@@bencornell4432 Why? Because he lives in the reality of our Earth? Not some fantasy where people think a book proves the book? That my friend is what happens when people are crippled by the unknown and fill it with a comfort of a god of some sort.
@@vtwin1979 The book you're referring to has outlasted entire civilisations, huge progress in science, technology and our understanding of the world. Moreover any historian worth his/her salt will tell you that there's plenty of evidence to suggest that Jesus Christ is a genuine historical figure. The real question is was he nuts, a con man, or for real? That's up to you to decide.
@@coolersmoke It’s not up for me to decide. Smarter people than you and I (experts) have no way to verify a test for ANYTHING supernatural. Whether he was real or not makes no difference. It’s the supernatural bible claims that is at the core of people’s beliefs. They just choose to believe it without sufficient evidence.
The contempt of the Irish interviewer is all you need to know about the corruption of religion and particularly Christianity. He is ultimately offended by anyone who would dare challenge his ancient fantasy about a fairy in the sky loving you while he threatens and orders you to behave on punishment of hell. This man likely has never heard anyone directly and bluntly challenge the insanity of his made-up god the way Stephen Fry does here.
@dominionphilosophy3698 Is there a point to your stupid reply? Is this the classic religious cult member demanding silence from critics so as not to have to contemplate that his fantasy is really a farce? As an Irish person I find the slavery of the RC church to be one of the greatest crimes inflicted on the Irish people. And the contempt of the interviewer plays this out. "How dare you challenge my belief in a fairy tale daddy in the sky keeping watch over me and promising me eternity! Please don't make me grow out of my childhood delusions! Stop making me think for myself!" Christianity is pure evil.
Yep and it's especially surprising from that presenter who in his early career was by all intents and purposes against the churches influence in Irish society around issues of abortion gay rights etc... I'm not saying he gets a pass but certainly at the time the contempt was surprising, I think too that the reason the look was so prevalent was because on some level Gay Byrne knew the flaws stephen fry was exposing were valid.
Gay Byrne - monkey see, monkey do. Give these ignorant people not one second of your time. God is as real as Santa or the Easter bunny. Simple minds need a reason to get up in the morning. That reason is some celestial being, created by the dreams of the misdirected.
It didn't shake him at all... He was disgusted at fry, everything he said and he wrote it off almost as quickly as the words came from fry's mouth. That man is fully, indoctrinated... And a conversation with fry, or anyone, even a demonstrably and testably real, yet different god... He could converse with an omnipotent being who told him his beliefs were stupid and incorrect and it wouldn't change a thing in his mind; that's the scale of how fundamentally broken these types of people are, and frighteningly they are the majority. Think about that for a second... Globally... People like that are the majority, wild isn't it?
Recently someone said to me “ I can’t believe you don’t believe in god”, I just responded I don’t believe in antiscientific fairytales. I have faith in science, I believe in evidence. I’m a Free Thinking Athiest.
It was Gay Byrne, a highly respected Irish broadcaster, and being Irish I would assume he was also a Catholic, for whom the idea of someone berating God for the suffering and injustice in the world would have been utterly shocking. The thing is; my youngest son survived leukemia, so I've spent a lot of time on a children's cancer ward and seen them suffering. You would have to be utterly stupid not to question what kind of god would allow such a horrible thing.
I saw that interview and it was brilliant to see gay byrne put in his place by Stephen fry .gay Byrne was a puppet of the state and church and glad I don't see him on TV anymore .
Having grown up watching Gay Byrne do interviews on Friday night TV I can tell you that that kind of exaggeration of expression is part of his style. It was an excellent interview.
His name was Gay Byrne. He was an amazing man. He was the presenter of The Late Late Show in Ireland. But that look he gave was one of a religious man that was shocked by Stephen's brilliant insight. Long live free speech and open mindedness.
I grew up in a Catholic family. But the more I learned of the atrocities and bullshit Christianity and, to an extension, Religion had done, the more I wished I'd just tell my family I don't want to be religious.
It's unfortunate, that what Stephen also says: "Did the mistake of being honest", is also quite true... And being honest, unfortunately gets you into trouble with the ones that claim to be "morally right!".. I don't envy your position, and I wish that your family could just get 10 seconds "in your head" to "see what you see".. Then they'd know, that you're not a "EVIL UNBELIEVER!" by "DENYING GOD!"... They'd know you're still, and possibly more, a loving person.
@@arsenic1987 No, they're not bad, per say. It's just that majority of them are religious but not to an extreme. Most'll probably be fine about it, but I don't know if my grandparents and some of my extended family members might like it.
That's actually a lie: • Christians and Catholics aren't on the same boat at all. But out-of-touch Hatetheists love to stereotype the two out of ignorance. • Religious people caused 6% of atteocities throughout history, while Nihilistic people caused 92%. (Source: The Encyclopedia of Wars) • Hatetheists will use anything as a weak excuse to leave God, rather than to finding a personal relationship with Him.
@@sophiafake-virus2456 Re. _"… I assumed …"_ thanks for admitting that I wasn't originally referring to you in any way and that you have serious (unresolved) issues. (Psst: I didn't realise you existed when I posted my first comment in this thread. Get it?). I'm no longer _implying_ that you are not sane. We all now know that outcome for sure (based on your illogical and farked-up comments). Here's hoping that you don't dig yourself deeper (you do realise that these comments are forever, don't you?).
