John DeLancie was causing chaos before he was Q or Discord! XD I'm with John DeLancie on this one: what kind of fucked-up Cub Scout Troop FORCES you to pray??? That outrages me! I mean, I'm all for religious freedom and all, but no one should force someone else to bow to their religion!
Agreed! As a prior cub master, den leader, and district trainer chartered by a religious organization (LDS), I always held the view that we were a community organization sponsored by a religious organization (which is true). We had open membership to whomever wanted to be a part of our den & pack. I never forced a scout to pray, but I certainly extended the invitation as we did start and end our meetings with prayer. If it was declined, it was primarily for their comfort level and I never pressed on it. I may have talked to a parent or two, but not in an accusatory way, but just to let them know.
+satchmodan Did I say we were persecuted? No. Not accepted by society? Yes, which is unfortunately true. Recent surveys show this. As for Satanism, you're an idiot. Us atheists don't believe in any imaginary characters, including Satan.
But seriously, I am OK with him being secular. TBH I always thought he was secular. And the fact that he is sympathetic to other people's religious beliefs shows what a cool guy he is. It actually makes me respect him more. Kudos to you John. Or Q, er...Discord!
I respect Mr de Lancie. He does not attack religions deliberately and openly. As a religious person, I think John is a man you can happily talk about religion, secularism, issues, etc, without antagonism. My respect to John de Lancie, the quintessential Q. Yes, I'm a fan of Q.
very interesting thoughts, I like how he isn't arrogant or angry about it like a bart ehrman dawkins. as a Christian, I think de Lancie would be a guy who would actually be able to have a polite talk about faith and secularism without either side getting riled. always loved de lancie. one of my favorite actors.
There's no proposition more arrogant than the claim that one knows the mind of god. Stop calling other people arrogant, when you have a big old arrogant plank in your eye.
I find it deeply deeply disturbing, that being "openly secular" has the notion of being something, a person has to come out with. It should be the default position and it´s terrifing that it isn´t in the US of A.
+Henry Martinez Thats crazy, its perfectly acceptable here in UK. In fact we take the mick out of religious people all the time! You're crazy if you're not secular!
Had the pleasure of seeing John de Lancie in Halifax NS last night as he hosted a sci-fi symphonic concert. Seems like a very gracious and pleasant man.
Fantastic! So great to hear a voice of reason and realize we share the same viewpoint, John. And so bummed I didn't catch this until just now. I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic grade school. My wake-up call arrived the day I was given an item to present to the altar during school-time mass - this must have been about 5th or 6th grade. As we processed single-file from classroom to church, I heard two of the 'Fathers' (priests) having a discussion in the side entry stairwell. Unsure of when I was supposed to present the item during mass, I ducked out of line to query them: "Excuse me, Fathers - I was wondering when I should bring this item up to the altar" I asked. They both became dead silent, turning to look at me. Then they started laughing. Just...laughing! I stood there for what seemed like an eternity before the full saturation of embarrassment forced me to step backwards through the door whence I came, my question never answered. And for the remaining 12-15 feet to the church entrance, the laughter could still be heard. Surely, if God was real then those two wouldn't have laughed at me in such a way, I thought to myself... And so my journey to critical thinking began that day. Just thought I'd share, heh.
Thank you for writing the funniest comment I have ever read, very representative of the average athiest: lacking in fair judgement and only acting in resentment and pride
@@Jannfndnanakid I'm similarly entertained when people confess their love for a magical space hippie in the sky. Tell me, how in your opinion was my reaction "lacking in fair judgement and only acting in resentment and pride"? And what would you surmise / taken away from this if this had happened to you?
A few thoughts come to mind as I watched this. (BTW, I am a Christian.) 1. "Q" is one of my all-time favorite characters! 2. I was greatly saddened to hear how he was treated in Sunday School and Cub Scouts, both of which I took part in when I was little. My mother, in fact, led my Den pack and taught in my Sunday School class. She never once asked anyone to pray at Cub Scouts. I don't think it ever crossed her mind to do so. And she would never throw any kid out of Sunday School just for asking questions (so long as they were respectful about it). I think she would've offered to talk with them about their questions after class or a later time, possibly with mom & dad present. So, as a Christian, I do want to express apologies to Mr. De Lancie for that treatment. It's a terrible thing to do to anyone. I was bullied in school myself, though not over religion. I'm 51 now, and it's still a raw nerve with me personally. 3. What I wouldn't give to see a Q vs Loki face-off! LOLz, just a random thought. ;)
This is all very true. But none of this means these things don't happen in some shape outside of religion. His take that there is evidence to the contrary is flawed as well. There is no scientific evidence - accepted by the community that is - that states 'yes there is a God and here is the observable experiment". But there is also nothing that says God doesn't exist. There is no evidence for one or the other that can be accepted in a scientific manner as we know the community now. The truth is, most of the world is heavily secular. Praying has been pushed out of schools. A kid talking of his or her own personal will about his or her faith can and has gotten in trouble before when in school. Where is the defense for them I wonder? I have a few years ahead of me than Mr. De Lancie does not have and he could try and scientifically explain to me what I saw when I died. I tried to explain it to myself that way but couldn't. I offer to him, beyond my own experiences, a wager - as Q would really. If we both die - been there before but alas - and there is no heaven or he'll or God... Then neither of us wins or loses anything. Life just ends and that's that. But if we both die and there is a heaven and a hell and God, a believer does win here. The non-believer... Whether we want to or not, that's a wager that is set in motion when we become alive, but particularly, when we are able to understand things not even animals can. What we do with that knowledge is up to the individual. The clock is ticking for all of us.
His story kind of reminds me of my own. I wasn't raised in a religious household but my parents never forced any religious or non-religious ideas on me. I also was in Cubs and Scouts and I always felt a little bit uncomfortable, even at a young age, with the few public religious displays we were expected to perform. I suppose, like John said, I felt kind of manipulated. I didn't consciously come to the conclusion that gods don't exist until I was sixteen or so, but I think I felt that way for as long as I can remember.
Wait a second, "and the father of a heroin addict named Jane." Oh man, I never knew while watching Breaking Bad. He looked so damn different from the days of TNG. Bizarre.
