As a Christian, I totally get and respect Penn's point. I am convicted by it, in that I firmly believe in heaven and hell after death, while at the same time I don't always live that out on a daily basis. Too many Christians (myself included) give God a bad name, and it honestly breaks my heart. I vow to love more, accept more, listen more, and judge less. Above all, Christianity is about love - and I want my life to reflect that - ESPECIALLY to those who believe differently than I do.
Bravo Penn. And I agree that religion isn't the actual evil, it's simply the convenient rorschach
blot to use any way you choose. Religion is a man-created lens through which we can focus
the beam of our intent, or fear, or sadness, or loneliness, or hate. We need to be the difference, the choice, the God of our own lives. Instead of cringing and flinching at some peeping 'Sky-Santa' who metes out punishment and reward and revels in being unknowable.
Penn seems very smart, but his analogy of saving someone from a truck isn't entirely apt. If ten people on the street see a truck heading for a pedestrian who's stopped in the middle of the road, then all ten people will agree that the pedestrian will get hit if nothing's done. But not all ten people will agree on the nature of God or on what his true teachings are. Also, how would you feel if a nut tackled you out of the way of a truck only he could see?
Yes indeed. I'm Christian myself & I have friends of different religions beside some who are non-believers. What most so-call Christians doesn't get it is the Bible taught that we shouldn't judge others, but sadly some probably doesn't get it like the Westboro Baptist Church. They don't represent "true Christians" no matter what they say.
Great video btw, Penn. Your magic performance swill never get old for me beside making me laugh. And Teller too! Take it easy, sir. :)
My pastor shared this in church a couple weeks ago, though I don't know how, and this video is one of the best I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing it.
@nybgrus for real dude? You call this cat an idiot based of 500 characters? Really? You don't even know that dude. That's messed up man. So what if he believes differently then you do. You gettin all hostile is the equivalent of racism. Unfounded and irrational contempt towards another human. Man, thats jacked up bro. Ad hominem is never beneficial. Just be polite man, geez.
Penn says 'I still think that religion does a lot of bad stuff', so does atheism:
"the old mantra that religious belief has been the main source of human conflict and violence is absurd; atheism and not religion is responsible for the worst mass murders in history, Mao, Stalin and Hitler... their regimes were strongly anti-religious... atheism was intrinsic... to their ideology, and they toted up 100million deaths between them"
- Denash de Sauza, 'What is so great about Christianity'
@JakobMoscovitch Congratulations on making the same, misguided and debunked, stetment about athiests that EVRY THEIST EVER has tired using. WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP THROWING HITLER IN OUR FACES. Hitler was a self-described catholic, he repeatedly stated, including in print in Mein Kampf, that Jesus was his inspiration for slaughtering the jews. The other regimes you described suffered not from a lack of religion, but of too great a similarity TO religion, they just worshipped humans, not gods.
@JakobMoscovitch The only real solution is to not worship ANYONE, but to use your brain, which even according to messed-up theologists is a gift from God, to make logical decisions based on what is truly helpful to the greatest number and hurtful to the smallest number. Religion DOES do a lot of bad stuff, you'd have to be blind to say otherwise, and to desperately plead "you do bad stuff too" isn't really an argument, we don't claim divinely inspired moral high ground, you do!
@JakobMoscovitch Dinesh D'Souza (you can't even spell his name right) is an idiot. Saying "atheism is responsible for..." is like saying "people with mustaches are responsible for..." you cannot make a group claim when the group is defined by NOT believing in something. Furthermore, Hitler was NOT an atheist. He was a very devout Roman Catholic and based his ENTIRE policy on the teachings of Jesus. Stop being an idiot an parroting the idiocy of religious apologists. Get your facts straight.
what Penn said was used in a sermon at my church...it was one of the hardest hitting quotes I've ever heard. Penn is a stand up guy. Thanks to him, I was able to witness to my mom.
The irony is that the person Jesus, not the notional one most believe in, is the epitome of liberty, honesty and love, much like Penn and all of us really long for deep down.
The notional God made up in religious institutions that most take issue with. Penn is right along side of Jesus when he says religion does a lot of bad stuff (my paraphrase) and one polite person living his life right doesn't prove He exists.
The Spirit proselytizes; Jesus draws, His followers mirrors.
Religulous people again are getting everything wrong. If you believe tomorrow Extraterrestrial warriors are going to destroy Los Vegas, it is your obligation to run around and try to get people out of there. But you are still going to be a nut case. ;-)
I do not think that Penn was validating any religion, all that he was pointing out was that the man was a good person, regardless of whether he was a christian, muslim, or whatever. What if it was a Satanist who was sincere in his belief and presented Penn with a Satanic Bible, would the religious still want to present this at church like so many of you have, though the message is the same? Please do not twist this into some religious propaganda, but present it in the manner as it was intended.