I honestly couldn’t admire Stephen Fry anymore than I do. Hugely intelligent, humble, engaging, thoughtful and enormously charming man. Top, top Bloke👏👏👏👏👏
I like that he gives examples which have no connection to free will, meaning nobody can reply with that usual comeback. If you talk about war and murder and corruption etc, people just cry ‘god gave us free will’. Can’t blame burrowing insects on human choice.
From what I have read, this was found at the Mauthausen concentration camp, not Auschwitz. The idea is of course fitting and relevant to the topic either way.
Stephen Fry ! You are a legend !! At last common down to earth sense about the most brutal, cowardly and miserly organisations on the planet, “Man will only ever be free when the last King is strangled with the entrails of the last Priest” Merciful god my Snow White ass.
Reading this is a reminder of how extremely painful it was for me to acknowledge there is no higher power that is going to protect or help me. I still feel so betrayed by the bullshit that continues to be fed to and believed by millions of people.
@@tayzk5929 for the sake of your comment, what does becoming more logical & more critical of religious dogma by means of emotion have that could be a negative?
I didn't know Stephen was gay until today when I saw this video. Goes to show that most of the time, the most empathetic people on the planet, are those most hated by the self righteous. The self righteous being the most bigoted on the planet.
Stephen is so absolutely right. When my young son was a toddler and really dangerously ill with encephalitis, did I pray! Of course not. However, if I believed in all that fantasy and had prayed no doubt I would have thanked the “lord” for hearing my prayers and sending us a miracle. Mitchell did get over it thankfully and is now a big healthy man and a father of an our amazing grand children.
I`m so glad that survival endures in your family. But where does you family come from ? At some time in the past it must have either come from nothing or come from something which must neccessarily exist. That which comes from nothing is the very definition of Magic and that which must exist is the very definition of God. Ergo you believe Magic or you believe in God.
@@dogwithwigwamz.7320 You know absolutely NOTHING about my family, and to pretend you do is dishonest to say the least. I was a toddler of 18 months and in my mother’s arms when we were struck from behind by a heavy vehicle that failed to stop. My poor father wasn’t in the vehicle at the time and on hearing a crash ran back to see a scene of horror my mother dead, with me in her arms in the mangled remains. I was severely and critically injured and at 77 suffer increasingly from those old injuries, my poor dad was left with a stutter and endured nightmares for many years after. He told me when I was a teenager that it was only the fact that I had somehow very narrowly survived and was hospitalised for many months that stopped him from taking his own life. My step mother was a wonderful lady who brought me up as her own but was struck down first with polio and then tuberculosis and spent many months in hospital; my step brother and me were brought up by my grand parents. This “god” was supposed to take care of us, but obviously went awol. As it is awol for the millions of innocent little children for whom he created some exquisite conditions, ie childhood leukaemia, bone cancer to name just a couple - it also created such amazing life forms as the insect that drills into the eyeballs of toddlers (very prevalent in the impoverished third world) to gorge its vile self on living brain tissue to then er up out to fund other juicy victims leaving the unfortunate toddler a shuffling, dribbling, blind zombie and a further burden on an already impoverished family, anyone who justifies this couple of examples of the “lord’s” loving care is either very successfully indoctrinated and terrified of the threats in the scriptures that to question “gods” existence is the only thing that will not be “forgiven”, question “god” and burn - the scriptural threats make the mafia look like kindergarten nurses by comparison. Any belief that has to be held in place with mafia type threats is not worth even considering, unless of course terror is used to convince people to comply. Further: Belief in a deity than cannot be seen, heard, felt or experienced in any sense apart from the imagination is just plain stupid and is achieved via years, or generations of indoctrination and is incompatible with reason and so the existence of such a thing is so absolutely remote as to be considered irrelevant by any rational person.
Stephen Fry is an international treasure! My thought, every time I watch a nature program with predator and prey…if God was such a great Designer, why would he devise a world where the cheetah mother has to kill the antelope mother, or baby, in order to feed her own? It’s a pretty cruel plan, imo. A Jehovah’s Witness once told me that someday god will “fix” things so that the lion will eat straw like the lamb. Well, if true, he’s certainly taking his time, and he needs to radically change the lion’s nutritional needs! I should have asked if humans were going to stop eating lambs too. We humans seem to believe anything…from illogical fairy stories, to rigged elections, when it’s been proved otherwise again and again.
I was 8-9 years old and I remember seeing more and more things about the Starving Children in Africa and that got me thinking that if there were a God, why would he be so mean and let children die such a slow cruel death! Ever since then I gave up belief in God and my husband and children feel the same! I always say my heart would love to believe in Heaven but my mind just won't allow it! All the rest of my family believes in God and when I asked my 93 year old dad if he was scared to die, he said No because he was going to heaven and he would be reunited with his family that went before him including my 2 brothers. How lovely but I believe there is no such place and one of those brothers I just mentuoned, died at 39 1/2 weeks in utero, what was the sense of that? He was a perfectly healthy and formed baby that died because the cord slipped around his neck! Why did God feel the need to take him and rob him of a life here on Earth? Religion is pure bullshit and thank you Stephen for sharing your wisdom to a planet full of of ignorant people ! ❤️👍
Love Stephen so much, thank you Stephen I’m so grateful for all you do , you’ve helped me in my life and leaving religion, I will be grateful to you for the rest of my days ❤️
Man you certainly just went up massively in my estimation...i couldnt believe the words from your mouth the first minute or so...my thoughts exactly...have been for years...why so much pain and suffering in this world...i could rant forever about all the wrong things...youre my absolute hero for speaking your mind...and i find it quite astonishing that most of the 'switched on' religious people i fire questions at cant find answers...oh...im sorry but im anti gay!