Thank you, sir! Nicely done. And while you did not deliver my all-time favorite line in any medium, it was ABOUT you. When your "Q" character asked what you could possibly do to convince people that you had become mortal, Worf said, "You could die." I love that.
I've been hearing that a lot lately. A lot of atheists are saying that they knew something was wrong when they were very young. To me, the authority bias was very strong at that age.
@@Certifiable so one day my 6 year old was watching the new My Little Pony show..and I heard Q's voice from the other room, rushed in...to see an animated dragon talking to ponies. Sure enough it was he.
Mr Delancy, I've appreciated you since way back in your "Days" acting. My daughter watches MLP and loves Discord. It's a testiment to your staying power as an actor that we have 2 generations who are your fans. Thank you for doing this video. We count ourselves as openly secular!! Hoping for equal treatment to have that believe system faught for by the religious. "I may not agree w what you say, but i will fight to the death, your right to say it" - Voltaire
Well done, John. Not only were you the best god EVER, you make such good points, and your children sound very lucky. I can't paste text or links in a comment here, but I've posted transcript excerpts from this at the Friendly Atheist, which is easy to google.
Weird, I'd say I'm secular, agnostic and spiritual too, and I'm trained as a natural scientist so I am confident in things like scientific cosmology and biological evolution. Despite all that, and having grown up in the rural Midwest, I just never, EVER felt this religious "oppression" or need to feel "closeted" like so many seem to have felt. I feel like I've been an "out of the closet secular" for nearly 50 years and never perceived any need to hide my mindset from anyone; rather it has often struck me how friends and acquaintances who were actively religious often sought my affirmation of their worldview. I admit, that has often been a bit . . . awkward. Telling someone "Sorry but I regard your beliefs as silly and irrational," particularly when I was just trying to get my work done through some interactions with them has never been something I've relished. But I feel I've always managed to be sufficiently diplomatic, if not vague or evasive that I generally avoided these kinds of confrontations. Even the leading minds in physics are not yet sure what came before the "Big Bang" or whether black holes are the "wombs" of new "daughter universes" or not, or whether our universe is actually just one in a multi-verse. To put it simply, beyond our observable universe, there just might be a proverbial "flying spaghetti monster" out there, and science is in no position to disprove such speculations (and may never be). It is just speculation, and it is perhaps more judicious to simply conclude: we do not know, than to create intuitive and potentially inaccurate and harmful myth about things we are in no position to know about. Hopefully we can all be comfortable being "openly WHATEVER we are" as long as what we are doesn't cause harm to others.
May I suggest that you haven't personally felt discrimination because your education (and perhaps income) allows you to move in social environments where lack of religiosity is not seen as threatening.
Hmm. Could be. But then my parents were barely high-school educated working class, so the environment I've experienced as a boy did not afford those benefits so much. I think religiousity, and/or a tendency to be "vulnerable" to it, one way or another is very much tied up with personality. I guess I've just been lucky that my personality has not made me the least bit "vulnerable" to it despite being more-or-less a lifelong agnostic Not intended to dismiss the experiences of others, but perhaps to offer some food for thought for those who have or do feel "oppressed" by religion. Obviously, the specifics of one's early life socialization environment will make a huge difference, but to the extent that cannot be changed an internal reorientation of mind sort of like the sort of thing that is the hallmark of "cognitive behavioral therapy" might be a helpful goal for some? After all, at the end of the day, only "you" know what you actually believe, and if everyone around you expects you to believe a certain thing, it is possible--if difficult--to deceive them into believing that you believe what they want you to believe, while you actually regard what they want you to believe as questionable if not silly.
My parents were too busy earning a living to have any energy left over for religion. Overt displays of religiosity used to be considered low class or at least poor taste. It was only later in life that I encountered people who would pressure me to pray with them, join churches, etc., etc. And when I came back to the US after living in Europe for 6 years, I thought everyone had lost their freakin' minds. I've never been outspoken about my lack of interest in religion, to ensure calm, but why should I have to hide that I'm non-religious while everyone else is festooning the workplace with religious decor, constantly thanking Jesus for somebody else's work, and generally being squealing fangirls? It's a miserable way to live. It's really not fun to be around people who lie about atheists and joke about what they'd like to do to them. I don't need an "internal reorientation." What I need is for people to accept that there are a lot of non-religious people and just leave us alone. Deceiving people about what I believe is just out of the question. BTW, I assure you, there's nothing "vulnerable" about my personality. And what a person did have some kind of "vulnerable" vibe?" That's no excuse for nastiness or infringing their constitutional rights.
Well sure if people get in your face, unleash the angry atheist on them at will. That should make it all better. Me personally, I just chuckle at their silliness and avoid them. If I found myself working in the sort of climate your describe, I'd be looking to find a different job. Reminds me of that devout Muslim who took a job as a beer truck driver, then at some point realized that facilitating the consumption of alcohol was contrary to his faith, so he decided to sue the firm for "forcing" him to breach his freedom of religion. You certainly do not have to hide that you are atheist, but that goes both ways: the faithful do not have to hide their faith either. You cannot have "religious freedom" if anyone has to hide their beliefs, and that automatically creates the possibilities for the situations you dislike: having to tolerate religious people "festooning" your workplace with religious references.
Gosh, thanks so much for that advice. You'd think that after putting up with religious discrimination for all these decades and seeing today's soldiers go through the same shit I did back in the '80s, I'd have learned my place by now. Hell, my Daughter graduated with a STEM degree and is still getting discriminated against in HER workplace. Why should I be angry? You just stay comfy in your "closet," 'k?
When discussing religious or secular views, it seems people always feel the need to explain that they know more about the subject than others. That's not directed solely at Mr. de Lancie. I respect a person's journey that has led them to hold the beliefs they hold and don't feel they need to try to justify their beliefs with an argument from authority. It is possible for two well educated people to read the same materials and come to different conclusions without one having to be right and the other wrong, or one more intelligent than the other.
is this not confusing secular with atheist? you can be religious, but still believe in a society where the church and state do not mix. as most people in america/the uk have done for decades.
