Where do I begin? I do not know much about Bill Maher. His show does not come on any station or time that I watch so I have never seen it. He did seem to come off very arrogant and ignorant at the same time. This video clip is a small round table of an eclectic group of people mainly discussing the Bible. It is offensive and sad at the same time and yet, at the end it made me laugh. I am hardly a Bible scholar but none of these guys have any idea about what they are talking!
It is offensive because Maher purposefully tries to make Bible-believers look ignorant. It is sad because I believe his ignorance of the Bible will be costly to him as well as others with whom he has influence. I have to wonder what that discussion would have sounded like had there been someone there with more than a passing knowledge of scripture. I appreciate Trace Adkins and D.L. Hughley trying to make their cases and stand up for what they believe in but Maher probably could have said almost anything and they would not know how to respond. I do not know what I would have said either, necessarily, especially on nationwide TV, but with the benefit of some time I have some thoughts about what was said.
The Old Testament especially seemed to be taking the most hits that night with the obviously gay Dan Savage saying it was full of "ancient desert prejudices" and saying people had used it to justify slavery. My Mother says one can justify anything and I suppose one could use even the Bible to do it but it does not make it right, legally or morally. Just because a situation is found in the words of scripture does not mean it was Divinely condoned. For one thing, there is a progressive revelation found in scripture starting with Adam and Eve in the garden. God did not explicitly reveal his will or what He expected of man at the beginning of time but chose to draw out His plan through His providence in His own time that continues even today. That is to say that man did not necessarily know from the beginning that things like slavery and polygamy were not what God wanted and even if they did they could justify their wrongs to themselves in the same way we justify our wrongs today.
Also, as one reads through scripture, and again, especially the Old Testament, one sees the benefits of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. Maher said he would put the Bible close to last of the things he would use to teach his kids morals and that is a shame. It is a wonderful book of history among other things; a book that vividly shows what happens to people when they do not put God first in their lives and mistreat others. In fact, despite the panel's errors regarding the Ten Commandments (twenty commandments?) they are all about putting God first and how to treat your fellow man and if one follows those ten, one does not need any other rules about rape, incest, bestiality or slavery.
Maher said one thing in particular that made me wince. His comment about people believing in a "magic person" was not so much hurtful as it was sad. It is sad because if Maher had read the Bible he would know that there is a big difference between magic and omnipotence; between a magician and a holy, sovereign and loving God who chose to reveal Himself through this love note of a book to a bunch of inherently un-Godlike people like Maher, Savage, Atkins, and me. So, call it "doing the God thing" if you like or even the opiate of the masses but to me I will always be a Bible fan and a Jesus-following, God-lover no matter what Maher and the others think.
It is offensive because Maher purposefully tries to make Bible-believers look ignorant. It is sad because I believe his ignorance of the Bible will be costly to him as well as others with whom he has influence. I have to wonder what that discussion would have sounded like had there been someone there with more than a passing knowledge of scripture. I appreciate Trace Adkins and D.L. Hughley trying to make their cases and stand up for what they believe in but Maher probably could have said almost anything and they would not know how to respond. I do not know what I would have said either, necessarily, especially on nationwide TV, but with the benefit of some time I have some thoughts about what was said.
The Old Testament especially seemed to be taking the most hits that night with the obviously gay Dan Savage saying it was full of "ancient desert prejudices" and saying people had used it to justify slavery. My Mother says one can justify anything and I suppose one could use even the Bible to do it but it does not make it right, legally or morally. Just because a situation is found in the words of scripture does not mean it was Divinely condoned. For one thing, there is a progressive revelation found in scripture starting with Adam and Eve in the garden. God did not explicitly reveal his will or what He expected of man at the beginning of time but chose to draw out His plan through His providence in His own time that continues even today. That is to say that man did not necessarily know from the beginning that things like slavery and polygamy were not what God wanted and even if they did they could justify their wrongs to themselves in the same way we justify our wrongs today.
Also, as one reads through scripture, and again, especially the Old Testament, one sees the benefits of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. Maher said he would put the Bible close to last of the things he would use to teach his kids morals and that is a shame. It is a wonderful book of history among other things; a book that vividly shows what happens to people when they do not put God first in their lives and mistreat others. In fact, despite the panel's errors regarding the Ten Commandments (twenty commandments?) they are all about putting God first and how to treat your fellow man and if one follows those ten, one does not need any other rules about rape, incest, bestiality or slavery.
Maher said one thing in particular that made me wince. His comment about people believing in a "magic person" was not so much hurtful as it was sad. It is sad because if Maher had read the Bible he would know that there is a big difference between magic and omnipotence; between a magician and a holy, sovereign and loving God who chose to reveal Himself through this love note of a book to a bunch of inherently un-Godlike people like Maher, Savage, Atkins, and me. So, call it "doing the God thing" if you like or even the opiate of the masses but to me I will always be a Bible fan and a Jesus-following, God-lover no matter what Maher and the others think.
1 comment:
I remember 15 or so years ago, during the 'then' so-called culture wars, that Bill Maher moderated a talk show panel (different format) that attempted to stir up spirited debate on various subjects. Now, this is something I am all for, assuming certain ground rules.
The show wasn't terrible, but, it didn't take too long before it devolved, and Maher went from being an unbiased moderator to being an advocate for almost universally liberal causes, and, at a personal level, an AH.
Maher is an arrogant SOB, a thoroughly detestable human being.
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