He was hours away from death and in extreme pain. He didn't want to cease existing so probably figured it was worth a shot. If the plane you're in is on fire, you might grab any backpack as you jump out because while you know it's probably not a parachute, doesn't hurt to hope.
@@Here_is_Waldo Indeed - but that's not the way it works. You can't cling to the hems of religion because fatality occurs. I'm not saying that as someone who adheres to a religion either. But then the notion of a God (or gods and goddesses) is distinct from religion.
My daughter @12 years old contracted Lyme. This is a brilliant girl with a 180 IQ. She couldn’t get out of bed for 6 years. What loving god would allow such a thing on any child. Please! She got through all her education basically on her own. She is now at university and thriving. She did this not some god.
Can you imagine, that people around him in that last speech, actually felt what he said was false?... "Being called an EVIL person by the pope, Isn't nice!"... That's what he said.. And if someone argues that it WAS nice, you seriously need to re-evaluate how you think...
One thing that gets me is, the church, especially in catholic county's were especially cruel to both the children and the mothers that were not married to the child's father ???? HELLO was that not also MARY AND JESUS.
Excellent. My better question, is that if there were a god, (there isn't, there are myriad, just depending on time and place), why would a god create us? Boredom, an experiment. If you're a god, you wouldn't need to experiment with primates as, you're a god. What would a god hope to learn? It really is backwards. Man has always created the gods that he required, and no god has had any hand in the machinations of man as they only exist in the minds of man (generally Men in particular, though forced upon women.).
Depends on what is meant by 'god'. Is a God all-powerful, or just more powerful than humans? All-powerful would have no reason to create us, but just powerful might.
@@jgage2344 Why would a god create anything in the first place? Some desire to bring about new life? Or some form of loneliness? Or just felt like being artistic? That implies the god has emotions, feelings or desires. If it can feel those things, why wouldn't it feel negatives as well? Annoyance, sadism, boredom. Why do people threaten their SIMs characters? Why do people go on kill-runs through Skyrim? Or write books where horrific things happen to the protagonists? A god may hurt us for no greater reason than nothing better to do, or wanting to see how we react. Who is to say that we aren't just an experiment, designed purely to test out some new program god calls, "Life"? Maybe we're the prototype or Alpha model Universe, just something to mess with and play with ideas before building the real version. God doesn't need to threaten us as creations, the sheer power gap between us would make us non-entities to such a being. To a being that could create the entire Universe, we are nothing more than amoeba in a petri dish; just waiting to be poked and prodded to see what happens.
For me personally, I cannot hate religion. I cannot in my heart leer at someone because they don't believe in something I do. I can scratch my head as to why they would deny the scientific findings that are backed up by evidence we can observe today but I cannot and will not look down on them for it. The disconnect of religious belief in my mind is not because I cannot fathom a creature that may be capable of extraordinary things, including creating life or whatever. We as humans have shown that a creature with that kind of power could potentially exist out there in the cosmos given our technology and understanding of nature today. The disconnect comes from an infallible, purely benevolent, kind, loving and morally good creature that is 100% all powerful, all knowing and all encompassing that's watching us every moment of our lives constantly and also does nothing about the incredible misery it MUST be responsible for. It cannot be all powerful, all knowing and purely benevolent and not be responsible for things like cancer (or the mentioned insects) that can destroy innocent lives, especially childrens out of nowhere. It either is limited in its power, it's fallible or its not benevolent. I don't care which one it is. If God is fallible it make sense with what we observe everyday. If God is malevolent (or at the very least indifferent) then it makes sense with what we observe everyday. If God is not all powerful, then it makes sense. I just want it to make sense and it doesn't make sense as soon as you bring in the moral characteristics. If Christians came out and said "We acknowledge that God is fallible but we believe that he is always trying to do better because he loves us and we love him and accept his failures for we and Him are capable of great things" I'd have way less to say. In fact, I might actually empathize and feel a tangible connection to God for I also am fallible and make mistakes and try to do better. That would make me feel an emotion towards the concept, regardless if I actually put my faith into it.
So few people are out there articulating this crystal clear case. We need more people like S. Fry.. Other than political power, i really don't get what the whole upside of anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-god us gop thing is - it isn't even logically consistent.
Another great argument that I haven't heard anyone emphasize, esp. since the blockbuster Oppenheimer movie. "What kind of god creates people, helps them along to 2 billion strong, and then allows them to invent nuclear weapons?"
@@nathaniel2874 so is Santa,the tooth fairy and god,one dies, gets buried,is eaten by bacteria,end of story,now go pray your false god isn't judging you
The creator(s) is/are flawed or is/are bipolar. The evil/suffering in this world is here by accident (flawed creator(s)) or on purpose (bipolar creator(s)). There is some good on this (flat) Earth, for now at least. Try to avoid the death-light probably(?). Publicize the South Antarctic Ice Wall and Real North Pole ASAP.
To extrapolate Steven’s point, assuming there was a god, only shows it/he is imperfect too, and also capable of cruelty. Really it reflects the people who conjured up his notion. All in all, most religions aim to control society. Policing a large collection of people. It’s clever. But full of so many holes.
