with genuine respect for him) not all religious people are idiots, nor are all atheists intelligent. If anything comments like yours make a stronger case against atheism than promoting it.

[catalyst8]

I'm not an atheist, but I agree with winterstellar (who I'm not certain is an atheist either), just in less puerile terms. Brainwashing children with threats of torture, & coercing adults with threats ranging from ostracism to outright murder are both criminal & cowardly ways to behave.

If you think 'comments like yours [winterstellar's] make a stronger case against atheism than promoting it' then I suggest you take a look at homosexuals & rape victims murdered in Saudi & Iran due to religion.

[mgrh001]

unfortunately I can't remember what winterstellar said, but do you really think religion has no benefits? Of course there are bad things that come from it, but bad things come from almost any theory or idea. Not everyone who has any form of religious belief is an extremist, something Daily Mail readers, columnists and editors seem to forget

[Volterator]

I've always been an atheist, since being a child, and I, like all children, was once an idiot. So I agree with you.

[Eldritchard]

Naked Lunch was a example of the Obscenity Laws gone stupid, they should never have tried to ban it, they footbulleted themselfs cos they gave it publisity, great that they did though, its bloody brilliant

[astarisporn]

South Park has done some of the best takes on this subject.

[rnbmeister]

To sum up.

Its OK for people who like "God" to be angry when somebody makes fun of or insults "GOD"

But its not OK to try and stop everyone else seeing it/them, because they may not share your beliefs.

Basically it's each to his own, act as you will, but do not involve others in it.

[anythingidontcare99]

Thanks rnbmeister for telling me what is right and wrong. It's a good job the world has you to tell us what is right or wrong. Any clue as to your source? Is it, perhaps, an arrogant projection of your subjective musings as being an objective moral ruling?

[rnbmeister]

Thanks for the interesting poisonous question.

I would say that this conclusion has been reached by several social comentators and philosophers.

I also think its the best way to have a fair society where Atheists have fair treatment with Religious people. Because atm Preachers can say that us "heathens" are going to hell. But dare make a public denouncement of religion, even in a humourous context and you're in the (holy) shit.

[davyjames]

It's totally simple. You can be annoyed, pissed, whatever. you can protest, write articles about how stewart lee is a terrible person and you can boycott his work and encourage others to do the same. What you cannot do is ask for legislative favours, and local councils to BAN the work. Because that would be asking one group of people to use FORCE on another group of people just because you disagree with a play they want to put on. That is the opposite of liberty and typical of facism.

[ChrisHi5Magic]

One very important point to note about the difference between the reactions from Muslims + Sikhs and that of the Christians is that the Christians protested PEACEFULLY. The Muslims always incite and create violence and murder, whilst the Bezhti protests featured criminal damage.

[deathbykillerfairies]

It's a bit of a generalisation to suggest that muslims ALWAYS incite and create violence and murder don't you think?

[ChrisHi5Magic]

Yes it is, I take that back. But it's not a million miles from the truth. As we know, the reactions to the cartoons, the Satanic Verses, Submission, and Fitna were an utter disgrace.

[davyjames]

christians didn't protest peacefully because they wrote to councils to get the work banned. How do coucils ban work? By applying force. The underlying threat being "you can't show this here and if you DO you will be FORCED (with guns?) not to show it.

Christians simply use the legisltive route whereas Muslims have used more direct violence. both are patently immoral.

[JustAnotherPrimate]

That is a great point. Well said. :)

[scholarlylad85]

I recommend you all go to google video and type in "Zeigeist"

[eweyewewe]

seriously though, i agree with lee, organised religion is silly. but it would be just as silly to fall into a world where "science" is everything. most religions have a truth (you just have to search really hard to find it. spirituality is still valid

[davyjames]

an example?

[eweyewewe]

the mysticism of the gnostics, sufis, hindus, buddhists, kabbalists, hermeticists, etc all come to remarkably similar conclusions. i.e. god is everywhere and in everything. a more concrete example is that science has actually been proving hindu mysticism right, (the vibrations of everything, the space between)

[jhaaglund]

Things that confuse and overexcite people who don't understand them:

*"Vibrations"

*Anything involving the word "quantum", "nano" or "energy"

*Magnets

*Particle physics

*Electromagnetic radiation

[enj06]

@jhaaglund "Magnets? How does that shit work?"-Insane Clown Posse

[littleman787]

@jhaaglund Overexcite in a bad way yes

[Stepper11]

The orthodoxy of today, the religion of the establishment, is secular materialism. Adherents of this religion are not immune from this tendency to seek out sources of offense. Fundamentalists at least have the poor "excuse" of belonging to religions that are endangered by a changing culture in which they are viewed as soiled remnants to be tossed out.

