Jesus and Bill Maher

I saw this show and having watched the program a lot I could tell that even that godless pagan Maher (who is a brilliant political observer) was extremely impressed with you. It takes a lot to get respect from him when your perspective is religious. Keep up the good work. My husband manages a local bookstore and I hope they get you in for a book signing because I would love to hear you read from your book. It's next on my list to read now that I'm finished State of Denial! Then I want to send it to my conservative Republican Red State relatives.

You did a super job tonight on Bill M. As the Executive Director of a children's charity, I found myself applauding many things that you said about the current administration. We have thousands of homeless children in San Diego - we have a new saying - "EVERY CHILD has been left behind". When we add up all the needy children in each city in each state, we should be ashamed of the lack of concern for the children of our country. Thanks for being so brave and thanks for speaking out.

David, As a former active Democrat, in my early years, who was turned off of politics by the personal conduct of Clinton and realizing that the saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is so true regardless of party lines, I applaud and pray for you and this part of your journey. It never ceases to amaze me that the most devout christians (small cap for a reason) seem to have really lost the whole idea of who Jesus was and what He was saying. Perhaps they should recall the verse about the log in your own eye! As a Christian, and a sinner, I remind you that this country was founded on beliefs like not always agreeing with someone but defending that person's right to state their opinion without being condemned or attacked. The Lord always brings forth His truth. And I truly believe that you're someone who should be applauded for stating your truth and exposing the problems that arise when we use religion for our own personal or political agenda. Continue your good work and be a voice by which the Truth can be heard. Remember Blue and Red make Purple, the color of the Passion. maybe it is time to blend the two! Because neither party real understands the melting pot promise of the fore-fathers any more! God Speed from the Midwest.

David, Speaking Truth-to-Power Dept. I give you the following excerpt that you might be heartened. George Fox was imprisoned by Oliver Cromwell, but wrote Cromwell a letter, and was brought to the Lord Protector for an interview. Here is Fox's account of how the matter ended up. *** Many more words I had with him; but people coming in, I drew a little back. As I was turning, he caught me by the hand, and with tears in his eyes said, "Come again to my house; for if thou and I were but an hour of a day together, we should be nearer one to the other"; adding that he wished me no more ill than he did to his own soul. I told him if he did he wronged his own soul; and admonished him to hearken to God's voice, that he might stand in his counsel, and obey it; and if he did so, that would keep him from hardness of heart; but if he did not hear God's voice, his heart would be hardened. He said it was true. Then I went out; and when Captain Drury came out after me he told me the Lord Protector had said I was at liberty, and might go whither I would. Then I was brought into a great hall, where the Protector's gentlemen were to dine. I asked them what they brought me thither for. They said it was by the Protector's order, that I might dine with them. I bid them let the Protector know that I would not eat of his bread, nor drink of his drink. When he heard this he said, "Now I see there is a people risen that I cannot win with gifts or honours, offices or places; but all other sects and people I can." It was told him again that we had forsaken our own possessions; and were not like to look for such things from him. -- Autobiography of George Fox, 1694

David, My last Quaker excerpt, I promise! Here's one more little bit from a George Fox epistle... *** Christ s kingdom is not of this world; it is peaceable: and all that are in strife are not of his kingdom. All that pretend to fight for the gospel are deceived; for the gospel is the power of God, which was before the devil or fall of man was: and the gospel of peace was before fighting was. Therefore they that pretend fighting, and talk of fighting so, are ignorant of the gospel. All that talk of fighting for Sion are in darkness: Sion needs no such helpers.