There is really only one measure of a government, society, religion, family or person: Do they promote love, kindness and justice - or hate, division and injustice. What do you see and hear around you? And, will you believe your own eyes and ears, or rely of what you're told? As a wise man said 2500 years ago; “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” ― Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni
I know I am not going to live forever and neither are you, but until my furlough here on earth is revoked, I shall like to elbow aside the established pieties and raise my Martini 🍸 glass high above my head, in honor of the brilliant intellect, and passionate erudition of Stephen Fry, his logic, well researched ideas and opinions will forever enshrine him amongst the giants of reason, I love 💕 him.
My Holy Trinity are Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, and Carl Sagan. If I could make it a quadrinity, then I'd also have James Randi. I know, I know. You were expecting Christopher Hitchens, but I'd rather blow my brains out than listen to him being in love with the sound of his voice.
We don't deserve Stephen Fry. If the Bible is to be believed, we didn't deserve Jesus either. Morality is morality. What's right is right, and what's wrong is what's wrong. I don't need a god or a church to differentiate between the two.
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 1 Corinthians: 18-19.
As someone who lost a sister to bone cancer 60 years ago, I can agree with Mr. Frye.
I admire this man’s brain, intellect, reasoning and amazing empathy.
All of this, he's a treasure
Sadly, he does not understand what he is talking about.
@@bencornell4432
Why?
Because he lives in the reality of our Earth?
Not some fantasy where people think a book proves the book?
That my friend is what happens when people are crippled by the unknown and fill it with a comfort of a god of some sort.
@@vtwin1979 The book you're referring to has outlasted entire civilisations, huge progress in science, technology and our understanding of the world. Moreover any historian worth his/her salt will tell you that there's plenty of evidence to suggest that Jesus Christ is a genuine historical figure. The real question is was he nuts, a con man, or for real?
That's up to you to decide.
@@coolersmoke
It’s not up for me to decide.
Smarter people than you and I (experts) have no way to verify a test for ANYTHING supernatural.
Whether he was real or not makes no difference. It’s the supernatural bible claims that is at the core of people’s beliefs.
They just choose to believe it without sufficient evidence.
The contempt of the Irish interviewer is all you need to know about the corruption of religion and particularly Christianity. He is ultimately offended by anyone who would dare challenge his ancient fantasy about a fairy in the sky loving you while he threatens and orders you to behave on punishment of hell. This man likely has never heard anyone directly and bluntly challenge the insanity of his made-up god the way Stephen Fry does here.
@dominionphilosophy3698 Is there a point to your stupid reply? Is this the classic religious cult member demanding silence from critics so as not to have to contemplate that his fantasy is really a farce? As an Irish person I find the slavery of the RC church to be one of the greatest crimes inflicted on the Irish people. And the contempt of the interviewer plays this out. "How dare you challenge my belief in a fairy tale daddy in the sky keeping watch over me and promising me eternity! Please don't make me grow out of my childhood delusions! Stop making me think for myself!" Christianity is pure evil.
Yep and it's especially surprising from that presenter who in his early career was by all intents and purposes against the churches influence in Irish society around issues of abortion gay rights etc... I'm not saying he gets a pass but certainly at the time the contempt was surprising, I think too that the reason the look was so prevalent was because on some level Gay Byrne knew the flaws stephen fry was exposing were valid.
Gay Byrne - monkey see, monkey do. Give these ignorant people not one second of your time. God is as real as Santa or the Easter bunny. Simple minds need a reason to get up in the morning. That reason is some celestial being, created by the dreams of the misdirected.
That's gay byrne, sanctimonious prick
It didn't shake him at all... He was disgusted at fry, everything he said and he wrote it off almost as quickly as the words came from fry's mouth.
That man is fully, indoctrinated... And a conversation with fry, or anyone, even a demonstrably and testably real, yet different god...
He could converse with an omnipotent being who told him his beliefs were stupid and incorrect and it wouldn't change a thing in his mind; that's the scale of how fundamentally broken these types of people are, and frighteningly they are the majority.
Think about that for a second... Globally... People like that are the majority, wild isn't it?
He's actually right. After my Medical career...I won't go into it I'm now Atheist and happy to see the truth.
Recently someone said to me “ I can’t believe you don’t believe in god”, I just responded I don’t believe in antiscientific fairytales. I have faith in science, I believe in evidence. I’m a Free Thinking Athiest.
@memybikeni9931 great comment. Ha ha I think that way to. Especially like the antiscience fairytale ha ha
Love the interviewers face in the first clip. Thank you Stephen for being you.
It was Gay Byrne, a highly respected Irish broadcaster, and being Irish I would assume he was also a Catholic, for whom the idea of someone berating God for the suffering and injustice in the world would have been utterly shocking.
The thing is; my youngest son survived leukemia, so I've spent a lot of time on a children's cancer ward and seen them suffering. You would have to be utterly stupid not to question what kind of god would allow such a horrible thing.
I saw that interview and it was brilliant to see gay byrne put in his place by Stephen fry .gay Byrne was a puppet of the state and church and glad I don't see him on TV anymore .
The irony of a (potentially) god fearing Catholic being called Gay is too much to keep to myself.
Having grown up watching Gay Byrne do interviews on Friday night TV I can tell you that that kind of exaggeration of expression is part of his style. It was an excellent interview.