He truly should have been more specific. He advocates for Atheism and Humanism and is much clearer in his Wikipedia page. Unfortunately, in the U.S. too many people find the word atheist tantamount to Satan. Backward thinking. He should have been just a bit more courageous in this video and there would've been no confusion.
I am not secular. but I totally support his position. What we have to worry about is people shoving their religion or lack there of down our throats. John handles his beliefs perfectly and with pride. BTW Hi from Portland.
I was born atheist, raised by christians and even my religion teacher knew it, was not a problem! My mother was catholic , my father protestant, but the catholic priest denied the marrige, at that time, 50 years ago a regular problem, just the protestant pastor had no issue with it. My father said, under this circumstance my kids will be no catholics! So my mother changed. I didnt know what an atheist is, never heard that till i informed myself. Church and all these things i saw as part of the culture i was born in and raised. I was baptised, had my confirmation and at church only for as often as my parents told me to. Mostly just for christmas. Today i am an open secular atheist, agnostic, humanist and i cant get it why people buy it! The bible is as true as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Trek, its fiction! I mean look at it, is there any extrenal source for the main characters of the bible? I dont mean Pilatus aso? No, but there are writings outside of Lord of the Rings that meantion Gandalf and all the other main characters of that book. The reason is easy to find, Tolkin knew about these scripts that talk about magic creatures, dwarfs, trolls, witchers aso, he took it and made a story around them. Its not real, but its as real as the bible! It just is placed in another world! JRR Tolkien could have made a historic story out of it, placed in our world. Well maybe it was meant like that, because Middle Earth looks a lot like Pangea, the supercontinent that once existed and split into our known continents. If i would be as religious as many otherrs are, John de Lancie would be my god, i would worship him, because i get my moral code from Star Trek, Babylon 5, and all the other franchises, well till CBS decided to pull Itchebs eye out of his skull and show it on TV! Thats disgusting and not my Star Trek anymore! Hope to see John in The Orville or The Expanse one day!
The most interesting part is that religious people have rights enshrined in our western laws that non-religious people don't have (exemptions for hair styles, ceremonial weapons, days off, vaccine mandates), never mind lower job prospects... you expect this shyt in the middle east, not the modern western world...
American culture is weird. They are quite advanced, yet also very religious. Seems like a contraction in terms. I've got the impression being secular is almost looked down on over there. I think I only ever met 1 American who didn't believe, and she said she struggled as others couldn't believe she was 'such a good person'. That kind of stuff just blows my mind.
As a Christian, I appreciate his approach to his childrens’ education. Ive had to unlearn a lot, but Jesus is still real, its just getting to know the real Him has looked different than i thought it would.
@@jeffisjeff5511 are you saying that you believe in somebody that you think didn’t exist or wasn’t who he claimed to be? Can you help me understand your comment, please?
I would like to see more religious people talking about being secular. As secularism is the belief that church and state must be separated. And although it would be easier to support that belief as an agnostic or atheist, I believe there must be people of all religions who understand the importance of this. And they need to be heard by other religious people who do not understand this. PS. Q rules. :-)
At about the same age as Mr. de Lancie, I abandoned Sunday school (whose curriculum I didn't get the point of) and stayed home to enjoy Rocky & Bullwinkle---giving up organized-church religion to commune with The Horned God, as it were. (And I'm a happy, well-adjusted Wiccan today.)
As I expect to be true for most people my age and a bit older, I didn't need to be a huge Star Trek nerd to see a healthy amount of John de Lancie on TV growing up; he just popped up in a wide variety of shows I watched in addition to his more regular appearances in the various and sundry Star Trek franchises. That was never a problem, though, as I find him quite talented as an actor and he seemed to exercise good judgment in only accepting roles that played to those strengths. Without realizing it, I'd ashamed to say though, I did develop an assumption over time that he was likely quite a smug fellow in real life and perhaps less than stellar company for those around him. Whether this was a function of me conflating him with the Q character or a wider view of the characters he's played overall, or even just his gift for always expressing himself with such magnificent diction and aplomb, or something else entirely, I honestly don't know. I'm very glad though to have more recently run across various clips of him interacting with others completely out-of-character and realized that even as assumptions go, the one I'd made of him was exceptionally inaccurate and undeserved. He seems, just as he did again in this clip, to be such a kind, intelligent and thoughtful man, and exceedingly gracious with his time and energy as well. And after seeing this video of him relating his experience as a non-religious person and how he's come to approach living and parenting in a very overtly religious culture, his stock with me only went up even higher.
Thanks, UA-cam algorithm! JD is the twin I never knew I had! He's exactly right. Religion is based on fear and guilt. Guilt at being born defective, and the fear that if you don't buy into the religion, you're going to suffer for eternity.
My belief in God comes from personal experience. Religion is more of a language and a culture to me. I appreciate his honesty and to my knowledge the creator of this universe appreciates him as well. The beautiful thing about reality is that it is what it is and the humble and open minded are most likely to achieve their full potential as a being. God did not put us here to close our minds in fear or submission. His put us here to learn and to understand. I find more humility and desire to know the truth in this man than in most of my religious peers combined and I believe when he learns of God it he will actually be humble before god. He doesn’t need someone’s church to do this. True followers of decency tend to not shout it from the roof tops as they practice whatever faith they have more effectively thru their attitudes and example. Christ said it is by their fruits ye shall know them and Q is truly a masterpiece of a presentation.
I grew up in a non-religious household. My parents never attended churches when I was a boy. We never read the Bible at all as I was growing up. And the only time religion was ever discussed was when we laughed at the bullshit being said by such Christian televangelists such as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell (Sr.), Jim Bakker, and others. That's not to say that we didn't have family members who were Christian. I have an aunt who would try to get me to read the Bible, which I did from time to time. She wanted me to believe in God, she wanted me to worship Jesus Christ which I never found myself doing. I never accepted Christ as my lord and saviour.
