"Does anyone know if Ricky Gervais is an atheist?" [split topic]

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I hate people that bang on about what they are. Good for you, whatever.

Same here.  Around the time the "Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!" slogan was suddenly all the rage and pasted around every stinking corner, I could only think "You get over it, please".

[Queneau]

Reminds me of that great bit in 15 Storeys High when Vince says something like, 'I really like table tennis but I don't go knocking on people's doors banging on about it.'

[Retinend]

Kunt of Kunt and the Gang fame pronounces it that way too.

Anyway, Dawkins has been pissing me off for years. The best thing about The God Delusion is the chapter about children.

Is that the chapter where he alludes weirdly to some unsavory event in his own childhood but dismisses it as "some nonsense" (or an expressive along those lines) and then goes on to describe religious upbringing as outright child abuse?

I would really like to know if I just imagined that, but I don't own my own copy of it to look it up. Anybody who knows what I'm talking about (the first bit, not the second) please chime in, thanks.

Re the video... I couldn't last until the end. Dawkins was by far the better man of the two so far as patronising cuntishness goes... I sometimes felt as if Dawkins would have corrected Gervais's rhetoric on a few occasions, but was being obliging to a sympathizer's general flow of obsequiousness. Did everyone catch the bit where Gervais proudly recounts the plot of his "Invention of Lying" and drops the word "evolved" in a such a way as to probably offend Dawkins innerly just as much as a hissing creationist? You couldn't write this sort of character dynamic - it's fascinating to wonder what either one is thinking at any given point.

[Sony Walkman Prophecies]

Which comedian should the biologist Rupert Sheldrake (author of The Science Delusion) team up with then? I'm thinking of of Kitson, possibly Eldon. Hmm. Difficult to call.

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Fucking hell, is this thread still going? I stopped following it at around page 30.

Why no; it has only just begun.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

I wish the fucking New Atheists would fuck off. If they want to be intellectual dissidents pleased with themselves for going against the cultural grain then they should get in to Schellingian naturphilosophie or something like that, it would at least be diverting. Or just join either the SWP or the Freedom Association, they cater for the low-wattage wannabe-outsider. Just leave fucking atheism alone and stop fucking about with it and preening like you're fucking spokesmen. You are to atheism what the fucking YECs are to fucking christianity.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Which comedian should the biologist Rupert Sheldrake (author of The Science Delusion) team up with then? I'm thinking of of Kitson, possibly Eldon. Hmm. Difficult to call.

He should appear in a performance of that final script N.F.Simpson was working on, which had a big speech admonishing Dawkins in it.

[paolozzi]

This is clearly a joke, right? I hate people that bang on about what they are. Good for you, whatever. As long as you aren't hurting anyone I don't give a flying gosh. An old lady on her death bed believing in God, and that she's going to heaven, no harm in that. It's when religion is used as an excuse, weapon or justification that I object. Collective religion is really a shitter. How anyone can be so sure of anything regarding the creation of the universe truly baffles me.

Not a joke. I am, of course, talking about people I've met in real life. Atheists being the most annoying, and religious types being the most engaging.

Either way, thanks for being annoying to prove my point.

[Queneau]

Either way, thanks for being annoying to prove my point.

Wow, and I'm not even trying. Atheists being annoying wasn't your original point, as I remember. It was just that you hate atheists.

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Not a joke. I am, of course, talking about people I've met in real life. Atheists being the most annoying, and religious types being the most engaging.

Yes, that doesn't seem too reductive and stupid.

[bonesbonesbonesbones]

This is clearly a joke, right? I hate people that bang on about what they are. Good for you, whatever. As long as you aren't hurting anyone I don't give a flying fuck. An old lady on her death bed believing in God, and that she's going to heaven, no harm in that. It's when religion is used as an excuse, weapon or justification that I object. Collective religion is really a shitter. How anyone can be so sure of anything regarding the creation of the universe truly baffles me.