His name was Gay Byrne. He was an amazing man. He was the presenter of The Late Late Show in Ireland. But that look he gave was one of a religious man that was shocked by Stephen's brilliant insight. Long live free speech and open mindedness.
this man is a great person, telling it like it is, no lies, not selling religion, just as it is.
I think you mean telling it like YOU think it is.
“I wouldn’t want to get in on his his terms” beautiful
I wonder if he would actually say that considering the alternative.
@@fred3893What’s the “alternative” ?
@@jackthebassman1 The alternative to Heaven is obviously Hell.
@@fred3893 Another delusional invented by the religious hierarchy to keep believers from questioning the ridiculous fantasy.
@@jackthebassman1 Or Not.
I grew up in a Catholic family. But the more I learned of the atrocities and bullshit Christianity and, to an extension, Religion had done, the more I wished I'd just tell my family I don't want to be religious.
It's unfortunate, that what Stephen also says: "Did the mistake of being honest", is also quite true... And being honest, unfortunately gets you into trouble with the ones that claim to be "morally right!".. I don't envy your position, and I wish that your family could just get 10 seconds "in your head" to "see what you see".. Then they'd know, that you're not a "EVIL UNBELIEVER!" by "DENYING GOD!"... They'd know you're still, and possibly more, a loving person.
@@arsenic1987 No, they're not bad, per say. It's just that majority of them are religious but not to an extreme. Most'll probably be fine about it, but I don't know if my grandparents and some of my extended family members might like it.
That's actually a lie:
• Christians and Catholics aren't on the same boat at all. But out-of-touch Hatetheists love to stereotype the two out of ignorance.
• Religious people caused 6% of atteocities throughout history, while Nihilistic people caused 92%. (Source: The Encyclopedia of Wars)
• Hatetheists will use anything as a weak excuse to leave God, rather than to finding a personal relationship with Him.
Stephen has strong empathy. I admire that.
Yes he does. And do you know why that is? It's because he's honest and he is relating the truth (that religion, of any sort, is bullshit).
@@sophiafake-virus2456 Can you point to anything where I assumed anything about you? (Please make sure that you take your medication on all weekdays.)
@@sophiafake-virus2456 Re. _"… I assumed …"_ thanks for admitting that I wasn't originally referring to you in any way and that you have serious (unresolved) issues. (Psst: I didn't realise you existed when I posted my first comment in this thread. Get it?).
I'm no longer _implying_ that you are not sane. We all now know that outcome for sure (based on your illogical and farked-up comments). Here's hoping that you don't dig yourself deeper (you do realise that these comments are forever, don't you?).
Stephen Fry talking sense. What a change from all those religious leaders talking nonsense
he's a brilliant man and speaks my mind perfectly for what I'm unable to express for myself
I honestly couldn’t admire Stephen Fry anymore than I do. Hugely intelligent, humble, engaging, thoughtful and enormously charming man. Top, top Bloke👏👏👏👏👏
You really should listen to his 3 autobiographical audio books, in order. Start with Moab Is My Washpot.
I’ve always loved your keen intellect Stephen Fry. Long may you live and be appreciated. Please speak out for all of us.
Magnificent! Stephen dares to proclaim the truth!
I admire Stephen Fry. Genuine, kind, smart, and brave.
Top man Stephen and that’s why we love you so much!
I like that he gives examples which have no connection to free will, meaning nobody can reply with that usual comeback. If you talk about war and murder and corruption etc, people just cry ‘god gave us free will’. Can’t blame burrowing insects on human choice.
Scrawled into a cell wall at Auschwitz concentration camp after the 1945 liberation read: « if I meet god, he will need to beg me for forgiveness ».
From what I have read, this was found at the Mauthausen concentration camp, not Auschwitz. The idea is of course fitting and relevant to the topic either way.
Mic drop😂
Giving an honest opinion about almost anything, is something that liars really hate.
It's really simple, if there were a god, we wouldn't be talking about it!! ✌
Gotta love Stephen Fry,one of the best human beings on planet earth.
I enjoyed this little compilation... Thanks!
Right on! 🤘🏼🥃
@@MichaelJamesUA-camHow did you do that?
Stephen Fry ! You are a legend !! At last common down to earth sense about the most brutal, cowardly and miserly organisations on the planet, “Man will only ever be free when the last King is strangled with the entrails of the last Priest” Merciful god my Snow White ass.
Ok Stephen please tell us how you really feel!
Lol. Love it
I'm an atheist because the all powerful external reality that created me shows absolutely no interest in my well being. Clearly it is indifferent.
Reading this is a reminder of how extremely painful it was for me to acknowledge there is no higher power that is going to protect or help me. I still feel so betrayed by the bullshit that continues to be fed to and believed by millions of people.
This is one of the worst arguments for atheism, but it does show atheists are atheists for emotional reasons. Nothing to do with logic or reason.
@@tayzk5929 for the sake of your comment, what does becoming more logical & more critical of religious dogma by means of emotion have that could be a negative?
@@NormalizingAtheism That's not for the sake of my comment at all, your reply has nothing to do with my comment.
the reaction of the interviewer @0:36 says it all for me
Love his passionate disbelief
I didn't know Stephen was gay until today when I saw this video. Goes to show that most of the time, the most empathetic people on the planet, are those most hated by the self righteous. The self righteous being the most bigoted on the planet.
Stephen Fry is genius!
Simply a Humanist 📚✨❤
Tremendous stuff 👍
I love that from Ratzinger: a former Hitler Youth member calling others Morally Evil.
Let's just think of that for a moment ....