I *totally* agree with what John *("Q")* de Lancie is saying about being secular. I grew up in a secular household. We never went to church or followed any religion. There were people in the family who did attend church. And if I were invited to attend church, I'd attend church. But otherwise I was happy *not* to attend church. That's not to say that I have no beliefs, or that I have no morals. It's just that they're not based on what any religious book says. :)
1:05 - The reason you picked that up at 8 years old is because that is the age of reason. As the late George Carlin once said: "Catholic, which I was until I reached the age of reason."
I’m a theist. I don’t feel the need to convert anyone at all. I’ve seen a lot of dicky theists, and a lot of dicky atheists. Glad to see John isn’t dicky.
I wonder what his views on more “Esoteric” or “spiritual “ philosophies that aren’t necessarily based on the fear that organized religion seems to strike in people ( though not being particularly religious in that sense myself, it’s hard for me to speak on all organized religion and what their beliefs are. Some seem very hellfire and wrath of God and guilt, while others seem more open in exploring one’s inner faith and establishing some kind of communion with “God”. Religions don’t exist in a monolith.). I wonder if he’s familiar with philosophies of Alan Watts, or Echart Tolle or Ram Dass or Pema Chodron. The types that examine our inner connections with “God” (I do use the term “God” more so as a placeholder for potential higher consciousness that I feel we are connected to, it’s a simple three letter word, but it does conjure up many different ideas so maybe it’s not the best term. Personally I have no problem with it but it does conjure up a personal separate being that I can understand many people shying away from.) Myself I don’t consider to be “religious” maybe “spiritual” (though I don’t even know if I like that term, it is very broad. I feel there’s more to existence than we can observe from our everyday senses, I feel maybe we can reach the “divine” part of ourselves through a lot of inner work. But as of now I see no real tangible proof that is considered accepted by science as we know it (dealing with cold hard facts). I dunno maybe “optimistically agnostic” would be an appropriate term to describe my views.
Sorry, I just assumed that your were trying to render OP as a moot point, as the devil supposedly is the "opposite" of god. If not, and since Q is actually neither god nor the devil, i now don't see your point at all, since both the devil and god are in the opposite corner of atheism.
Declaring yourself openly secular is almost as hard as declaring yourself openly gay was 20 years ago. You are afraid you will be condemned by your family, lose your friends, have trouble at work. I still am " in the closet" on Facebook, and there are few who know my true feelings. Funny thing is, I have many gay friends and I am very openly pro gay rights-- even to the point that for years I had a rainbow flag in front of met house. I had no problems with any conclusions my neighbors might make, even though I am not gay myself. But openly secular - hmm. About 6 years ago I had to testify in a New Orleans court. They gave me a Bible and asked me to swear " so help me god". I had to suppress a giggle- I wanted to win my case.
In his Wikipedia page he advocates for atheism and humanism. As an atheist myself, I suspect he doesn't use the word atheist because many in the U.S. still consider word tantamount to saying you believe in Satan. Sad but true. He is a dyed in the wool atheist no matter how many times he repeats the word secular. 👍
I love his voice. I need it for my gps or as an Alexa replacement.
Make it so! 😍👏
He's my favourite actor. The first time I saw him was when *"Star Trek: The Next Generation"* premiered, back in 1987.
He just gets cooler and cooler.
Right?? I'm just finding this and other videos of his or interviews, and he's REALLY a cool guy!
He made being an omnipotent being cool again!
One more reason to like Q. :)
omg it's Alarak!
it is omg
he is the voice actor...religious or not his voice is addictive
Im openly Alarakular
#fuckamon
Alarak is also Openly Secular
John DeLancie was causing chaos before he was Q or Discord! XD
I'm with John DeLancie on this one: what kind of fucked-up Cub Scout Troop FORCES you to pray??? That outrages me! I mean, I'm all for religious freedom and all, but no one should force someone else to bow to their religion!
Agreed! As a prior cub master, den leader, and district trainer chartered by a religious organization (LDS), I always held the view that we were a community organization sponsored by a religious organization (which is true). We had open membership to whomever wanted to be a part of our den & pack. I never forced a scout to pray, but I certainly extended the invitation as we did start and end our meetings with prayer. If it was declined, it was primarily for their comfort level and I never pressed on it. I may have talked to a parent or two, but not in an accusatory way, but just to let them know.
Bravo John .. Not only a multi talented entertainer, but a man with a functioning mind as well! :-)
Cool! The more celebrities who come out as openly secular, the better they make it for the rest of us to come out and be accepted by society.
+Jack Decker Agreed!
+Jack Decker Oh yeah, because atheists are so persecuted. Almost all 'celebrities' flaunt their atheism and often times downright Satanism.
+satchmodan Did I say we were persecuted? No. Not accepted by society? Yes, which is unfortunately true. Recent surveys show this. As for Satanism, you're an idiot. Us atheists don't believe in any imaginary characters, including Satan.
+satchmodan We were in the past more-so than we are now.....atheists or non-believers were burned on the stake once upon a time!
+Sascha Dupupet Actually, it isn't just in the past. www.thewire.com/global/2013/12/13-countries-where-atheism-punishable-death/355961/
But seriously, I am OK with him being secular. TBH I always thought he was secular. And the fact that he is sympathetic to other people's religious beliefs shows what a cool guy he is. It actually makes me respect him more. Kudos to you John. Or Q, er...Discord!
- ALARAK, THE HIGHLORD OF THE TAL'DARIM!
^_^
I respect Mr de Lancie. He does not attack religions deliberately and openly. As a religious person, I think John is a man you can happily talk about religion, secularism, issues, etc, without antagonism. My respect to John de Lancie, the quintessential Q. Yes, I'm a fan of Q.
@Dirk Knight Point taken.
very interesting thoughts, I like how he isn't arrogant or angry about it like a bart ehrman dawkins. as a Christian, I think de Lancie would be a guy who would actually be able to have a polite talk about faith and secularism without either side getting riled.
always loved de lancie. one of my favorite actors.
There's no proposition more arrogant than the claim that one knows the mind of god. Stop calling other people arrogant, when you have a big old arrogant plank in your eye.
one of fav characters from ST is Q
Humanity pleads guilty to being a savage and superstitious species .
except that that's not the correct quote.
I find it deeply deeply disturbing, that being "openly secular" has the notion of being something, a person has to come out with. It should be the default position and it´s terrifing that it isn´t in the US of A.