Hello again, Tempting Faith does nothing to dispel claims of an American theocracy as some have asserted. In fact, it provided stunning insights into their true nature and purpose. No leader of an empire ever truly believes the religions used to manipulate subjects. That would be like a drug dealer hooked on his product; its bad for business... Understanding why religion is strong delusion Christians often quote things like "know them by their fruits," yet after millennia of being duped into abetting blatantly evil scoundrels, many still don't understand the meaning or import of much of what they read. The same canon paradoxically propounds "faith," which means the complete opposite of "know them by their fruits," i.e., to discern the truth by analyzing deeds and results (works) and to weigh actions instead of merely believing what is said. The deceptive circular logic of posing a fantasy messiah who urges both discernment of the truth and faith (belief without proof) clearly represents a skillful and purposeful effort to impose ignorance and confusion through "strong delusion." Any sage worth his salt could understand the folly of this contradictory so-called wisdom. This and mountains of evidence demonstrate that faith and religion are the opposite of truth and wisdom. It is no wonder charlatans like Rove, Bush, and others have marked Christians as dupes to be milked as long and as hard as possible. Any accomplished con artist easily recognizes religion as the ultimate scam and fervent followers as ready-made marks and dupes. We now live in an era where science has proven so much about the vastness, rationality, mathematical preciseness, and structural orderliness throughout every level of our 11-dimension universe. Nonetheless, large percentages of people still conclude that these flawed and contradictory religious canons are the unmodified and infallible "word of God." People who can't (or won't) discern the difference between truth and belief are easily misled about the differences between good and evil, wisdom and folly, perfection and error, reason and irrationality, and right and wrong.
The fact that political leaders have always had close relationships with religious leaders while cooperating to manipulate followers to gain wealth and power is overwhelming evidence that the true purpose of religion is deception and delusion. People who are unable to effectively discern basic moral choices or to reason accurately are easily indoctrinated to follow the dictates of national and imperial leaders who wrap themselves in religious pretense. Truth and wisdom are direct threats to the existence and power of empires. That is why imperial leaders always strive to hide so-called secret knowledge and impose deception and ignorance upon their subjects. What then is the purpose of "faith" but to prevent otherwise good people from seeking to understand truth and wisdom? Read More... Peace...

David, I read an excerpt of your book in Time Magazine, and I was impressed with your candor and your willingness to part ways with people you had once respected.
Given your genuine interest in making this country live up to its highest ideals, I encourage you to explore an idea that Shawn Raymond and I have pushed to the floor of Congress: the U.S. Public Service Academy. It's an idea rooted in the same kind of values that originally brought you to Washington and eventually forced you to leave.
Please visit our website: http://www.uspublicserviceacademy.org Good luck!

David, Theee -R- correct in STATING JESUS isss BACK 222 SAVE ONE'S witch CHOOOSE 222 BBB FREE, yet I WOOD LOVE 222 BBB set FREEE uv ALLL OTHERS JUDGE-MEANTS, SHAMES, CON-DEM-NAY-SHOWNS, NEGATIVE WAVES, FEAR, GUILT, "you need to's", "watch our for's", "be careful of's", AND, HAVE ALLL OTHERS SEND M.E./JESUS CHRIST/FATHER-MOTHER OM- LOVE-JOY-PEACE LUV-LYT-LAFFFTTTRRR 444EVR & EVRLASTING for a HAPPILY EVER AFTER ENDING 2222222 thu HOLEY BIBBLE STORY LINE.......THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Dear David, I saw you on Bill Maher's show last night and thought you did a wonderful job. Your book and interviews are doing people a great service. Please keep on going. I'm sure God and Jesus would encourage you to keep it up.

I think it is worth mentioning that the Scriptures are very clear on the matter of hell. Matthew 13:41-42 says, for example, that Jesus shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. So perhaps we ought to ask ourselves if Jesus really does love everyone. If so, then how can He possibly send anyone into an everlasting furnace of fire?
I think this underscores the fact that God s love is quite a bit different than what we are claiming love is. Contrary to Kuo s implied claim, the Bible claims God will condemn vast numbers of humans. We can only deny this if we reinterpret the scriptures in such a way to dismiss the large numbers of texts that warn of an upcoming and eternally painful judgment. And when we also consider the texts that condemn homosexuality, not only in the Old Testament, but also carried over into the New, it is not difficult to imagine that those who refuse to agree that homosexuality is a sin will also be included in the number of the condemned. "Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity." Romans 1:26-27 We may tell ourselves that the Bible recognizes homosexuality as natural for some and unnatural for others, and that therefore the text above speaks only of those for whom homosexuality is unnatural, but the text is quite clear. It condemns homosexuality, and we know it. For this reason, Christians are convinced that homosexuals who refuse to agree with God and who refuse to repent of this evil, will be condemned right along with very many heterosexuals, Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives, so-called Christians, and non-Christians, all of whom never took His warnings seriously enough to turn from sin. I know Kuo has his book, and that he now enjoys the attention of many people these days because of it. I actually have long come to many of the same conclusions he has mentioned concerning Bush and his administration. In fact, I think similarly when it comes to many Christians. We are too concerned with controlling the reigns of political power, and not nearly concerned enough about spreading the Gospel and living it with joy and love among our neighbors. But we ought to take great care to avoid deceiving ourselves or others with the notion that Jesus accepts homosexuality or any other sin.

