Penn Jillette on Atheism and Islamaphobia | Big Think

[@bigthink]

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[@Brett_S_420]

I was about to say Boooo!

[@williamluca8640]

It's disturbing to hear a trickster speak on truth. It's more disturbing that he thinks he's a comedian.

[@barbaraannen3340]

April fool

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

I have no interested in religion had enough for one life time but we have to get along with the religious people and some of the best people I have meet were religious

[@darrelldourte9455]

@@jonathanjollimore7156 I used to be Agnostic, but now I'm not sure.

[@wrekk]

"We have to do God's work, because God's not going to." -- Now THAT is billboard worthy.

[@adtc]

DJ Wrekk I love this!

[@gurucarcar]

Of course that statement is nothing new - God works through his creations - that is why most things are 'slow'.

[@Jjernsberger]

robert punu The statement was a euphemism. If you pay attention to what he says, you’ll understand that he (correctly, I might add) firmly denies the existence of God.

[@FireChronos]

The fact is that the modern surge of atheism is due to the state of modern "evangelism" driving people from God. People don't feel that there is any purpose in worshiping a god that will hate them anyway, and who is always seeking their destruction. In this, I would have to agree with them.

[@annotherjim]

I've always thought that being a Christian to avoid divine punishment is a bit cowardly. If you're telling someone to convert or they will go to hell (Which is a myth by the way) then you're missing the entire point of what Jesus came here to do. I am a Christian and I am very much a fan of Jesus' first commandment. I believe that is what we should be living by, loving one another as he loved us. Loving is patient, loving is kind, loving is always doing the best for other people in spite of their flaws, loving is not judging how they choose to live their lives, loving is not threatening them, loving is not telling someone they must be like you.

[@MsOV19]

"You're allowed to hate ideas, you're not allowed to hate people for their ideas", THAT is inspirational.

[@Scyllax]

Yes, you are, over their horrible, evil ideas, from their Magickal sky spooksies that want to torture you forever for not accepting their love.

[@MsOV19]

@@r.rodriguez4991 Ah yes, that is definitely true. My grandfather lived in Germany during WW2, I get your point. There are definitely certain people that we can safely say are evil that we hate (being justified). But I do still stand behind caring about those who do honestly seek to better peoples' lives in the way that they see fit even if it's not exactly how I see it. I feel that showing others that I have faith in their goodness and morality (that they can do better) could motivate them to change.

[@MsOV19]

@@Scyllax I mean, they were raised like this most likely. People could have been indoctrinated by this since birth. They may be scared/terrified of breaking away themselves (some of these people are SHUNNED by their families for the rest of their lives if they choose to break away, for instance). Distorted and delusional thinking is hard to break away from when fear is in the equation.

[@MsOV19]

@@Scyllax Granted, I will say this. Klu Klux Klan I definitely couldn't support any of those people, if you do use religion because you want to overtly abuse power, absolutely I would hate those people and get in their face and knock their egos down a few notches.

[@TheNickJonathan]

What about racists or nazis since they choose that idea

[@Z3ROTH3RT33N]

OMG, he totally had me. You sly dog, Penn.

[@michael-gr2uw]

Me too, man! I was like... uh oh, here we go. Another one bites the dust because they fear getting older. Thank Vishnu he hasn't lost it.

[@michealhuff2299]

+michael lolo I know! I'm like, "oh no! the world IS coming to an end! "lol

[@garyha2650]