It´s funny you should say that. There are loads of atrocities one could despise him for but being in the Hitler Jugend isn´t one of them.
Like oh I don't know covering up for child abusing priests, now that's morally evil
@@markbriten6999 or telling Africa AIDS is bad but condoms are worse.
Compared to that vile stuff, being forced into the Hitler Jugend is minor.
Your church rapes it’s youth members
Stephen is so absolutely right. When my young son was a toddler and really dangerously ill with encephalitis, did I pray! Of course not. However, if I believed in all that fantasy and had prayed no doubt I would have thanked the “lord” for hearing my prayers and sending us a miracle. Mitchell did get over it thankfully and is now a big healthy man and a father of an our amazing grand children.
I`m so glad that survival endures in your family. But where does you family come from ? At some time in the past it must have either come from nothing or come from something which must neccessarily exist.
That which comes from nothing is the very definition of Magic and that which must exist is the very definition of God. Ergo you believe Magic or you believe in God.
@@dogwithwigwamz.7320 You know absolutely NOTHING about my family, and to pretend you do is dishonest to say the least.
I was a toddler of 18 months and in my mother’s arms when we were struck from behind by a heavy vehicle that failed to stop.
My poor father wasn’t in the vehicle at the time and on hearing a crash ran back to see a scene of horror my mother dead, with me in her arms in the mangled remains. I was severely and critically injured and at 77 suffer increasingly from those old injuries, my poor dad was left with a stutter and endured nightmares for many years after. He told me when I was a teenager that it was only the fact that I had somehow very narrowly survived and was hospitalised for many months that stopped him from taking his own life. My step mother was a wonderful lady who brought me up as her own but was struck down first with polio and then tuberculosis and spent many months in hospital; my step brother and me were brought up by my grand parents.
This “god” was supposed to take care of us, but obviously went awol.
As it is awol for the millions of innocent little children for whom he created some exquisite conditions, ie childhood leukaemia, bone cancer to name just a couple - it also created such amazing life forms as the insect that drills into the eyeballs of toddlers (very prevalent in the impoverished third world) to gorge its vile self on living brain tissue to then er up out to fund other juicy victims leaving the unfortunate toddler a shuffling, dribbling, blind zombie and a further burden on an already impoverished family, anyone who justifies this couple of examples of the “lord’s” loving care is either very successfully indoctrinated and terrified of the threats in the scriptures that to question “gods” existence is the only thing that will not be “forgiven”, question “god” and burn - the scriptural threats make the mafia look like kindergarten nurses by comparison.
Any belief that has to be held in place with mafia type threats is not worth even considering, unless of course terror is used to convince people to comply.
Further:
Belief in a deity than cannot be seen, heard, felt or experienced in any sense apart from the imagination is just plain stupid and is achieved via years, or generations of indoctrination and is incompatible with reason and so the existence of such a thing is so absolutely remote as to be considered irrelevant by any rational person.
Stephen has to be one of the most intelligent and well spoken people on the planet. Much respect.
Spot on!
He is 1000% correct 😊👌🏼
Percentages don't exceed 100, so we'll assume that's hyperbole.
@@jimnewcombe7584
I bet you’re great fun at parties
@@Clarity_Control I'll try any drug going, and have plenty of goodwill - but lax inexactitude is diabolical at parties.
Stephen Fry is an international treasure! My thought, every time I watch a nature program with predator and prey…if God was such a great Designer, why would he devise a world where the cheetah mother has to kill the antelope mother, or baby, in order to feed her own? It’s a pretty cruel plan, imo. A Jehovah’s Witness once told me that someday god will “fix” things so that the lion will eat straw like the lamb. Well, if true, he’s certainly taking his time, and he needs to radically change the lion’s nutritional needs! I should have asked if humans were going to stop eating lambs too. We humans seem to believe anything…from illogical fairy stories, to rigged elections, when it’s been proved otherwise again and again.
Right on Stephen!
I was 8-9 years old and I remember seeing more and more things about the Starving Children in Africa and that got me thinking that if there were a God, why would he be so mean and let children die such a slow cruel death! Ever since then I gave up belief in God and my husband and children feel the same! I always say my heart would love to believe in Heaven but my mind just won't allow it! All the rest of my family believes in God and when I asked my 93 year old dad if he was scared to die, he said No because he was going to heaven and he would be reunited with his family that went before him including my 2 brothers. How lovely but I believe there is no such place and one of those brothers I just mentuoned, died at 39 1/2 weeks in utero, what was the sense of that? He was a perfectly healthy and formed baby that died because the cord slipped around his neck! Why did God feel the need to take him and rob him of a life here on Earth? Religion is pure bullshit and thank you Stephen for sharing your wisdom to a planet full of of ignorant people ! ❤️👍
Put out the Hitchens, I'll put out the pop-corn.
Coming soon...
These questions fall squarely under Hitchen's Razor. What a remarkably tolerant man.
Love Stephen so much, thank you Stephen I’m so grateful for all you do , you’ve helped me in my life and leaving religion, I will be grateful to you for the rest of my days ❤️
Loved that interview it was great to see gay Byrne lost for words as he was always a puppet of the state and church .
Well said☘️
Thank you, Stephen.
A number of people I've talked to don't want anything to do with God even if he does exist. Probably myself included.
4:50 Steven and Stephen! That was a classic meeting of minds.
This is wonderful man 100 days since Thich Nhat Hanh’s passing | Plum Village
Amazing man.