D. Simon Parentis ~ how dare you quote Scripture when we now have David Kuo speaking for Jesus? Those obsolete verses would have received hisses and boos from Bill Maher and his audience, how much more does it prove Kuo s improvement that those august persons greeted him with cheers.
Somehow the accolades have shown Kuo that Christians have been doing it all wrong for the last couple thousand years. If only Jesus told the world what they want to hear then he could have avoided John 6:66 altogether.
Friedrich ~ far be it from me to assume it is important enough to save the life of an unborn child if doing so sullies my self-righteous presence with politics. I am certain none of those on this thread who cherish the thought of Christians abandoning politics and the Republican party would ever dream of being involved in a cause unless each and every person in every part of the process were sinlessly perfect.

I saw you on the show, which I had taped. Bill normally rips apart anyone who speaks about religion, yet he seemed geniunely willing to listen to what you had to say. And the audience response was surprising, considering the show is held in California. I am a liberal christian and have found the last 6 years to be very frightening. Now that i know there are true people, not fanatics, that have similar fears as to where we are heading in our country, I feel apart of something instead of a part from somthing. Thank you again for opening my mind to the things that are happening with people who do not blindly follow.

The world has no problem with a complacent faith, one that stays in its place and holds up no sense of accountability or duty. If we find our place as a sub-culture then we are part of a multi-cultural mosaic, one that everyone can feel good about and never challenged by ( look there are the Hindus, look there are the Muslims, look there are the Christians ). If we assume we are, instead, a counter-culture then the world s natural reaction is to nail us to a cross or feed us to lions. Bill Maher and his crowd wanted to become comfortable with Jesus and Kuo gave them that. They wanted God on their side against the President, the Republicans and the Evangelicals and Kuo gave them that.
That is why they applauded. If Jesus had a real message for that audience their response would have been conviction or revulsion, an approving applause means something else entirely.

Hey D. Simon Parentis, You must be without sin to take such a strong stand against homosexuals and other sinners. Tell me how to you do it. I'll follow your cult, hell, I'll be your Paul!

... in fact, Mr. Parentis sounds like he'd be right at home in Fred Phelps' church.

Dear Dennis, once we recognize sin and corruption, isn't it our first duty to repent, meaning to turn arround from the wrong direction we are heading to and correct our walk? For years folks like you brought up the abortion issue to prevent true repentance insisting to keep working on the important issues. Where could the U.S. be today if there had been true repentance among God's self appointed representatives in politics and their supporters in our evangelical community? Instead out of self righteousness corruption just grew into enormous dimensions. Don't you agree, things would be a lot better if there had been repentence 3 or 4 years ago, or even far earlier? Instead people over the whole world are disgusted and more hostile against the Christian message than before. And not because the message itself challenges them (they don't get to that point anymore), but because they look at the U.S. (according to many mistakenly the Christian Nation) and think Christianity = Republicans, self-righteousness, corruption, war.

Friedrich ~ you pose a fascinating concept. Could a government be faithful enough to deserve the support of the Christian community? This side of the mortal coil, such a thing is beyond my comprehension. That leaves either abandonment by Christians of the support of any government or seeking out areas of agreement. With all due respect, such a thing is called politics. Your argument that Christians should abandon a party that is 50% helpful and see one come into power that is 0% helpful isn t convincing. If you can name a single government in the history of the world that would merit our support (using your criteria), or even one Presidency that was sterling and pure enough then I ll say you are right, let s kick these almost s to the curb and demand perfection. My concern is that there is another agenda being (not so) subtly pushed by David Kuo and his (perhaps unwitting) supporters. Look, in the same way that Republicans would like to alienate the Democrats from their most influential constituents (minorities, union workers, etc), the Democrats know they will dominate the electorate if they can pull the same stunt with Evangelicals.
I think David Kuo, his book Tempting Faith, and most of these posters are big phony s pulling a high-profile stunt in support of the Democratic party and Christianity-be-damned. Your dismissive attitude toward abortion means either you do not believe that the unborn are image bearers of the Creator or are unaware of the seriousness of the issue. Please, I m not accusing anyone of being non-Christian, just opportunistic.