"How do we do that?" you asked. Here's the answer: Islam is a mind-virus/infection, so provide Muslims with a place in their mind to go to, they have no viable alternative. For example to claim you know there is no God is no different than claiming you know there is a God. You don't. The only honest answer is we don't know. So go here, solves everything ... This earth is a kindergarten, it is all about growth. We live many lives and grow. Whether God exists or not is irrelevant. Love exists. If God exists, he and his wife are obviously not helicopter parents, and don't need our flattery. Aliens are somewhat involved, tending this garden and as scientists studying the dynamics and results. Angels in the bible are aliens today. Except for the big-wig, Jehovah. Jehovah was an alien group playing God, violating the non-intervention policy. Jesus was a half-breed, virgin birth, test-tube baby, had powers, tried to steer humanity onto a better path. Of course we fucked that up too. Also showed us that our spirit lives on, and he also offers help/protection between lives for those who wish it. The Star of Bethlehem was a flying saucer. A flying saucer also led the Jews slowly out of Egypt. One picked up Elijah. The whole Elisha town was taken, up and off to who knows where, lucky schmucks. The walls of Jericho were brought down with gunpowder from China. Jehovah, those meddling sob's, picked their favorites. And you see the result. Much of the strife around Israel is driven by the annoyance that they might think they are better, as those "chosen". Well fine. Great people. Dated three of their chicks, good times. Chosen by whom? By Jehovah, the alien group violating the rules. As a whole, a species, on this planet, we have an opportunity to see through the stories we were fed, and each one of us become free in our minds. I can get along with anyone who is free, and welcome them. I have spit prepared for Muslims who want to come here pretending to be good, cloaking a secret goal to impose that sick totalitarian system called Sharia Law as it strives for a complete conquering of the planet, hiding the beauty of women, sanctioning murder, stating humiliation of its opposition as a goal, and is succeeding now, with our help. And they see how dumb and easily fooled we are. Don't be fooled by it. Are you Muslim? Do this, free yourself, adopt the beliefs here, many lives. The walls I had constructed in my mind from my Christian upbringing dropped when it started to gel. I guess in latin it would be multis vitae for 'many lives', that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. I don't like the word "reincarnation", implies coming back as a cow in the streets of Delhi. As it starts to sink in with you that you're going to live as many many characters in this grand play (and most of us have already, except for the animal upgrade first-time-humans, bless their hearts), and you are basically alive forever and might as well get used to it, then be productive, do a Startup. Become entrepreneurs. And be honest, your culture never produced anything except heart-ache, it produces nothing, zero, zip, not a thing, that's all you need, to know it is bad. Many lives. Multis vitae if you insist. :) Or hey, check this out, here is in Arabic. Maybe one of you can tell me what this really implies in Arabic, since the language often has many meanings for a word, thanks. Hope I'm not accidentally saying many wives, or 72 virgins reward for killing as many innocent people as possible, as it commands you in your "holy" (yeah right) Qu'ran, 2 : 191 "kill [unbelievers] wherever you find them. (How unbelievably stupid can you possibly be, shit, get a brain fer Christ's sakes, it's garbage, wake the hell up, be the real you, leave the herd). حياة العديد من

[@Z3ROTH3RT33N]

I didn't ask.

[@CosmicEpiphany]

Not sure why but I bought it, I then paused the video to google around...he just seemed so sincere.

[@davidbingham4348]

Love the line “we [Americans] have got to stop acting like cowards.” We are so proud of our bravery as a nation, and yet we hide shaking behind walls.

[@ballisticcranberrypeat7777]

I loved the line “the number of fingers Jerry Garcia had”

[@anatomicallycorrectmuppets8180]

Well part of a wall 🤣

[@sledderal1016]

"We have to do God's work because God's not going to."

[@teenherofilms]

sledderal1016 Because "God·" doesn´t exist

[@michaelregis1015]

@@teenherofilms that's the obvious joke of it.

[@thelordsservantjosiah6704]

God only wants choice silver my friend we have free will to sort out the choice silver

[@alexanderogilvie6454]

Gary Williams Nobody knows in the end. 😉 Ist's kind of unlikely for "God" to exist in the way religions draw "him/her/it" or the way people imagine "him". But that doesn't mean there might not be some kind of "transcendent" something "above" / "below" us. Some kind of spirit as deepest cause of all existence. Even as a rationalist I find that idea very feasible and not unlikely at all. I can recommend to read Ken Wilber, for example, as a starting point for people interested in such thoughts. 😉

[@blindtruth4614]

While it is impossible to know if something exists after death we can examine the various God claims and see if they match up with reality and if they fail to do so then I think it is pretty strong evidence that particular God does not exist and is nothing more than an invention of man, personally I have never heard of any God where its claimed actions have matched up with reality but I have not heard of all the gods because lets face it there are many thousands of claimed gods.

[@Rewwgh]

Why should any religion be above criticism

[@isthisnamegood]

None are. Good thing we're smart enough to separate people from their religions right?

[@Rewwgh]

+Guy Guisbane I don't care as long as they are not preachy or blow up.

[@isthisnamegood]

Rewwgh They're not blowing up but they certainly are shooting places up in America...but I gather you had a different religion in mind? When they start you might even have a point.

[@TheHappyCatsTail]

No religion is above criticism but people, humans, are above being treated like shit for a religion they happen to have. Hate the ideas, never the person.

[@ShantyIrishman]

If a person is intolerant of other ideas, races, or religions, we call that person a bigot.

