I DISAGREED with A LOT of what George Carlin had to say

[musicblind]

Largely I disagreed with him on religion. Yet, even though I disagreed with him on some things, I could not help but to listen because he had so obviously put his time into selecting the most clever words in order to articulate the things that he felt. Better yet, on the issues where I did agree with him I was impressed with how he used humor as a such a persuasive tool and thus giving a sharp bite to hammer home his perspective. People like George Carlin have taught me that it is IMPORTANT to listen to the people you disagree with him and pay attention to what they have to say. You learn something by NOT ignoring people who dissent from your personal opinions. Ignore is a root word for ignorance and Carlin teaches the value of having ALL the information easily available and out there for the public. The good, the bad, and the ugly. That way, you at least know that your opinion is not based on ignorance and in the end come away with an even stronger sense of empowerment.

I didn't always agree with what he said, but I respect him as an artist and admire that he stood up for his right to say it, and therefore (in the same stroke) he stood up for my right to say the things that I want to say. It is disappointing when any artist leaves us like this. You always think, what else good could they have contributed to the world if they had been allowed another decade, another year, another day? What clever turn of phrase will we never hear? What deeper insight will we never get a chance to see?

[LanternWaste]

1. He was a comedian...

He was a comedian. I've sat in the audience and listened to Cosby, Newhart, Pryor, Steve Martin, et. al.

Never once did I go into a concert, or leave a concert feeling as though new perspectives had been reached or achieved-- only that I had laughed my butt off for two hours.

I don;t really believe that comedians allow us new insights-- however, they do allow us the opportunity to laugh at insights and perspectives that had previously existed...

[musicblind]

2. While I like Bill Cosby. I have several of his recordings. And even memorized one by heart as a

child. (I'm a big fan of stand up)... I have to say, there is a HUGE difference between Bill Cosby's "Why Is There Air" and the work of George Carlin.

[BrklynLib at work]

3. He was more than a mere comedian....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x367292

[LanternWaste]

5. So some think. Not me.

So some think. Not me.

[spanone]

4. not me, i think he was dead on about religion....pardon the pun

[KathieG]

8. I agreed with him on the topic of religion as well.

[Hydra]

6. What did you think he got wrong about religion?

You don't really think "God" sanctions the behavior of the various churches that claim to worship him, do you?

All-powerful, all-knowing and eternal...why would he/she/it care about the "10 things you aren't supposed to do"?

Humans have a HUGELY overblown opinion of their place in the cosmos, and I think Carlin did a good job of puncturing that opinion.

That's my view though. I still want to know why you think he was wrong.

[musicblind]

9. I spent a LONG time writing this. So I hope you will read it. Here's why I think he "got it wrong"

when it comes to religion.

It is my understanding that George Carlin claimed religion to be bullshit. That is his opinion, but it is an opinion I strongly disagree with. I think Carlin had a great mind and it is sad that he was not able to keep it open enough to consider that somethings cannot be explained by science. In fact a lot of things cannot be explained by science since science can only measure something that is both observable and can be repeated.

Do I think "God" sanctions the behavior of the various churches that claim to worship him? That's a very broad question. But, since you asked, let me tell you what I do think about God. (and all of this is relative, because you may certainly have your own opinion on the matter as well.)

Christians have become stereotyped in a very bad way. This stereotype is WRONG to hold, no matter how much you think it is true. It would be the same as saying "Oh, you're from the South? You must eat lots of grits and use racial slurs." Some people in the South do love grits and harbor racist attitudes, but not all, and probably not the majority. I am a Christian, but I do not believe the Bible is the absolute word of God. I believe it is a wonderful book that was written by the hand of many different men and women who each cared about God and were inspired by God. Here's another way to look at it: I have recently written a song about my mother. That song was inspired by my mom... it was not, however, dictated by my mother. I believe that as the Catholic church began to differ itself from more pagan versions of Christianity it decided the creation of "The Bible" would benefit and better organize it's cause. The church then began to pick and choose which books they liked best to make up The Bible.

I think that the closest we actually have to the "word" of God is contained in the quoted teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. However, even that was written decades later by memory, in some cases, and second hand accounts in others. Yet, there is a stark conflict between the words that came out of Jesus' mouth and the rest of the Bible. Where men in the Old Testament were eager to stake out an "eye for an eye" Jesus stopped an execution and declared that the person without sin should cast the first stone. Jesus came out strong against judging other people (take the log from your own eye before you take the speck from theirs AND Matthew 7:1-3 "Do not judge lest you be judged"). Jesus also said that you should not show off your religion, that it was between you and God. "pray in your closet" as my Dad used to explain to me or as it was actually said "enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret". Jesus was for separation of Church and State declaring Give to Cesar what is Caesars and give to God what is God's.

