What's he waiting for?

I just watched Religulous, a documentary by Bill Maher. It's BRILLIANT. Every doubt and every little thing I find funny about religion was addressed. My favorite is when he discusses the story about the whale. A guy lives in a fish for THREE days and people actually believe the story to be truth. Why? Because it's in the Bible. If you step back and actually think about it, it's absolutely ridiculous. Maher gets this. I get this. The majority of America, sadly, does not get this. Why did we ever stop believing in Santa Claus if we continue to believe stories like this? Santa was more fun anyway.

Some of my favorite quotes from the documentary...

Bill Maher: Why doesn't he just obliterate the devil and therefor get rid of evil in the world. Fake Jesus: "He will." Bill Maher: "He will?" Fake Jesus: Yeah, it's coming." Bill Maher: "What's he waiting for?"

Bill Maher: “You're a senator. It worries me that people are running my country who believe in a talking snake.” Senator:“You don't have to pass an IQ test to be in the senate though. He he!” 

Bill Maher: “If Santa Claus can hit every house in the world.” Steve Berg: “No, we don't believe in Santa Claus.” Bill Maher:“Of course not, that's one man flying all around the world and dropping presents down a chimney. One man hearing everybody murmer at him at the same time, that I get.” 

George W. Bush: “I believe that God wants everybody to be free. That's what I believe. And that's uh, been part of my... foreign policy.”

Bill Maher: Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slave holders, keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. 

Bill Maher: Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it's wonderful when someone says, 'I'm willing Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do.' Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas. 

Bill Maher: The only appropriate attitude for man to have about the big questions, is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but doubt. Doubt is humble and that is what man needs to be, considering that human history is just a litany of getting shit dead wrong.