One more thought, in response to the last line of your blog: "Maybe Jesus came to set us free so that sometimes we could turn around and set him free of the narrow portraits people paint of him." I agree with your assessment and recommend Rob Bell's book "Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith" for a great look at our inaccurate portraits of Jesus & how we can live more faithfully as his disciples in this world. It offers solid biblical analysis in a very approachable format. Rob's DVD series called "NOOMA" is also great stuff, and the one called "Bullhorn" is apropos to this discussion on Christians and media.
(FYI- I live in the same town as Rob Bell and used to work for his publisher, but I don't know him personally & I receive no benefit from this endorsement. I just like his work. See for yourself at www.NOOMA.com)

D. Simon Parentis, who cares what you believe, you dumb turd?

To the nameless and mouthless one-- Calling someone names is not going to impress him, or anyone, to your way of thinking.

Renato said: But, if there is a God, and if he's anything like D. Simon Parentis' God, then I don't want to have anything to do with a God like that.
My take on it is this: if there is a God, then I want something to do with Him no matter how He is and what He believes. I am just not big enough to judge Him and demand He must believe as I do if I am to give Him my time. So, knowing how small I am, I have decided simply to bow to Him and follow wherever He leads, as best I can, just as a child might try to follow his parent. I will try to do this even if God condemns homosexuality, and indeed even should He condemn me specifically. He is God after all, and that means He gets to decide what is right and what is wrong. My goal is to agree with Him while begging mercy for my failure to be like Him. I don t believe as I do because I have something against gays. I sincerely think God s Word condemns homosexuality, and so I think God Himself condemns it. I think likewise regarding lying, adultery, and many other sins, some of which I am guilty. The only reason I have not posted lying and cheating is because no one is doing for lying and cheating what people like David Kuo are doing for homosexuality. I have no problem with people who think homosexuality is good. That is not my concern. I simply wish to present a defense against the claim that the Jesus of the scriptures accepts everyone and everything, even the idea of homosexuality. I only wish to present my beliefs here too, right along with everyone else, and then let people makes their own choice employing that honest place within their own hearts.

If no one else will, I'd like to thank D. Simon Parentis for his lenghty, thoughtful comments and for presenting a perspective that truly represents small-o orthodox Christianity. I didn't see Maher, but it sounds like his audience wanted to use the absolutely true statement that God loves them as an opportunity to boast, and that doesn't sound like they truly understood and accepted the need for God's love and grace and unmerited forgiveness -- that is to say, their (and our) utter moral bankruptcy. If Christians do not make clear -- in word and deed -- that God loves everyone, it is to our shame. But if we do not make clear that God will judge us all, it is also to our shame. The wheat and the tares; the sheep and the goats; the narrow path and the broad path: Jesus could not have been more clear that not everyone will enter the Kingdom of God.
Who are we to muddle or muzzle a message He sent so clearly?
And if I may say so, those who think Jesus was merely "a pretty good guy" do not really know and comprehend what the Bible says about Jesus, and what the Bible records as Jesus' own words. "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell." "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Jesus who claimed to be the Christ -- the Messiah, the Annointed, God's promised Savior -- was either a monster to be hated, a lunatic to be pitied yet locked away, or God Incarnate who deserves our worship and our obedience. He is neither merely a great teacher nor a pretty nice guy: He never gave us the option to accept Him as that.