I agree with s7germai, far to often people from both sides go on the defensive much to often and often much to harshly, believe what you want and yes let others know of what you believe but don't be cruel or mean or stand offish about it, be kind and we (humanity) will get along a lot better then we do now.
After all, there are good and bad people on both sides and it would be a shame to believe there's only bad on one side or another.
Well said. Religions isn't the reason wars, murders, & all kind of crap that happend: it's the people who abuse it & change it to fit their views. Religions is about faith & believe in God, not killing in the name or forcing others to believe in what they do.
God bless the man who had the courage and spoke the word of God to a public nonbeliever. I almost felt contenplation in Penns voice, as if he were considering deeply the gift he was given. I hope God works is way into Penns' heart.
@twstr08 Don't worry, as Penn pointed out, he still feels that there is no god. It was not the Bible that Penn was impressed with, it was the man himself and his sincerity and lack of pretense which left a mark on him. It's the people and not the bible or the religion that are special. Everyone is twisting this into some revalation that Penn is having concerning a god, but it is not.
We used this clip also in our church...how very profound of Penn. How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them? God Bless you Penn. Go find the answer your looking for on your own terms and you will be pleasantly surprised my friend.
Wow, this is almost exactly the message I sent to a friend of mine who is agnostic. While I disagree with Penn's belief in Atheism I truly respect him for his response to others and their faith. I feel both sides, believers and non, have a tendency to go on the defensive rather than show the compassion for others that Christ taught.
@natecalaway there is a reference to your uploaded video in the book "The Trellis and the Vine" by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (page 53)... So that might be the link :)
As a Christian, I totally get and respect Penn's point. I am convicted by it, in that I firmly believe in heaven and hell after death, while at the same time I don't always live that out on a daily basis. Too many Christians (myself included) give God a bad name, and it honestly breaks my heart. I vow to love more, accept more, listen more, and judge less. Above all, Christianity is about love - and I want my life to reflect that - ESPECIALLY to those who believe differently than I do.
solidbad 1 week ago
Bravo Penn. And I agree that religion isn't the actual evil, it's simply the convenient rorschach
blot to use any way you choose. Religion is a man-created lens through which we can focus
the beam of our intent, or fear, or sadness, or loneliness, or hate. We need to be the difference, the choice, the God of our own lives. Instead of cringing and flinching at some peeping 'Sky-Santa' who metes out punishment and reward and revels in being unknowable.
Abraxas9100 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Penn seems very smart, but his analogy of saving someone from a truck isn't entirely apt. If ten people on the street see a truck heading for a pedestrian who's stopped in the middle of the road, then all ten people will agree that the pedestrian will get hit if nothing's done. But not all ten people will agree on the nature of God or on what his true teachings are. Also, how would you feel if a nut tackled you out of the way of a truck only he could see?
SergioPOE 1 month ago
Comment removed
SergioPOE 1 month ago
This is how believers and non-believers alike should treat each other.
bilsim1 2 months ago
@bilsim1
Yes indeed. I'm Christian myself & I have friends of different religions beside some who are non-believers. What most so-call Christians doesn't get it is the Bible taught that we shouldn't judge others, but sadly some probably doesn't get it like the Westboro Baptist Church. They don't represent "true Christians" no matter what they say.
Great video btw, Penn. Your magic performance swill never get old for me beside making me laugh. And Teller too! Take it easy, sir. :)
NW1977 2 months ago
My pastor shared this in church a couple weeks ago, though I don't know how, and this video is one of the best I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing it.
Boogawes 5 months ago
@nybgrus for real dude? You call this cat an idiot based of 500 characters? Really? You don't even know that dude. That's messed up man. So what if he believes differently then you do. You gettin all hostile is the equivalent of racism. Unfounded and irrational contempt towards another human. Man, thats jacked up bro. Ad hominem is never beneficial. Just be polite man, geez.
747runningman 9 months ago
Soooo cool!!
matrixm777 1 year ago
Penn says 'I still think that religion does a lot of bad stuff', so does atheism:
"the old mantra that religious belief has been the main source of human conflict and violence is absurd; atheism and not religion is responsible for the worst mass murders in history, Mao, Stalin and Hitler... their regimes were strongly anti-religious... atheism was intrinsic... to their ideology, and they toted up 100million deaths between them"
- Denash de Sauza, 'What is so great about Christianity'
JakobMoscovitch 1 year ago 6
@JakobMoscovitch Congratulations on making the same, misguided and debunked, stetment about athiests that EVRY THEIST EVER has tired using. WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP THROWING HITLER IN OUR FACES. Hitler was a self-described catholic, he repeatedly stated, including in print in Mein Kampf, that Jesus was his inspiration for slaughtering the jews. The other regimes you described suffered not from a lack of religion, but of too great a similarity TO religion, they just worshipped humans, not gods.