[SkipperEyechild]

I'm a bit dissapointed. I was looking forward to reading lots of furious, three-page religious rants on these comments pages. Oh well. LEE FOR MAYOR

[benelgermosen]

Holy crap. Turn the camera towards America! We need some of this in our soap.

[bodnotbod]

Thanks for this. It's atheism porn. I saw Stewart Lee live after having to deal with all this crap and you could tell it took its toll. He's one of the best stand-ups we've got.

[quasarsphere]

I hadn't heard of him until about an hour ago. I have some catching up to do. I have begun in earnest.

[TulseLuper]

The terrorists are winning but that has nothing to do with that stupid, horrendous cartoon.

[0NoQuarter14]

They didn't print them because they knew there was a good chance their offices would be picketed endlessly and likely be the victim of either repeated bomb threats or an actual successful attack against the building or individuals.

[Rexzeppelin]

"Evolution is very much based on chance if you believe that we began life in a warm muddy pool - the chance of the right molecules forming amino acids and the chance of them forming the right proteins and so on. The odds of it all happening without divine management are so large as to be impossible." - This is utterly mad. Without basis or fact, purely opinion published as if fact. This is religion at it's most utterly ludicrous.

[lars3939]

What a bitter and unfunny man...seriously...

[Rumpio]

no, he's a very funny man, but this is him being serious, that's why it's not funny. Serious, funny, serious, funny. Learn the concept.

[boydie333]

Stop asserting things and start explaining why you believe in the assertions that you make - for that is the scientific way to conduct an argument. Creationism can only survive as a criticism of evolution, which will continue to wane as the evidence stacks up against it. However, we will never have full proof of evolution, just as one can never obtain full proof that a murderer did indeed murder somebody, however one has to infer that all of the evidence suggests so.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

I am not here for an argument. Learning is not about arguing, it is about looking at the facts. You are young, and like me had a British education that tells only one side of the story - evolution. The first thing you should ask yourself is how you can discuss these things with me when I have studied the alternative evidence and you have been indoctrinated with one side only. It is like hearing the defence in a trial and ignoring the prosecution.

[1000fingers]

you seem to be ignorant here... have you ever read into buddist, Hindu or any other beliefs without the pretext of taking any of it out of context? your view that the world was created for mankind are infantile. Christians are the only religion self-righteous enough to have these views, other beliefs accept the fact that all living things are equal. your view of elitism is why we live in such a polluted, perverted society fulled by the mis-guided view that 'god' gave it to us to (ab)use....

[1000fingers]

also would you defend the promotion of ownership and rape of women, which is deemed aceptable in the bible (over the rape of men, but lets be honest moral human beings here. is WRONG either way) to be the word of 'god'?

its amazing how the bible is primarily used as an excuse for otherwise shockly immoral behaviour by international companys, psychopaths and the U.S goverment....

[thebadrash]

Actually, learning is about argument. It is through argument that we reach agreement on difficult topics, not by constant assertion of the same unproven facts. If you are a Christian, you ought to know that the Socratic dialogues, a key founding stone of the philosophy behind Christianity, are long arguments.

[boydie333]

The main tenets of creationism are that we cannot understand how we are put together and that therefore something that can understand did so and created us. That's not a theory - that's accepting ignorance. It is therefore not a science precisely because its main thesis rests on accepting this position of ignorance and it should therefore be dismissed as pseudo-science.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

lordhaku - That's why it is important to expose the lies of evolution, because the evidence for Creation is overwhelming, but deliberately kept down just because many scientists have to accept a naturalistic explanation for everything, esp. if they want their funding. They use junk science because it is necessary for them to ignore evidence that does not fit their theories. That is NOT science, but, if you believe it, indoctrination.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

The fact is that the Theory of Evolution is a mathematical impossibility. Check the facts...your public education only tells you what you are meant to learn; so much of the evidence of a Creation is ignored. Stewart Lee will have to realise this, and repent, or face eternal damnation.