Okay, one last thought for the evening: Here is the simple takeaway--people love Jesus, they just disapprove of his self-appointed PR people who portray him as political and narrow and angry. "People love Jesus"? Some people do -- mostly because He first loved us -- but I'm skeptical of the implication that we are significantly more moral than the first-century Jews who saw Jesus in person, people who most certainly did not unanimously love Jesus. While some indeed loved and followed Jesus, others didn't: Jesus didn't exactly get a warm welcome everywhere He went, to say the very least. So: are we to suppose that people wanted to crucify Jesus because of bad PR?
It's certainly not true that a negative reaction is proof of fidelity to Christ's message, but I think a consistent lack of a negative reaction from people may indicate salt that has lost its saltiness. Consider John the Baptist and all the prophets who preceded him; consider Stephen and all the martyrs who followed him; consider Christ Himself who promised repeatedly that we would not be received by the world with open arms. "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." - John 15:18-20 We shouldn't go looking for a fight: defend Christ and His message, and fights will come to you. If they're not coming to you, that may be a sign the fallen world finds whatever it is you're defending a little too palatable.

First off, I never watch Bill Maher, despite his humor, because I do not care about his politics. I happened to catch your interview tonight and was saddened by this media as a way to promote your book or message. I do agree that the political arena is very ugly. But for people to be so judgemental of others based on their own opinions of decisions is truly un-christian. I believe that we never give enough so we can never satisfy that request from God. But to say that the President did not follow through is not fair considering the circumstances our country is involved in. I believe in the philosopy of the Rebublican party in that we must teach all people to help themselves, not simply blind spending. Did not Jesus say that if we teach the man to fish we would be better of as opposed to giving him a fish? I would hope that you would watch the content of the show that you were on and tell me that it is appropriate for you to be on that program if in fact you claim to be a man of God. Despite President Bush,s imperfection, I do believe that he has the best interests of the country and the world in his heart. For you to claim otherwise is difficult to understand. I have not read your book, but I will because I value all opinions. I just do not understand why you jump on the hate Bush bandwagon at a time like this unless you have an axe to grind. Thanks for listening!!

I would hope that you would watch the content of the show that you were on and tell me that it is appropriate for you to be on that program if in fact you claim to be a man of God. Despite President Bush,s imperfection, I do believe that he has the best interests of the country and the world in his heart. Aren't you being "judgemental" here, hypocrit? And AWOL is a giggling murderer.

Pssst, HYDRANGEA. Hate to break it to you here, like this and all, but there isn't a god.

As a gay man, a recovering Catholic, and an active Independant I thank you for your honesty and attempt to draw back the cloak of this adminstratiions hijacking of Christian faith as if it was his (President Bush) own invention and he was the only holder of the key to Heaven. Being a Christian means practicing Christ's love. Being Christ like. There is no eveidence of his love in the president his administration if so every child in the US would have health care, every child would have a warm bed to sleep in and every child would have 3 meals each day. This is where the love of Christ is displayed in Christian's lives. God is not a Republican, neither is he a member of the NRA, nor a Democrat, he's paid no due's to Right to Life nor has he unclocked the doors to Planned Parenthood.
God is the creator of the universe and as such has left us to our own divices which on any given day go contrary to his will and his desire. Thank you for a breath of fresh air.

Jesus did not come to affirm sexual perversion.
Not even to get a show on HBO.

nameless mouthless one I'm truly sorry you are so unhappy -- I guess a godless world isn't very pleasant. I expect you won't like this, but I'll pray for you anyway. We are all judgmental, Christian or not, most of us are not very good at it and some of us are downright annoying. Which is probably why we are admonished not to do it.

Its good to know so many know so much about Jesus and what He believes. I'm surprised He didn't get the lot of you to write His book. Now how many of you have had children that did things that were totally unacceptable to you but yet you loved them. Silly ones....Jesus loves, that doesn't mean He approves. It would ultimately be better for you if you came around to His way of thinking. I thought I might write a book and them you could rewrite it for me. Of course given your penchant for taking such broad liberties with another's book...maybe I'll just hold off on that. So just for the record if you look at snow and call it rain...it isn't and if you look at black and call it white...guess what? It doesn't change the facts. God's Word says that homosexuality is sin. Says the taking of innocent life is murder. Never have I found anything more innocent than an unborn child.
Yet Jesus loves us... Problem is, there's going to be a judgement day one day. And then He will ask why His love did change us... And who will answer.