wendighoul 1 year ago
@JakobMoscovitch The only real solution is to not worship ANYONE, but to use your brain, which even according to messed-up theologists is a gift from God, to make logical decisions based on what is truly helpful to the greatest number and hurtful to the smallest number. Religion DOES do a lot of bad stuff, you'd have to be blind to say otherwise, and to desperately plead "you do bad stuff too" isn't really an argument, we don't claim divinely inspired moral high ground, you do!
wendighoul 1 year ago
@JakobMoscovitch Dinesh D'Souza (you can't even spell his name right) is an idiot. Saying "atheism is responsible for..." is like saying "people with mustaches are responsible for..." you cannot make a group claim when the group is defined by NOT believing in something. Furthermore, Hitler was NOT an atheist. He was a very devout Roman Catholic and based his ENTIRE policy on the teachings of Jesus. Stop being an idiot an parroting the idiocy of religious apologists. Get your facts straight.
nybgrus 11 months ago
Comment removed
AlkanAxlman 5 days ago
what Penn said was used in a sermon at my church...it was one of the hardest hitting quotes I've ever heard. Penn is a stand up guy. Thanks to him, I was able to witness to my mom.
cookiesforchrist 1 year ago
The irony is that the person Jesus, not the notional one most believe in, is the epitome of liberty, honesty and love, much like Penn and all of us really long for deep down.
The notional God made up in religious institutions that most take issue with. Penn is right along side of Jesus when he says religion does a lot of bad stuff (my paraphrase) and one polite person living his life right doesn't prove He exists.
The Spirit proselytizes; Jesus draws, His followers mirrors.
0ne4another 1 year ago 3
Religulous people again are getting everything wrong. If you believe tomorrow Extraterrestrial warriors are going to destroy Los Vegas, it is your obligation to run around and try to get people out of there. But you are still going to be a nut case. ;-)
Matismatt 1 year ago 3
I do not think that Penn was validating any religion, all that he was pointing out was that the man was a good person, regardless of whether he was a christian, muslim, or whatever. What if it was a Satanist who was sincere in his belief and presented Penn with a Satanic Bible, would the religious still want to present this at church like so many of you have, though the message is the same? Please do not twist this into some religious propaganda, but present it in the manner as it was intended.
EchosFromaBlankMind 1 year ago
i wonder who that guy was who gave Penn the bible and if he realized what an impact he would make.
pyrobluestar 2 years ago
We are playing this clip also today in church!
DigitalJaguar 2 years ago
Penn, you just preached the best sermon I've ever heard
martywwhite 2 years ago 9
@martywwhite that is because he was and still is an atheist. And morality is not drawn from the bible.
Matismatt 1 year ago
I agree with s7germai, far to often people from both sides go on the defensive much to often and often much to harshly, believe what you want and yes let others know of what you believe but don't be cruel or mean or stand offish about it, be kind and we (humanity) will get along a lot better then we do now.
After all, there are good and bad people on both sides and it would be a shame to believe there's only bad on one side or another.
My respect goes out to the Penn man!
ZolRing 2 years ago
@ZolRing
Well said. Religions isn't the reason wars, murders, & all kind of crap that happend: it's the people who abuse it & change it to fit their views. Religions is about faith & believe in God, not killing in the name or forcing others to believe in what they do.
NW1977 1 month ago
God bless the man who had the courage and spoke the word of God to a public nonbeliever. I almost felt contenplation in Penns voice, as if he were considering deeply the gift he was given. I hope God works is way into Penns' heart.
twstr08 2 years ago
@twstr08 Don't worry, as Penn pointed out, he still feels that there is no god. It was not the Bible that Penn was impressed with, it was the man himself and his sincerity and lack of pretense which left a mark on him. It's the people and not the bible or the religion that are special. Everyone is twisting this into some revalation that Penn is having concerning a god, but it is not.
EchosFromaBlankMind 1 year ago
We used this clip also in our church...how very profound of Penn. How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them? God Bless you Penn. Go find the answer your looking for on your own terms and you will be pleasantly surprised my friend.
knoxjmk 2 years ago
Wow, this is almost exactly the message I sent to a friend of mine who is agnostic. While I disagree with Penn's belief in Atheism I truly respect him for his response to others and their faith. I feel both sides, believers and non, have a tendency to go on the defensive rather than show the compassion for others that Christ taught.
s7germai 2 years ago
@s7germai Christ taught it and they also teach this to kindergarteners, but nobody thanks the teachers!
EchosFromaBlankMind 1 year ago
just out of curiostity, did you get the clip from my site for your church or somewhere else?
natecalaway 2 years ago
not sure where church got it..once I saw it I searched you tube and yours came up
knoxjmk 2 years ago
@natecalaway there is a reference to your uploaded video in the book "The Trellis and the Vine" by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (page 53)... So that might be the link :)
PunkStevo7 11 months ago