Ricky Gervais: Jesus Was My Invisible Babysitter

http://bit.ly/koi21m - /In this personal narrative of the evolution of his faith, Ricky Gervais describes how and why he became an atheist.

Check out the rest of Ricky Gervais' interview at http://bigthink.com/rickygervais.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• bigthink
• Ricky
• Gervais
• jesus

[BassKilla47]

When I was young I didn't believe in God, but saw it has a harmless lie, like Santa. But when I learned about the Crusades, the cruelty or religious law, and the kids who died in a fire because they thought the chimney would be too hot for santa, i realized that there really is no such thing as a harmless lie.

[musicforchewfaygs]

"his name was bob, still is"

i laughed so loud i scared my kids.

[Blake4014]

@GrapplerMaster Yeh man, I hear you, but sometimes God is seeking to build our character and test us. To determine if we're good by desire, or by fear. If we are genuinely good, regardless of ones religion. Then God approves. :-)

Inner voice, in harmony with outer action.

[GrapplerMaster]

@Blake4014 AH! I do.

But it doesn't sound like a bad thing to be honest. I'd love to live in a world where I know I'm not going to be murdered, and that I'd only have to worry about how I take care of myself as the only way I could die. Or that I could leave my house knowing my kids or my stuff will be A.O.K.

Even if people were pretending to be good, it's not like God doesn't know everything and just not let them into heaven if they're planning to do some evil shit, lol

[Blake4014]

@GrapplerMaster You are failing to get my point!

Firstly, if God proved himself to exist to humanity, the need for faith would be negated, and replaced by selfish desire to get to heaven and avoid hell, thus EVERYONE would be good, not by choice, but by fear of hell, and self preservation. Our selfish instinct(Dawkins; Selfish gene) would compel us to do whatever we had to do, to survive and get to heaven. (If God proved his existence) = no faith = no free will. Get it now?

[GrapplerMaster]

@Blake4014 IDK about that... I feel pretty free.

btw that made no sense. With Proof there is no need for faith because you KNOW it exist. KNOW!!!! God could just let people KNOW he exist but for some reason he doesn't.... maybe because he can't, because he doesn't exist. I don't know if he does or not. It's like trying to prove there's no invisible, untouchable grapefriut sitting next to me now.

please don't waist our time with this :)

It's cool to be religious

[Blake4014]

@GrapplerMaster Proof = no faith, no free will, acting on selfish, self preservation instinct. Fear of hell becomes reality, you do things because you fear the punishment. No faith, no free will.

[GrapplerMaster]

@Blake4014 Proof > Faith ;)

[Blake4014]

@GrapplerMaster That would negate the need for - 'Faith'.

[manshark13]

I am still growing in a religious family, my mother is as religious as religious can get,she prays everyday and always has the channel on TBN every day, yet she does not know her own son is atheist. I mean why would i tell her, right now i believe she needs this faith that she has to survive, some people do even though is illogical. Either way i will wait until i move out and than i break the big news even though i have to sit in a church were i can question all that is being said.

[BadVoodoo100]

@BassKilla47 nevermind the crusades, the religious wars in the middle east that are going on right now should concern us.

[PaulusCunctator]

@masterxgt That's a common thought, and (Looking at modern art, I can see there being no artist, haha) it's just a slight misconception of how we look at it.

The thing about randomness is that's it's not really there. A coin flipped depends on the physics behind it, and so, the natural laws are what are responsible for movement and proteins.

We view things as beautiful because we grew up here, it's all just protons, electrons and neutrons, there's no real difference between a rock and a painting