This is just one video you can watch that shows the wonder of God's creative intelligence: (Search YouTube for - seeing eye madscience -- to view)

[lordhaku]

"Evidence of Creation"? If you mean the fact that things have been created, then yes. Look friend, I believe in God, but folk such as yourself marginalise our cause and turn us into an object of ridicule. People will always turn to what is provable and observable within the context of their physical realities - the concept of an all-powerful superbeing who invented the Universe and them imposed a strict social control mechanism on Its work is quite a hard pill to swallow.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

lordhaku, you believe in God, yet disbelieve his word as delivered in the Genesis account. The Bible also says true believers will suffer ridicule, so I don't have a problem with that, I just wonder why you do.

All that is "provable and observable" is never taught in schools because it would knock huge holes in the Theory of Evolution.

[lordhaku]

The Bible told us believers would suffer ridicule because the assorted folk who wrote it were intelligent enough to predict such ridicule - it's nothing to do with some sort of promise. And the Genesis account is not the "word of God" - it may have been inspired by the Almighty, but was written and edited by human hands.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

You have made a serious error there my friend! The books of Moses are from God. The Saviour talks about what Moses wrote time after time in the gospels, the most important probably being this from John 5:46: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me."

[TRWolf]

So, because you dont believe in the theory of evolution, that makes the idea of a non-proven GOD more believable? Riiiiight! So I could say I dont believe in the theory of evolution because its not feasible, therefore it means some pixies from Jupiter came down and created humans in their spaceship which looks like a teapot. Well OBVIOUSLY!!

[markb10169]

Evolution is not a theory put an emprical law now. It is fact. Try not to get confused.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

It is such a fact that top evolutionists are abandoning it in favour of Special Creation. As more is known about the incredible complexity of life, the more it becomes obvious that Darwinism is a huge mistake.

[pyro7620]

If you were really interested in an honest and productive discussion on this issue you'd include the names of these "top evolutionists" in your post. It really annoys me when creationalists or anyone for that matter just state things without citing evidense just to seemingly muddy the water.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

I can tell that you are dissatisfied with the answers that evolutionists set out. You innately recognise that you are a valuable and uniquely created human being, and not one that is the result of a massively impossible series of freak and unbelievably fortunate chemical accidents that could not be responsible for creating such diverse life forms and natural beauty and have raised mankind high above the beasts and given us a special commission.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

Dr. Dean Kenyon is co-author of "Biochemical Predestination", one of the two best selling advanced level books on so-called 'chemical evolution'.

After a challenge from a student, he came to the conclusion that complexity of life, (re. where genetic instructions came from and how proteins could have arisen directly from amino acids without DNA) meant an intelligent designer must have been necessary for life's beginning.

There are many others who have awakened.

[pyro7620]

he has arms and legs? Whatever for? Why would god create a universe in the first place? Why would he create "sin"? Why would god create a hell to punish beings he created (and whose flaws are therefore inherently down to god)?

I've never heard convincing answers to these questions and I didn't mean to get into a rant about religion but statements like "There are many others who have awakened." are so unbelievably self righteous and factually flawed.

[pyro7620]

On the contrary I'm satisfied with the theory of evolution, it logically explains how complex organisms can arise from more simple organisms. As for your example of a "top evolutionist" he hasn't been in that field for 26 years!

I have read extensively in both religion and evolution, been schooled and brought up exposed to both sets of ideas and christianity was the theory that collapsed in the face of logical questions. Who/what created god? If we were created in his image does that mean

[pyro7620]

On the contrary I'm satisfied with the theory of evolution, it logically explains how complex organisms can arise from more simple organisms. As for your example of a "top evolutionist" he hasn't been in that field for 26 years!

I have read extensively in both religion and evolution, been schooled and brought up exposed to both sets of ideas and christianity was the theory that collapsed in the face of logical questions. Who/what created god? If we were created in his image does that mean

[UnvarnishedTruth]

The theory is logical, yes, but the alternative even more so - how much have you considered e.g. irreducible complexity? Origin of the Species was published nearly 150 years ago. Dr. Kenyon changed sides due to more modern discoveries. I doubt anything has happened to change his mind.

It might help if you understood the anti-Christian agenda, the Biblical prophesies, and could read the signs of the times.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

God created us for His glory. That is the basic reason we are made in His image and capable of many more things than all the other creatures are.

Sin had to enter the equation so that our mettle could be tested, our ability to resist temptation, and prove ourselves worthy. (Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil - Gen 3:22.)

Hell is a place for unrepentant sinners. What else would you do with them? Promote them to undeserved glory?

[pyro7620]

As for signs of the times and biblical prophecies, jesus, according to the bible predicted the end of the world and said that "this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things (the end of the world) have happened" in Matthew 24:34, and here we are around 2000 years afterwards....you do the "math"

[pyro7620]

Your god sounds a little egotistical! creating us to prove his "glory". As for "undeserved glory", what constitutes "glory"? Believing in a god that cant be proven by reason? Why would a god give us reason if not to use it?!