The funniest thing about right wing Christians is that they spend a lot of time quoting every passage of The Bible except the words Jesus actually spoke. I think this is evidence that most of the Bible was clearly written by men, reflecting very human emotions of anger, xenophobia, and revenge. Where as the only semi-close accounts we have of God via Jesus shows God to be a very different and loving being. Heck, Jesus would have made a pretty darn good Democratic nominee!

I also believe a lot of the old Testament is metaphorical. The Earth was not created in 7 days and in all my years as a Christian (and attending many churches) I have never met a single Christian who declared this to be fact. I have never met a Christian who didn't believe in Dinosaurs or Carbon dating. Most look at the 7 days as a metaphor for how the Earth came about. It is seen more as the 7 stages. The most unique part is that the Bible, more or less, got the order of creation correct! There was water, bacteria, the volcanic eruptions leading to land creation, then animals evolving from the sea into land creatures, and eventually at the end we got humans. The Bible also correctly predicted the Earth as round but scholars have known this for a long time (for LOOOONG before Columbus sailed... as his voyage had nothing to do with such matters). The Bible is a great view into the minds of people who worshiped God. Some ideas are great, some (slavery) are not so great but are artifacts of the time and not an indication that God believes in slavery. Nowhere in The Bible does it say "This is the Bible and it is the word of God".

So no, not all Christian's take the Bible literally. Not all Christians believe in Hell. I think of God's relationship with myself to be a lot like the relationship I have with my dogs. I love them, but I don't want them to pee on the carpet. If they DO pee on the carpet... I put them outside and then after a while I let them back in again. I heard a pastor (when I was young) once describe "hell" in that way. Hell being outside. Not a horrible place, there are trees, and food bowls out there, but heaven really rocks cuz it has air conditioning and I get to pet them when they're inside. Still others just don't believe in hell period.

Not all Christian's judge, or impose. I have dated several people who are not Christian and it did not mean I loved them any less. One of my most recent ex boyfriends father was a pastor. He loved his son, who was gay. No disowning, no yelling, no lectures. He let his son go on a cruise with me. He was a really cool guy.

I am often surprised that people DON'T believe in God. I think THAT shows an overblown opinion of their place in the cosmos. The idea that all of this is because of them alone and nothing else. I look around and I don't feel OVERBLOWN; I feel overwhelmed. I look at the ocean and am humbled by the size. I look at the stars and am amazed at how large the universe is... and at what other life forms are probably (statistically) out there. I look at DNA, and cells, and how the human body is not one big machine but thousands of smaller weak machines that hold hands to make it work... and I do not believe this could have all happened by chance. It would be like walking into an airport, seeing a Boeing 777 and thinking "surely a tornado must have blown through a junk yard of scrap metal and put all that together by accident." It would be absurd to say that, yet people feel that way about the miracle that is their own human bodies?

It seems horribly CLOSE minded not to consider the possibility of God. It seems very egocentric to think that we are alone, and only what we see right now is what counts. Be it proven by the Einstein, Jonas Saulk, Niel Armstrong, or The Wright Brothers... time and again history has shown us that the difference between the impossible and possibility is in how much you believe.

So in short (oops, waaaaay too late) no, I do not think that religion is bullshit. Religion (all kinds) has been responsible for a lot of bad things, but it has also been responsible for a lot of good things. Religion has given food, shelter, comfort, motivation, and inner peace. Carlin got it wrong. You don't have to be stupid to believe in Angels, you just have to have an open mind. ;)

[alphafemale]

10. Exposing some of the absurdities of organized religion is not the same as being against g-d.

I don't care how rich with history or ritual it is.

A human claiming to know the mind of the infinite is laughable but harmless until they attempt to forcefully bend the will of others to accept their views.

What would the microbes in our intestines think of us, as humans? Maybe they would go to war over varying interruptions.

Think any of them could get it right?

[sendero]

11. I have a much simpler view..

... I believe that if there was a god, who had something to impart to us, he would reveal himself in a clear and unambiguous way.

Since he has not chosen to do so, I choose to not live my life based on the words of other men.

Also, I agree that not all Christians fit the awful stereotypes prevalent about them, I don't see "real" Christians doing much about the Falwells, Dobsons and Robertsons of the world. If I were a "real" Christian, I would not tolerate having my religion dragged through the gutter.

[kimmerspixelated]

7. George Carlin-AM/FM !

I think that was the title of one of his first albums, or the only one I had in the 70's. He simply rocked. Definitely pushed the envelope, but he inspired so many others. I like the fact that he strongly endorsed my current favorite comedian-Lewis Black. He said Lewis Black was one of the few that he would pay money to go see!

GC, you will be missed!