+taikonaut jarHead Yes. I couldn't agree more.
I think it's terribly sad.
+taikonaut jarHead Absolutely. Admitting to a lack of belief can get you ostracized by society today. Maddening.
+Henry Martinez Thats crazy, its perfectly acceptable here in UK. In fact we take the mick out of religious people all the time! You're crazy if you're not secular!
+vandit6354 Yep.
s21.postimg.org/jjo45697r/10_pound10_dollar.jpg
Its called having a difference in opinion
Had the pleasure of seeing John de Lancie in Halifax NS last night as he hosted a sci-fi symphonic concert. Seems like a very gracious and pleasant man.
Fantastic! So great to hear a voice of reason and realize we share the same viewpoint, John. And so bummed I didn't catch this until just now.
I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic grade school. My wake-up call arrived the day I was given an item to present to the altar during school-time mass - this must have been about 5th or 6th grade. As we processed single-file from classroom to church, I heard two of the 'Fathers' (priests) having a discussion in the side entry stairwell. Unsure of when I was supposed to present the item during mass, I ducked out of line to query them: "Excuse me, Fathers - I was wondering when I should bring this item up to the altar" I asked. They both became dead silent, turning to look at me. Then they started laughing. Just...laughing! I stood there for what seemed like an eternity before the full saturation of embarrassment forced me to step backwards through the door whence I came, my question never answered. And for the remaining 12-15 feet to the church entrance, the laughter could still be heard. Surely, if God was real then those two wouldn't have laughed at me in such a way, I thought to myself...
And so my journey to critical thinking began that day. Just thought I'd share, heh.
Thank you for writing the funniest comment I have ever read, very representative of the average athiest: lacking in fair judgement and only acting in resentment and pride
@@Jannfndnanakid I'm similarly entertained when people confess their love for a magical space hippie in the sky. Tell me, how in your opinion was my reaction "lacking in fair judgement and only acting in resentment and pride"? And what would you surmise / taken away from this if this had happened to you?
A few thoughts come to mind as I watched this. (BTW, I am a Christian.)
1. "Q" is one of my all-time favorite characters!
2. I was greatly saddened to hear how he was treated in Sunday School and Cub Scouts, both of which I took part in when I was little. My mother, in fact, led my Den pack and taught in my Sunday School class. She never once asked anyone to pray at Cub Scouts. I don't think it ever crossed her mind to do so. And she would never throw any kid out of Sunday School just for asking questions (so long as they were respectful about it). I think she would've offered to talk with them about their questions after class or a later time, possibly with mom & dad present. So, as a Christian, I do want to express apologies to Mr. De Lancie for that treatment. It's a terrible thing to do to anyone. I was bullied in school myself, though not over religion. I'm 51 now, and it's still a raw nerve with me personally.
3. What I wouldn't give to see a Q vs Loki face-off! LOLz, just a random thought. ;)
This is all very true. But none of this means these things don't happen in some shape outside of religion. His take that there is evidence to the contrary is flawed as well. There is no scientific evidence - accepted by the community that is - that states 'yes there is a God and here is the observable experiment". But there is also nothing that says God doesn't exist. There is no evidence for one or the other that can be accepted in a scientific manner as we know the community now.
The truth is, most of the world is heavily secular. Praying has been pushed out of schools. A kid talking of his or her own personal will about his or her faith can and has gotten in trouble before when in school.
Where is the defense for them I wonder?
I have a few years ahead of me than Mr. De Lancie does not have and he could try and scientifically explain to me what I saw when I died. I tried to explain it to myself that way but couldn't. I offer to him, beyond my own experiences, a wager - as Q would really. If we both die - been there before but alas - and there is no heaven or he'll or God... Then neither of us wins or loses anything. Life just ends and that's that. But if we both die and there is a heaven and a hell and God, a believer does win here. The non-believer...
Whether we want to or not, that's a wager that is set in motion when we become alive, but particularly, when we are able to understand things not even animals can. What we do with that knowledge is up to the individual. The clock is ticking for all of us.
Fortunately for him, his parents were not religious and did not have him indoctrinated (brainwashed). A sign of good parenting.
Agree. 👍 I wish I'd had the same advantage as him but realized, as a teenager, that religion made no sense logically to me.
I don't always pray but when I do I pray for Q.
You meant pray TO Q ? :) or pray to something else for Q to visit you ?
@@piotrd.4850 wouldn't you pray for Q? He's so full of despair and dissatisfaction, poor fella.
Good one! 👍🤣
He`s amazing.
His story kind of reminds me of my own. I wasn't raised in a religious household but my parents never forced any religious or non-religious ideas on me. I also was in Cubs and Scouts and I always felt a little bit uncomfortable, even at a young age, with the few public religious displays we were expected to perform. I suppose, like John said, I felt kind of manipulated.
I didn't consciously come to the conclusion that gods don't exist until I was sixteen or so, but I think I felt that way for as long as I can remember.
Man, I hear the Discord in him.
Yay for Discord making a stand for equal rights against religious oppression.
I'm sure Discord of all people would know if God exists. He is definitely a very powerful being.
+Marshall L No, this is Q.
+Xenoforge78 and Q is Discord from My Little Pony. He is an outspoken brony and the father of a heroin addict named Jane.
***** I know. I think you'll find he's more well known as Q, though.
Wait a second, "and the father of a heroin addict named Jane." Oh man, I never knew while watching Breaking Bad. He looked so damn different from the days of TNG. Bizarre.
Oh wow, I didn't think I'd run into you here. Good stuff!
+Sethisto stop it
Thank you, sir! Nicely done. And while you did not deliver my all-time favorite line in any medium, it was ABOUT you. When your "Q" character asked what you could possibly do to convince people that you had become mortal, Worf said, "You could die." I love that.
Great example of what being Human is. I could learn a thing or two from him.
Such an awesome voice and excellent way of pronunciation
Well done, John! I was looking forward to seeing this video of yours, and I think it came out really well!
I've been hearing that a lot lately. A lot of atheists are saying that they knew something was wrong when they were very young. To me, the authority bias was very strong at that age.