I think the offence is that it should be easy to be an atheist and not be a dick. Obviously that's a lesser crime than a lot of religion-inspired violence and oppression *coughs - Gaza - coughs* but, generally, in Britain there are actually quite a lot of quietly devout people. Obviously there are also nutters but it's a low ratio. So, when Dawkins and Gervais wade in, they speak in fairly ridiculous broadbrush terms and make all the considered atheists amongst us squirm and almost want to take up a religion just to spite them. It's just fucking annoying for someone to so fundamentally get the easy stuff wrong. Gervais uses his atheism as a marker of his own intellectual capabilities, which is pretty similar to using a belief in fairies as a marker to your intellectual capabilities: there's no causal relationship. You can be an atheist and be a smug, pompous, wrong-headed arsehole and that's what Ricky G (and very often Richey D) is proving, very scientifically.

[madhair60]

hey guys i made a macro share it pls

[paolozzi]

Yes, that doesn't seem too reductive and stupid.

What can I say? I always judge things only when I've had a personal experience with it, because everything is scary. Unless I've seen it with my own eyes, it's something scary. I don't even like white lion bars because I've never eaten one.

[Tiny Poster]

Which comedian should the biologist Rupert Sheldrake (author of The Science Delusion) team up with then? I'm thinking of of Kitson, possibly Eldon. Hmm. Difficult to call.

Harry Hill - both peddle hilarious nonsense.

[checkoutgirl]

Atheists being the most annoying, and religious types being the most engaging.

I'm an atheist (I think) and I don't go on about it, probably because I'm coming into my mid thirties and religion or lack of it as a subject is starting to bore the arse off me. It just doesn't interest me. I couldn't give a fuck what anyone believes in as long as they don't pester me about it. And the whole Ricky Gervais and Richard Dawkins thing, anger is giving way to apathy.

I think I have a theory regarding Gervais and him going on about atheism and simultaneously thinking that he doesn't go on about it. He goes on about it on Twitter, (some) TV shows and that but there are plenty of TV shows where he doesn't mention it. He goes on about it most on Twitter but as far as he is concerned Twitter is full of mongs who are there to marketed to and lorded over. People on the internet are this tiny little insignificant pathetic pack of mongs who have no bearing on the decisions he makes or his life. Consequently he doesn't believe that banging on and on about atheism and religion on the internet even really counts and he therefore thinks that he doesn't go on about atheism and he shouldn't be defined by it.

That's why if you asked him if he ever mentions his charity work, he'd say no. And if you pointed out shit he said about it on Twitter, he'd probably dismiss that as not counting. He really does hold people on the internet in contempt.

It's just a little theory that I'm sure I've probably subconsciously picked up on somewhere else and regurgitated here.

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What can I say? I always judge things only when I've had a personal experience with it, because everything is scary. Unless I've seen it with my own eyes, it's something scary. I don't even like white lion bars because I've never eaten one.

Well I guess some people have to leap to conclusions and "hate atheists" based on a few crap friends that they have, rather than accept they have limited experience and keep an open mind.  Well done for managing.

[Nuclear Optimism]

Not a joke. I am, of course, talking about people I've met in real life. Atheists being the most annoying, and religious types being the most engaging.

You're probably just thinking of loud arseholes who go on and on about being atheists (the kind that Limmy describes as putting it in their twitter profiles), and not remembering (or perhaps not noticing) all the other people you've met who happen to be atheists and who weren't annoying. Which would probably be most of them. The dickheads are always the most memorable in every crowd. Also, "being annoying" hardly discredits someone. It's a far lesser crime than some religiously-motivated practices.

Edit: I completely missed this page and have just realised that everyone has already made these exact points.

[paolozzi]

It's ok people, I'm not really racist towards all atheists. You know, for a comedy forum, I thought there would be a few more pinches of salt thrown around. Anyway, yes, annoying atheists are annoying. I've forgotten what I'm even on about now, thanks a lot.