Stephen got it spot on !!
"That is not nice, it isnt nice" sums it pretty nicely
Man you certainly just went up massively in my estimation...i couldnt believe the words from your mouth the first minute or so...my thoughts exactly...have been for years...why so much pain and suffering in this world...i could rant forever about all the wrong things...youre my absolute hero for speaking your mind...and i find it quite astonishing that most of the 'switched on' religious people i fire questions at cant find answers...oh...im sorry but im anti gay!
I’ll pray for you.
@@NormalizingAtheism find something to do that ll learn you something n stand you in good stead...instead of time wasting!
@@NormalizingAtheismlol, that’ll work just as well as all the other prayers.
Mr Fry did Oscar Wilde justice.
Oscar Wilde converted to Catholicism on his deathbed.
He was hours away from death and in extreme pain. He didn't want to cease existing so probably figured it was worth a shot. If the plane you're in is on fire, you might grab any backpack as you jump out because while you know it's probably not a parachute, doesn't hurt to hope.
@@Here_is_Waldo Indeed - but that's not the way it works. You can't cling to the hems of religion because fatality occurs. I'm not saying that as someone who adheres to a religion either. But then the notion of a God (or gods and goddesses) is distinct from religion.
I love him so much.
I like him.
Keep up the Good work.
luv this guy...
stephen fry being fuckin amazing as usual.
I totally agree , God is a sadist and a psychopath, who enjoys creating pain , grief, and heartache, who enjoys war, carnage, and bloodshed,..
God is a sounding board for speculation.
I love Stephen ❤
Those who lack wisdom will see nothing but words of speculation.
Because the fool hath said in his heart there is no God.
@@KenMasters. Bravo 👏 😆 🤣 😂 😹
I too much prefer the Greek gods over the monotheistic God
You went to uppingham like my brother… and you went back and gave a speech…. He says he will remember what you said for the rest of his life. X
George Carlin: “Hey hey, fadda, why does God…”
Priest: “Well, George, it’s a mystery “
Simple logic always defeats the irrational.
Beliefe in God in the western hemisphere is on a steep decline. People are finally getting smarter.
Getting better access to education, will do that.
Just not true ….doubts grow but intelligence doesn’t..
The western hemisphere spells belief without an added e …
The Middle East needs to evolve too.
Actually, that's a lie to, here's why:
ua-cam.com/video/s4Ti1YCVTtU/v-deo.html
@@KenMasters.
Those slides are JUST projections, not actual facts.
My daughter @12 years old contracted Lyme. This is a brilliant girl with a 180 IQ. She couldn’t get out of bed for 6 years. What loving god would allow such a thing on any child. Please! She got through all her education basically on her own. She is now at university and thriving. She did this not some god.
who was the first interview with?
That was the late, Gay Byrne. Irish presenter and host of radio and television.
...the invisible man in the sky that wants your money 🤣🤣🤣
Can you imagine, that people around him in that last speech, actually felt what he said was false?... "Being called an EVIL person by the pope, Isn't nice!"... That's what he said.. And if someone argues that it WAS nice, you seriously need to re-evaluate how you think...
Great
Stephen Fry is the worlds favourite polymath.❤ him.
Comedian Frank Skinner half-jokingly once said on TV- "I'm a catholic but Stephen Fry is an atheist so Fry is certainly an appropriate name"..:)
he's just wonderful.
I love Mr Stephen Fry.
One thing that gets me is, the church, especially in catholic county's were especially cruel to both the children and the mothers that were not married to the child's father ???? HELLO was that not also MARY AND JESUS.
Stephen is 100 percent correct
He not correct I understand stand him but Jesus is a good person
@@christopherjones6814 May of been a great person but that's what he was a person like the rest of us nothing more nothing less
Excellent. My better question, is that if there were a god, (there isn't, there are myriad, just depending on time and place), why would a god create us? Boredom, an experiment. If you're a god, you wouldn't need to experiment with primates as, you're a god. What would a god hope to learn? It really is backwards.
Man has always created the gods that he required, and no god has had any hand in the machinations of man as they only exist in the minds of man (generally Men in particular, though forced upon women.).
Depends on what is meant by 'god'. Is a God all-powerful, or just more powerful than humans? All-powerful would have no reason to create us, but just powerful might.
My only question is , how and why would any real god threaten his own creations???
I can find no real reason that any real god would have a need to …
@@jgage2344 Why would a god create anything in the first place? Some desire to bring about new life? Or some form of loneliness? Or just felt like being artistic? That implies the god has emotions, feelings or desires. If it can feel those things, why wouldn't it feel negatives as well? Annoyance, sadism, boredom.
Why do people threaten their SIMs characters? Why do people go on kill-runs through Skyrim? Or write books where horrific things happen to the protagonists? A god may hurt us for no greater reason than nothing better to do, or wanting to see how we react.
Who is to say that we aren't just an experiment, designed purely to test out some new program god calls, "Life"? Maybe we're the prototype or Alpha model Universe, just something to mess with and play with ideas before building the real version.
God doesn't need to threaten us as creations, the sheer power gap between us would make us non-entities to such a being. To a being that could create the entire Universe, we are nothing more than amoeba in a petri dish; just waiting to be poked and prodded to see what happens.
For me personally, I cannot hate religion. I cannot in my heart leer at someone because they don't believe in something I do. I can scratch my head as to why they would deny the scientific findings that are backed up by evidence we can observe today but I cannot and will not look down on them for it.