His voice absolutely needs to be used for radio and/or voice acting ..
He's done plenty of VA! 😂
@@Certifiable so one day my 6 year old was watching the new My Little Pony show..and I heard Q's voice from the other room, rushed in...to see an animated dragon talking to ponies. Sure enough it was he.
And may whatever God you believe in *chuckle*, have mercy on your soul. This court stands adjourned.
That "Well, MY secularness" sounds SO Alarak, I'm amused :)
Mr Delancy, I've appreciated you since way back in your "Days" acting. My daughter watches MLP and loves Discord. It's a testiment to your staying power as an actor that we have 2 generations who are your fans. Thank you for doing this video. We count ourselves as openly secular!! Hoping for equal treatment to have that believe system faught for by the religious. "I may not agree w what you say, but i will fight to the death, your right to say it" - Voltaire
Awesome! Great video.
Fealty unto the highlord
Well done, John. Not only were you the best god EVER, you make such good points, and your children sound very lucky. I can't paste text or links in a comment here, but I've posted transcript excerpts from this at the Friendly Atheist, which is easy to google.
Weird, I'd say I'm secular, agnostic and spiritual too, and I'm trained as a natural scientist so I am confident in things like scientific cosmology and biological evolution.
Despite all that, and having grown up in the rural Midwest, I just never, EVER felt this religious "oppression" or need to feel "closeted" like so many seem to have felt.
I feel like I've been an "out of the closet secular" for nearly 50 years and never perceived any need to hide my mindset from anyone; rather it has often struck me how friends and acquaintances who were actively religious often sought my affirmation of their worldview. I admit, that has often been a bit . . . awkward.
Telling someone "Sorry but I regard your beliefs as silly and irrational," particularly when I was just trying to get my work done through some interactions with them has never been something I've relished. But I feel I've always managed to be sufficiently diplomatic, if not vague or evasive that I generally avoided these kinds of confrontations.
Even the leading minds in physics are not yet sure what came before the "Big Bang" or whether black holes are the "wombs" of new "daughter universes" or not, or whether our universe is actually just one in a multi-verse. To put it simply, beyond our observable universe, there just might be a proverbial "flying spaghetti monster" out there, and science is in no position to disprove such speculations (and may never be). It is just speculation, and it is perhaps more judicious to simply conclude: we do not know, than to create intuitive and potentially inaccurate and harmful myth about things we are in no position to know about.
Hopefully we can all be comfortable being "openly WHATEVER we are" as long as what we are doesn't cause harm to others.
May I suggest that you haven't personally felt discrimination because your education (and perhaps income) allows you to move in social environments where lack of religiosity is not seen as threatening.
Hmm. Could be. But then my parents were barely high-school educated working class, so the environment I've experienced as a boy did not afford those benefits so much.
I think religiousity, and/or a tendency to be "vulnerable" to it, one way or another is very much tied up with personality. I guess I've just been lucky that my personality has not made me the least bit "vulnerable" to it despite being more-or-less a lifelong agnostic
Not intended to dismiss the experiences of others, but perhaps to offer some food for thought for those who have or do feel "oppressed" by religion. Obviously, the specifics of one's early life socialization environment will make a huge difference, but to the extent that cannot be changed an internal reorientation of mind sort of like the sort of thing that is the hallmark of "cognitive behavioral therapy" might be a helpful goal for some? After all, at the end of the day, only "you" know what you actually believe, and if everyone around you expects you to believe a certain thing, it is possible--if difficult--to deceive them into believing that you believe what they want you to believe, while you actually regard what they want you to believe as questionable if not silly.
My parents were too busy earning a living to have any energy left over for religion. Overt displays of religiosity used to be considered low class or at least poor taste. It was only later in life that I encountered people who would pressure me to pray with them, join churches, etc., etc. And when I came back to the US after living in Europe for 6 years, I thought everyone had lost their freakin' minds. I've never been outspoken about my lack of interest in religion, to ensure calm, but why should I have to hide that I'm non-religious while everyone else is festooning the workplace with religious decor, constantly thanking Jesus for somebody else's work, and generally being squealing fangirls? It's a miserable way to live. It's really not fun to be around people who lie about atheists and joke about what they'd like to do to them. I don't need an "internal reorientation." What I need is for people to accept that there are a lot of non-religious people and just leave us alone. Deceiving people about what I believe is just out of the question.
BTW, I assure you, there's nothing "vulnerable" about my personality. And what a person did have some kind of "vulnerable" vibe?" That's no excuse for nastiness or infringing their constitutional rights.
Well sure if people get in your face, unleash the angry atheist on them at will. That should make it all better.
Me personally, I just chuckle at their silliness and avoid them. If I found myself working in the sort of climate your describe, I'd be looking to find a different job. Reminds me of that devout Muslim who took a job as a beer truck driver, then at some point realized that facilitating the consumption of alcohol was contrary to his faith, so he decided to sue the firm for "forcing" him to breach his freedom of religion.
You certainly do not have to hide that you are atheist, but that goes both ways: the faithful do not have to hide their faith either. You cannot have "religious freedom" if anyone has to hide their beliefs, and that automatically creates the possibilities for the situations you dislike: having to tolerate religious people "festooning" your workplace with religious references.
Gosh, thanks so much for that advice. You'd think that after putting up with religious discrimination for all these decades and seeing today's soldiers go through the same shit I did back in the '80s, I'd have learned my place by now. Hell, my Daughter graduated with a STEM degree and is still getting discriminated against in HER workplace. Why should I be angry? You just stay comfy in your "closet," 'k?
When discussing religious or secular views, it seems people always feel the need to explain that they know more about the subject than others. That's not directed solely at Mr. de Lancie. I respect a person's journey that has led them to hold the beliefs they hold and don't feel they need to try to justify their beliefs with an argument from authority. It is possible for two well educated people to read the same materials and come to different conclusions without one having to be right and the other wrong, or one more intelligent than the other.
I am very glad to hear that story John De lancie very very glad to hear it
Very elegant man..
is this not confusing secular with atheist? you can be religious, but still believe in a society where the church and state do not mix. as most people in america/the uk have done for decades.