[Retinend]

You're probably just thinking of loud arseholes who go on and on about being atheists (the kind that Limmy describes as putting it in their twitter profiles), and not remembering (or perhaps not noticing) all the other people you've met who happen to be atheists and who weren't annoying. Which would probably be most of them. The dickheads are always the most memorable in every crowd. Also, "being annoying" hardly discredits someone. It's a far lesser crime than some religiously-motivated practices.

I think that if you're handwaving the most obnoxious members of NuAtheism then you must also handwave the most obnoxious religious, e.g. Creationists. Which would be artificial. Better to concede that sections of both are poor ambassadors for the disembodied idea at stake, then better still to decide which subsection you truly have truck with. Not to take part-for-the-whole in any case, because it's insensitive and inflammatory, in either direction.

[SockPuppet]

I'm sure I saw an interview with Stewart Lee where he said he had stopped being an atheist and had become an agnostic.

Having said that, he's doing that bloody Robin Ince thing this Christmas so maybe I was 'sleep Stewart Leeing'. Again.

[Nuclear Optimism]

I think that if you're handwaving the most obnoxious members of NuAtheism then you must also handwave the most obnoxious religious, e.g. Creationists. Which would be artificial. Better to concede that sections of both are poor ambassadors for the disembodied idea at stake, then better still to decide which subsection you truly have truck with. Not to take part-for-the-whole in any case, because it's insensitive and inflammatory, in either direction.

No I'm not handwaving anything. What I meant to say (and what I thought I did say) is that the worst a bad atheist can do is be a smug bigheaded know-it-all intolerant git, which isn't that bad, whereas the worst that a bad religious person can do is... you know. FGM and the like. Basically the worst atheists aren't as bad as the worst religious people.

We all know that old quote that "in order to make a good person do bad things..."

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No. What I meant to say is that the worst a bad atheist can do is be a smug bigheaded know-it-all intolerant git, which isn't that bad, whereas the worst that a bad religious person can do is... you know. FGM and the like. Basically the worst atheists aren't as bad as the worst religious people.

We all know that old quote that "in order to make a good person do bad things..."

Atheists can be equally shit people.  Just not usually in the name of atheism.

[Caprilusa]

How much was Dawkins really paid to sit in a room with Gervais for all that time?

[SockPuppet]

  Basically the worst atheists aren't as bad as the worst religious people.

[tag]Stalin and Mao tiptoe out of thread[/tag]

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How much was Dawkins really paid to sit in a room with Gervais for all that time?

And how irritatingly calculated is the fact that that "room" is in fact a "church".  You can hear the cogs turning in Gervais' sixth-form level head:  HAHAAA THIS WILL ANNOY SO MANY CHRISTIANS!!

Again, you're not being deep, Gervais.  You're being a vacuous twat.

[Thursday]

I'm sure I saw an interview with Stewart Lee where he said he had stopped being an atheist and had become an agnostic.

Having said that, he's doing that bloody Robin Ince thing this Christmas so maybe I was 'sleep Stewart Leeing'. Again.

Isn't this just the fact that marrying a catholic means he has to adopt a pretence of respect for her beliefs.

[phes]

another installment of Ricky's 'Why i'm definitely, absolutely, certainly,  fucking 100% doing life right and you're doing it all wrong and i'm not'

If I could even vaguely impersonate Gervais voice i'd strap on a mask and release a series of instructional lifestyle videos.

[SockPuppet]

Isn't this just the fact that marrying a catholic means he has to adopt a pretence of respect for her beliefs.

Hmmm.....then shouldn't she become agnostic as well?

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Hmmm.....then shouldn't she become agnostic as well?

She should, but she won't because she doesn't love him as much as he loves her (TRUE!).  God comes first and foremost.

[SockPuppet]

Possibly...but they've obviously got an S&M thing going on between them so he probably makes her say 'Jesus isn't skill' as part of their foreplay.



I hope he's stopped reading this site.