Sir:

Mr. Maher is refreshingly arrogant, and deservedly so. He reads. He's educated. He smart. And he's tired of all the good old boy, red necked, joe six pack dumb asses who resent anyone who can and does read.

Don't like it. Tough luck. It's the educated, smart and literate who really run the world while you're slogging around in the Nicean Bible (one of three accepted Bibles) looking for salvation from your own stupidity. And you don't even know the history or sources of your religion.

Let's try a really simple question. Who was the first head of the Christian Church after the death of Jesus? St. Peter? Saul the Usurper (aka St. Paul)?

No, neither. It was James the Elder, brother of Jesus who spoke for the Church until the sacking of Jerusalem in 76 a.d. Who did you think Saul was writing to in his letters? Why does the Nicean Bible deny the existance of James the Elder? Because Saul, who never met Jesus during his lifetime, and who's "salvation" was not witnessed by anyone but Saul, felt he knew more than James and the surviving Diciples.

Offended? Tough. Learn something about your own religion rather than self-righteously denying the truth.

I remain,

Jacomus

P.S. Yes, like Mr. Mahar, I am better than you. Get a grip.

So I guess the thing that REALLY amuses me, is that Bill's attitude appears to be the exact same, bigoted attitude that he likes to blame "Christians" and other religious people with. What happened to tolerance? Are you that much of a hypocrite Mr. Maher, that you can't see past your own bigoted intolerance and hatred toward those of us who actually do believe in God? I don't bother you when it comes to choice or your personal sexuality, so why must you bash me and countless others who do in fact believe in God?

Get off of your high horse Mr. Maher, you are no better than I.

For the bible tells me so.

Sheldon in S.E.

Wow

Since we are the only intelligent life in this planet who knows that one day we will die, it was forgivable to make up myths about life,death, why the sun sets at night and why volcanoes erupt. Yes, when the book (bible means book in greek by the way, and a "book" was man's invention with the printing press in the 15th century,funny right?). yes, when the book was written by primitive desert people nobody knew that the earth was round and revolved around the sun and that hurricanes form because of weather patterns in the oceans and disease is brought about by germs,bacteria, (hell there werent even microscopes back then) So yes, thousands of years ago it was forgivable to make up these myths be it: Judaism, Christianity and Islam (all, by the way, supposedly recited by god to "prophets" in a mountain or cave somewhere with no one else around, go figure). But we are in the 21 century and it is not forgivable. It is downright crazy.
And dont start with the "faith brings comfort" and "faith is outside the realm of things". Faith means believing w/o evidence and that is an insult to our intelligence and it cheapens our intellect as thinking humans that we are. faith brings comfort but it is not true, it feels warm and fuzzy but it doesnt get you anywhere. If you have terminal cancer and days to live and the doctor lies to you and tells you "you are ok" that brings comfort but its not the truth and it wont get you anywhere. Same thing with faith. And if faith really worked, then why dont you just pray and make your god (jewish,christian or muslim, take your pick) yes make your god cure your cancer? what are you doing in a hospital, a center of science tha exists THANKS TO THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND INTELLIGENCE NO THANKS TO THE BIBLE AND FAITH. The bible and faith hasnt changed in thousands of years folks, but secularism and truth and science has.

And dont start with the "if it wasnt for religion the poor wouldnt be clothed or fed because churches help a lot of people,etc". This is something that ANYBODY WOULD DO BE IT ATHEIST,AGNOSTIC,RELIGIOUS,ETC. To help one another we don't need to believe that jesus rose from the dead and the bible was faxed fro heaven by god. No. To do the right thing we just do it because it is inate in us, the same as doing the wrong thing, it is also inate in us because we are people. If not, why is it that priestes molest children? because they are flawed people and faith doesnt mean anything. Why did thousands drown during Katrina, praying to an imaginary friend i the sky? because there is no such thing, people, pls understand.

Why do we have so many different religions in different parts of the world? Think about this fact. BECAUSE RELIGION IS MAN-MADE.
Wake up people! use your brain for once. Just look at the last 8 years. The evangelicals voted for you know who because GOD TOLD THEM. Either god dooesnt exist or god exists and wanted america to vote for this idiot.

Barry in S.E.

1. I do not believe in God.

2. However, I know God exists.

2. Unlike most "Christians" or other True Believers, I feel no need to make he, she or it over in my likeness, nor do I feel a need to give him, her or it my predelictions and psychoses entertaining though they may, nor rant about how no one lives up to my expectations. Revealed religions are dangerous, because if nothing else most people who hear voices and frankly, psychotic and in need of medical care.

Given that the planet Earth is, to explain it simply, way out in the most distant rural boondocks of the universe -- and I mean way out in the middle of no where, why would God give his message to creatures there? Why not on one of the planets in the galactic center? This, alone makes we wonder.

If you choose to bury your nose in a book of contradictions that you feel is the "word of God", I pity you. You're missing out on a much larger and incredibly beautiful world.

I remain,

Jacomus

Maher is as intolerant as some of the religions he lambastes. It is as if the hatred has come full circle. He is the Joe Stalin to organized religions' Adolf Hitler....

Here's the thing about Maher and the other neo-atheists: They think they are arguing against God, but in fact they are arguing against god. To put it another way: I don't believe in the God that that they don't believe in.

Can't wait to see this!

Allison Hallet is pretty butt hurt by something Maher has stated and that is transparent. I get tired of arrogant, young, hack journalists myself.

Create a body of "something" and then you can title yourself, until then, you're just an underpaid intern with an attitude and nobody cares what you think.

Hail Satan! (The mythical magical scapegoat)

Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion

Dear Jacomus,
I too am disappointed at the lack of knowledge Maher bothers to access in this film. Your points are interesting about the first leaders of the Christian Church, but the Church was not really defined until many scholars had time to assimilate the teachings of Jesus those of Sokrates, Homer, Salomon and the Jews. Origen of Alexandria (184 - 254 AD) is widely respected as the one scholar who integrated all the concepts presented by Jesus with the remaining teaching of his time. Origen goes down in history as the most prolific Christian scholar with the great distinction the "No new concept has been introduced to Christianity since him". Within these teachings, there were no contradictions between Jewish and Christian teachings, nor with the paganistic Platonism.

If we can concentrate on the political reasons why the Emperor Justinian issued the Anathematisms against Origen and the effect that this had on Modern Christianity, we can see why the core teachings of Jesus were eradicated from the surviving bible and we are left with senseless dogma and illogical contradictions.

The best way to control the masses is to control what you made them believe will happen to them after they die! With this at the roots of modern churches, I am surprised that there are only 14% atheists in the world.