The UK? The UK has a state church and blasphemy laws.
He truly should have been more specific. He advocates for Atheism and Humanism and is much clearer in his Wikipedia page. Unfortunately, in the U.S. too many people find the word atheist tantamount to Satan. Backward thinking. He should have been just a bit more courageous in this video and there would've been no confusion.
What brilliant man
I am a devout agnostic atheist!
Q!
Nothing is beneath the high lord.
Th3Sh1n1gam1 I am the high lord . High on marijuana
All the terrans he met have wasted his time...
As a person of faith, I support your right to believe as you wish. Glad to hear the same from you. Keep on keepin' on.
I am not secular. but I totally support his position. What we have to worry about is people shoving their religion or lack there of down our throats. John handles his beliefs perfectly and with pride. BTW Hi from Portland.
That kinda makes you secular though.
Discord for President
Vote John De Lancie
I was born atheist, raised by christians and even my religion teacher knew it, was not a problem!
My mother was catholic , my father protestant, but the catholic priest denied the marrige, at that time, 50 years ago a regular problem, just the protestant pastor had no issue with it.
My father said, under this circumstance my kids will be no catholics!
So my mother changed.
I didnt know what an atheist is, never heard that till i informed myself.
Church and all these things i saw as part of the culture i was born in and raised.
I was baptised, had my confirmation and at church only for as often as my parents told me to.
Mostly just for christmas.
Today i am an open secular atheist, agnostic, humanist and i cant get it why people buy it!
The bible is as true as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Trek, its fiction!
I mean look at it, is there any extrenal source for the main characters of the bible?
I dont mean Pilatus aso?
No, but there are writings outside of Lord of the Rings that meantion Gandalf and all the other main characters of that book.
The reason is easy to find, Tolkin knew about these scripts that talk about magic creatures, dwarfs, trolls, witchers aso, he took it and made a story around them.
Its not real, but its as real as the bible!
It just is placed in another world!
JRR Tolkien could have made a historic story out of it, placed in our world.
Well maybe it was meant like that, because Middle Earth looks a lot like Pangea, the supercontinent that once existed and split into our known continents.
If i would be as religious as many otherrs are, John de Lancie would be my god, i would worship him, because i get my moral code from Star Trek, Babylon 5, and all the other franchises, well till CBS decided to pull Itchebs eye out of his skull and show it on TV!
Thats disgusting and not my Star Trek anymore!
Hope to see John in The Orville or The Expanse one day!
The most interesting part is that religious people have rights enshrined in our western laws that non-religious people don't have (exemptions for hair styles, ceremonial weapons, days off, vaccine mandates), never mind lower job prospects... you expect this shyt in the middle east, not the modern western world...
American culture is weird. They are quite advanced, yet also very religious. Seems like a contraction in terms. I've got the impression being secular is almost looked down on over there. I think I only ever met 1 American who didn't believe, and she said she struggled as others couldn't believe she was 'such a good person'. That kind of stuff just blows my mind.
As a Christian, I appreciate his approach to his childrens’ education. Ive had to unlearn a lot, but Jesus is still real, its just getting to know the real Him has looked different than i thought it would.
I’m Christian too but I hope you didn’t say Jesus is real as a fact.
@@jeffisjeff5511 are you saying that you believe in somebody that you think didn’t exist or wasn’t who he claimed to be? Can you help me understand your comment, please?
@@Critter145 I meant God not Jesus sorry.
Discord
Or, Q, to an even more relatable degree.
I would like to see more religious people talking about being secular. As secularism is the belief that church and state must be separated. And although it would be easier to support that belief as an agnostic or atheist, I believe there must be people of all religions who understand the importance of this. And they need to be heard by other religious people who do not understand this. PS. Q rules. :-)
At about the same age as Mr. de Lancie, I abandoned Sunday school (whose curriculum I didn't get the point of) and stayed home to enjoy Rocky & Bullwinkle---giving up organized-church religion to commune with The Horned God, as it were. (And I'm a happy, well-adjusted Wiccan today.)
Thank you John. It is so important to stand outside the circles of nonsectartians. It is so important to reflect, consider and question.
me too 6 years old same thing
I can't believe you got thrown out of Sunday school
Well said John de Lancie!
I am of the same opinion, curiosity and with similar upbringing.
Greeting from Australia.
As I expect to be true for most people my age and a bit older, I didn't need to be a huge Star Trek nerd to see a healthy amount of John de Lancie on TV growing up; he just popped up in a wide variety of shows I watched in addition to his more regular appearances in the various and sundry Star Trek franchises. That was never a problem, though, as I find him quite talented as an actor and he seemed to exercise good judgment in only accepting roles that played to those strengths. Without realizing it, I'd ashamed to say though, I did develop an assumption over time that he was likely quite a smug fellow in real life and perhaps less than stellar company for those around him. Whether this was a function of me conflating him with the Q character or a wider view of the characters he's played overall, or even just his gift for always expressing himself with such magnificent diction and aplomb, or something else entirely, I honestly don't know.
I'm very glad though to have more recently run across various clips of him interacting with others completely out-of-character and realized that even as assumptions go, the one I'd made of him was exceptionally inaccurate and undeserved. He seems, just as he did again in this clip, to be such a kind, intelligent and thoughtful man, and exceedingly gracious with his time and energy as well. And after seeing this video of him relating his experience as a non-religious person and how he's come to approach living and parenting in a very overtly religious culture, his stock with me only went up even higher.
Thanks, UA-cam algorithm! JD is the twin I never knew I had! He's exactly right. Religion is based on fear and guilt. Guilt at being born defective, and the fear that if you don't buy into the religion, you're going to suffer for eternity.
Man bless you
John I had the same experience but didn't start until I was 10.
0:37
This guy is the real-life Alarak. He clearly overwhelmed their weak uncomprehensive minds. He is the highlord of Tal'Darim!
Has "secular" replaced "agnostic" for people who are atheist but don't like the word?
Sadly, yes. Specifically people don't want to be attacked for using the word atheist because many still are.
Well done! Tell them Q
Oh my Q.
Wow, Q telling me about secularism. I am learning allot.
