Question By John Otto Liljenstolpe
July 11, 2013
Why do so many of your comments remind me of Bill Maher?
Dear John,
It is certainly not in the fact that I refrain from profanity and Bill does seem to enjoy the shock value of certain words.
As a matter of fact, I have always enjoyed Bill Maher. He is a kind of liberal Bill O’Reilly. I believe I have been on his program, Politically Incorrect, seven times, one of which was a one on one version of that program.
Bill is a very fierce critic of organized religion and in his comments he reveals that he cannot accept some of the more egregious of religious, irrational formulas like “Jesus died for my sins” and “It must be the will of God.” I must admit I find those phrases nonsensical myself.
Bill’s religious background is Roman Catholic through one parent and Jewish through the other. God was communicated to him more like a punishing parent or a hanging judge who was going to get him rather than through the concept of life-affirming love.
Bill is quick-witted, insightful and good at what he does. On great issues, he has integrity. He was fired by Disney from his program, Politically Incorrect, because he challenged a politician who called the terrorists who struck the World Trade Center in 2001 a group of “cowards.” Cowards, said Bill Maher, are those who fire long range missiles at civilian targets and never feel any fear of retribution. Cowards are those who bomb cities from 35,000 feet in the sky. The terrorists were willing to die for a cause in which they believed. You may question the appropriateness of that cause. You may be horrified at the pain it inflicted on innocent victims. Call them evil if you will, he continued, but they were not cowards. The Disney Corporation (owners of ABC) could not process that insight in the irrationality of the post 9/11 American World, but Bill was right and Disney was wrong.
Bill Maher will always have cheerleaders and detractors. Anyone as insightful, quick-witted and honest as he is will always elicit both responses. He will also incur the ire of politicians and religious leaders when he punctures their arrogance, exposes their pomposity and peels the perfumed cover from their propaganda. Exposed people always react to that exposure with hostility.
I like Bill Maher and I think he contributes to making America a more honest country. So I’m glad I remind you of him. Whether Bill likes that association will be up to him.
~John Shelby Spong
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