The disconnect of religious belief in my mind is not because I cannot fathom a creature that may be capable of extraordinary things, including creating life or whatever. We as humans have shown that a creature with that kind of power could potentially exist out there in the cosmos given our technology and understanding of nature today. The disconnect comes from an infallible, purely benevolent, kind, loving and morally good creature that is 100% all powerful, all knowing and all encompassing that's watching us every moment of our lives constantly and also does nothing about the incredible misery it MUST be responsible for. It cannot be all powerful, all knowing and purely benevolent and not be responsible for things like cancer (or the mentioned insects) that can destroy innocent lives, especially childrens out of nowhere. It either is limited in its power, it's fallible or its not benevolent.
I don't care which one it is. If God is fallible it make sense with what we observe everyday. If God is malevolent (or at the very least indifferent) then it makes sense with what we observe everyday. If God is not all powerful, then it makes sense. I just want it to make sense and it doesn't make sense as soon as you bring in the moral characteristics. If Christians came out and said "We acknowledge that God is fallible but we believe that he is always trying to do better because he loves us and we love him and accept his failures for we and Him are capable of great things" I'd have way less to say. In fact, I might actually empathize and feel a tangible connection to God for I also am fallible and make mistakes and try to do better. That would make me feel an emotion towards the concept, regardless if I actually put my faith into it.
So few people are out there articulating this crystal clear case. We need more people like S. Fry.. Other than political power, i really don't get what the whole upside of anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-god us gop thing is - it isn't even logically consistent.
Another great argument that I haven't heard anyone emphasize, esp. since the blockbuster Oppenheimer movie. "What kind of god creates people, helps them along to 2 billion strong, and then allows them to invent nuclear weapons?"
If anyone deserves a knighthood, it's Stephen Fry.
Amen to that Tommy
@@RockyBobbieBuster he's going to hell
@@nathaniel2874 ain't such a place unless you mean south London
@@RockyBobbieBuster hell is real fool
@@nathaniel2874 so is Santa,the tooth fairy and god,one dies, gets buried,is eaten by bacteria,end of story,now go pray your false god isn't judging you
The look on your man's face 🤣 😂
One of This Nations Saving Graces
Fry´s mentality is what has taken England to be what it is today.
He's bang on.
I came to the same conclusion whilst being Gnostic. I believe that the creator of the universe is in fact evil and stupid.
The creator(s) is/are flawed or is/are bipolar. The evil/suffering in this world is here by accident (flawed creator(s)) or on purpose (bipolar creator(s)). There is some good on this (flat) Earth, for now at least.
Try to avoid the death-light probably(?). Publicize the South Antarctic Ice Wall and Real North Pole ASAP.
Jehovah aka the god of this world aka satan. He's fooled everyone. While they worship him, he's just harvesting their energy. The lord archon.
You got it right.
@@michaelzajic6231
Take A Moment
Relax and enjoy a genius at play 🎉
I love Stephen Fry..
To extrapolate Steven’s point, assuming there was a god, only shows it/he is imperfect too, and also capable of cruelty. Really it reflects the people who conjured up his notion.
All in all, most religions aim to control society. Policing a large collection of people. It’s clever. But full of so many holes.
There is really only one measure of a government, society, religion, family or person: Do they promote love, kindness and justice - or hate, division and injustice. What do you see and hear around you? And, will you believe your own eyes and ears, or rely of what you're told? As a wise man said 2500 years ago;
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” ― Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni
I have always thought same as Fry
amazing
I know I am not going to live forever and neither are you, but until my furlough here on earth is revoked, I shall like to elbow aside the established pieties and raise my Martini 🍸 glass high above my head, in honor of the brilliant intellect, and passionate erudition of Stephen Fry, his logic, well researched ideas and opinions will forever enshrine him amongst the giants of reason, I love 💕 him.
Gay Byrne looked a bit shocked , I would love to find the whole interview.
Fry: "What about bone cancer in children, God?" God: "You've got a point. I should have stopped evolution at the jelly fish stage."
Or the rib woman talking snake-stage, either/or.
My Holy Trinity are Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, and Carl Sagan. If I could make it a quadrinity, then I'd also have James Randi. I know, I know. You were expecting Christopher Hitchens, but I'd rather blow my brains out than listen to him being in love with the sound of his voice.
James Randi.
@@williamwilson6499 Ah, shit. Thanks!
I would add Sean Carroll and Brian Cox to your list. Cheers
We don't deserve Stephen Fry.
If the Bible is to be believed, we didn't deserve Jesus either.
Morality is morality.
What's right is right, and what's wrong is what's wrong.
I don't need a god or a church to differentiate between the two.
"Thou shalt not question Stephen Fry"
Thou Shalt Always Kill - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (2015)
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 1 Corinthians: 18-19.
“She lusted after her lovers whose genitalia was that of donkeys, and emissions were that of horses.” Ezekiel 23:20
Biblical reference to Aholah the harlot, and the abomination of her sins. Presenting a verse without it being in context is irrelevant and useless.
@@toni25681 I thought that’s what you did, so I was playing along…
No, those who know and understand scripture, use it on a contextual basis.
@@toni25681 that’s what I’m doing.
A beautiful man ❤
Wouldn't it be fair to get to know someone (God) before slagging them off?
@@margo.3466
My question to God..why did you create SF?
Or Donald Dump. 👍