Outstanding video John, Thank you
IMO most are way too insecure to ever support someone else’s beliefs …. de Lancie is an advanced ET here to set an example
My belief in God comes from personal experience. Religion is more of a language and a culture to me. I appreciate his honesty and to my knowledge the creator of this universe appreciates him as well. The beautiful thing about reality is that it is what it is and the humble and open minded are most likely to achieve their full potential as a being. God did not put us here to close our minds in fear or submission. His put us here to learn and to understand. I find more humility and desire to know the truth in this man than in most of my religious peers combined and I believe when he learns of God it he will actually be humble before god. He doesn’t need someone’s church to do this. True followers of decency tend to not shout it from the roof tops as they practice whatever faith they have more effectively thru their attitudes and example. Christ said it is by their fruits ye shall know them and Q is truly a masterpiece of a presentation.
So he was Q even as a kid then :)
I grew up in a non-religious household. My parents never attended churches when I was a boy. We never read the Bible at all as I was growing up. And the only time religion was ever discussed was when we laughed at the bullshit being said by such Christian televangelists such as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell (Sr.), Jim Bakker, and others. That's not to say that we didn't have family members who were Christian. I have an aunt who would try to get me to read the Bible, which I did from time to time. She wanted me to believe in God, she wanted me to worship Jesus Christ which I never found myself doing. I never accepted Christ as my lord and saviour.
I *totally* agree with what John *("Q")* de Lancie is saying about being secular. I grew up in a secular household. We never went to church or followed any religion. There were people in the family who did attend church. And if I were invited to attend church, I'd attend church. But otherwise I was happy *not* to attend church. That's not to say that I have no beliefs, or that I have no morals. It's just that they're not based on what any religious book says. :)
Discord?
Laughing, because when I hit the "Likes" button (thumbs-up), the count became 666! Maybe a squirrel will die or a tree will fall tonight! LOL
... or maybe I win something, ultimate prize would be a 2 minute live voice chat with John when anyone hits 666 up-votes!
Welp...this makes me love him even more.
I come from a family where I had to wait till my grandparents died before I could be openly secular.
ok I see no problem and respect and I am happy to see we don't need to be at each others throats about everyone's beliefs
1:05 - The reason you picked that up at 8 years old is because that is the age of reason. As the late George Carlin once said: "Catholic, which I was until I reached the age of reason."
0:45 He told them it did not make sense? What happened to "What fun is there in making sense?"
Great content! Subscribed!
I’m a theist. I don’t feel the need to convert anyone at all. I’ve seen a lot of dicky theists, and a lot of dicky atheists.
Glad to see John isn’t dicky.
Only in America is this really a thing....
He's a good father. Just like a good father would educate you not to fall into a pyramid scheme
I wonder what his views on more “Esoteric” or “spiritual “ philosophies that aren’t necessarily based on the fear that organized religion seems to strike in people ( though not being particularly religious in that sense myself, it’s hard for me to speak on all organized religion and what their beliefs are. Some seem very hellfire and wrath of God and guilt, while others seem more open in exploring one’s inner faith and establishing some kind of communion with “God”. Religions don’t exist in a monolith.). I wonder if he’s familiar with philosophies of Alan Watts, or Echart Tolle or Ram Dass or Pema Chodron. The types that examine our inner connections with “God” (I do use the term “God” more so as a placeholder for potential higher consciousness that I feel we are connected to, it’s a simple three letter word, but it does conjure up many different ideas so maybe it’s not the best term. Personally I have no problem with it but it does conjure up a personal separate being that I can understand many people shying away from.)
Myself I don’t consider to be “religious” maybe “spiritual” (though I don’t even know if I like that term, it is very broad. I feel there’s more to existence than we can observe from our everyday senses, I feel maybe we can reach the “divine” part of ourselves through a lot of inner work. But as of now I see no real tangible proof that is considered accepted by science as we know it (dealing with cold hard facts). I dunno maybe “optimistically agnostic” would be an appropriate term to describe my views.
I am openly an agnostic fundamentalist
So it's true: God is an atheist.
Well, a god anyway. As he says.
But John de Lancie is The Devil :|
Does not matter. Irony is still there. It's not like atheists believe in the devil. Only theists do.
Why are you explaining this to me? I understand this.
Sorry, I just assumed that your were trying to render OP as a moot point, as the devil supposedly is the "opposite" of god.
If not, and since Q is actually neither god nor the devil, i now don't see your point at all, since both the devil and god are in the opposite corner of atheism.
I was today years old when I learned Q is secular. O.O
q has spoken humans
maybe it is because of language barrier, but I am a bit lost as to what is secularism?
laïcité
Every time I hear his voice I hear discord....I watched too much little pony as a kid 😐
I can't quite get over this Quantum Conundrum
I know most people either hear John DeLancey or Q when he speaks. But all I hear is a draconiquis lord of chaos.
itz_Starr_btw *Draconequus
Look deeper, John. You have much to learn.
I bet he's much more enlightened than you are.
Declaring yourself openly secular is almost as hard as declaring yourself openly gay was 20 years ago. You are afraid you will be condemned by your family, lose your friends, have trouble at work. I still am " in the closet" on Facebook, and there are few who know my true feelings. Funny thing is, I have many gay friends and I am very openly pro gay rights-- even to the point that for years I had a rainbow flag in front of met house. I had no problems with any conclusions my neighbors might make, even though I am not gay myself. But openly secular - hmm. About 6 years ago I had to testify in a New Orleans court. They gave me a Bible and asked me to swear " so help me god". I had to suppress a giggle- I wanted to win my case.
Our country is tremendously backward when it becomes to people who are atheist, agnostic, etc. Not all countries are so puritanical and uneducated.
Another cool atheist, even if he doesn't call himself that. ;) I ADORED this man as Q on ST:TNG.
In his Wikipedia page he advocates for atheism and humanism. As an atheist myself, I suspect he doesn't use the word atheist because many in the U.S. still consider word tantamount to saying you believe in Satan. Sad but true. He is a dyed in the wool atheist no matter how many times he repeats the word secular. 👍
Well said.
Q the real Q :)
God bless you
🤣🤣🤣