The whole "Irreducible complexity" theory has never yielded an example which can't be explained using evolutionary theory.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

What are the odds of the bacterial flagellum, for example, appearing by chance? Multiplying that huge number by the odds of all the other examples of irreducible complexity means that the theory of evolution must be bunkum as it is statistically impossible.

Don't believe me if you don't want to, but don't believe the scientists either, they often have ulterior motives, like ensuring they get funding. Do your own research and thinking.

[pyro7620]

As for scientists having ulterior motives, doesn't everybody?! Peachers more than most in terms of securing funding. The difference is science is actually useful in terms of building things, like your computer etc. If you don't think evolution exists, just stop taking flu shots and other vaccinations and technologioes derived through evolutionary theory....

[pyro7620]

It took a while for you to find that example! I have read a theory on the evolution of the bacterial flagellum, but I don't remember it, it's easy enough to find on the internet I'd imagine

[UnvarnishedTruth]

I actually have many other things to do in my life! Try the human eye or ear or the woodpecker's bill or any number of examples of clear and deliberate design.

[pyro7620]

It took a while for you to find that example! I have read a theory on the evolution of the bacterial flagellum, but I don't remember it, it's easy enough to find on the internet I'd imagine

[UnvarnishedTruth]

So ulterior motives are OK, then, as long as scientists are involved? How is science useful in that case when they are literally paid to suppress the truth? Evolution clearly does exist but not to the extent that evolutionists claim, e.g. that man evolved from ape-like ancestors.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

The flagellar motor is a feat of miniature engineering -- it is a huge leap of either faith or ignorance to believe an actual motor can just appear fit for purpose with all its parts perfectly in place. It is like suggesting an outboard motor appeared thanks to the wind blowing bits of metal together.

[pyro7620]

If you knew anything about evolution you'd know that its not based on chance, must i explain it or shall i link you to somewhere that can? Seem hypocritical of you to say that evolution is like "the wind blowing bits of metal together." when you believe a fully formed supernatural being just came into existance by no cause? I'm curious as to the proposed origin of god?

[UnvarnishedTruth]

Evolution is very much based on chance if you believe that we began life in a warm muddy pool - the chance of the right molecules forming amino acids and the chance of them forming the right proteins and so on. The odds of it all happening without divine management are so large as to be impossible.

The Almighty was not created, has no beginning and no end. Time is a thing of this world.

[Doddibot]

There are no odds so large that it can be considered completely impossible.

[WrongHeaded07]

Oh yeah? Then eat your own head, dipshit.

[pyro7620]

But dont pretend that the bible offers answers or "Truth" it doesnt, people selectively glean the bible for passages to back up their opinions, the bible as a whole contradicts itself, encourages genocide, bans eating of seafood and wearing of garments of two kinds of cloth....if you follow of those tenants you are a very strange person indeed, but if you dont you are a hypocrite.

[UnvarnishedTruth]

I am neither! You don't understand what Old Testament laws were for.

[pyro7620]

I'm guessing they are for following? The ten commandments are touted enough as rules to follow. Leviticus is also quoted when christians are arguing about homosexuality. Correct me if i'm wrong?

[pyro7620]

I'm guessing they are for following? The ten commandments are touted enough as rules to follow. Leviticus is also quoted when christians are arguing about homosexuality. Correct me if i'm wrong?

[pyro7620]

Well at the end of the day, i agree that your god has no beginning/end and that it is outside time, because it doesnt exist. If you prefer to believe that there is some superbeing watching everything you do and that sucking up to "him" is the only thing that matters in life i guess thats fine.

[fergusjones1]

what makes you so sure that humans are the perfect creature? also look how many different species have existed and then become extinct, evolution is a trial and error thing. As for the odds, are you aware of the size of the universe? do you realise how many planets there must be with no life on them? thats because it doesnt always work out.

[almanacofsleep]

I have read your veiws and the way you spout them as if they were indispuitable facts realy annoys me.You seam to feel that evolution is just a bunch of unrealted insidents, but as I understand its an argumation of life adapting to its environment takes .I shear the setiment of Sarte that existence proceds essence and that its my veiw and it up to me and not you, if some one who carn't think for themselfs and neads to be told what to do,feel,etc then thats their prodlem .

[fergusjones1]

do you really think you are that great?