[@Bound4Earth]

Holy fuck, he had me. I was awestruck for a moment there.

[@HarrisonsFord]

I looked at the date of the video like "how the fuck did I not hear about this?!" Totally got me, same reaction. "Holy Fuck."

[@roguetuber4377]

Yeah he got me

[@bgregz]

Imagine disliking a video that transmits a message of compassion.

[@NotBenStiller]

"You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a mad dog. If we are weak, our land wll become Muslim." - Ashin Wirathu

[@DocAlexandrite]

@@NotBenStiller Did you even watch Penn's point in the video? I feel like some people just have this extreme, unnecessary fear that overruns any compassion

[@NotBenStiller]

@@DocAlexandrite Okay, now can you not go full "YIKES SWEETIE :)??" levels of discomfort? If you want to refute, refute. If you want to virtue signal, do it elsewhere.

[@DocAlexandrite]

@@NotBenStiller Wtf lol. There's nothing to refute, it's all literally just opinion here. I was writing what my opinion was. Jesus fucking christ- if there's any one here that's sensitive, *it ain't me*

[@michaelshannon9169]

Some ppl are against having Islam in their country and dont consider that hate. He thinks we should be for it. Theres a reason to thumbs down, agree or not. He also said ppl are good, which is not quite true.

[@senseofstile]

"Do you realize how much money I would make" - Penn Jilette

[@cryptovagrant1136]

He would get kicked out of Hollywood but be able to make that sweet sweet Kirk Cameron money.....

[@robertlehnert4148]

A lot less seriously.

[@landonstewarttt]

I believe recently a famous rapper proved this... It's kinda sad...

[@jordtilley]

Nah.. you'd have to start paying 10% tithing Penn. How can I make money being Christian? Feels like I'm missing a big opportunity 🙄

[@Chris-es3wf]

@@jordtilley1. start a church 2. collect donations 3. Buy a Lamborghini and drive it through the pearly gates Rich is the new holy

[@dougthemoleman]

Gotta say, for a fraction of a second there, you had me Penn. I was heartbroken. Thank you for putting my heart back together so promptly. That's gotta be the quickest recovery time yet.

[@waywardgoddess1153]

Sheet, I nearly had a heart attack I was so freaked out thinking what he was saying was true!

[@anthonybolton2717]

@Scotland1908 sad that you think you need a god to have morals or a heart

[@KlaustheViking]

You’d be heart broken if he actually did decide to become a Christian, let alone any other faith? Why’s that?

[@Ayeloo]

Imagine being heartbroken at the implication someone who doesn't even know you could change their worldview to something that differs from yours

[@dougthemoleman]

@@KlaustheViking It's not about Christianity or faith. It's about someone doing a complete 180 of their personality, and not a very good version of it either. And maybe, just maybe, I'm being facetious here? Have a good day.

[@ToddSmith1]

I wasn’t buying it for even a nanosecond.

[@Ironic_daemonic]

The knee jerk lizard part of my brain was scared even though I was sure he was messing with us.

[@Happinessiselusive]

Todd Smith me either. You don’t go back for rational reasons. Not when it comes to religious beliefs.

[@bajaxbajax910]

I've seen stranger things

[@emmanueludoh77]

Me neither. Title was too leading.

[@marijakurosaki3967]

His body language & voice was all wrong. I've heard him speak many times over the years. He was faking it for sure, Todd. One day, he's gonna find out how wrong he is. Certainly, God has reached out to him over the years. if he continues to deny God, well that's his choice. Grateful I live in the United States. I'd like to ask Penn why did Obama deny Christian Syrians entry into the U.S. Why only make negative comments against Trump? My community has many Christian families from the middle-east that faced death, if they had continued to live there as non-Muslims. My town isn't better than Penn's town - we are just different. We have different cultures & that's ok. People should not be forced to live alongside others that they don't have things in common with, that's how all the "white flight" happened in Detroit. People, organically, get to know each other & will decide where to live. Normally, that's with people of similar values, cultures & outlooks. I like living in my multi-culti area, but I realize that it's not for everyone.

[@tokutickler]

Me: Is this an out of season April Fools joke? Penn: yes

[@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece]

I expected a brain damage or heroin withdrawal story next. That's usually how speeches like that usually end from my experience. That or just schizophrenia. It's a disorder where you attribute your inner monologue to external sources. So indoctrinated people often think they are hearing angels or demons (or gods or devils etc, i think you get the idea). Others often think they can read the minds of other people.

[@buckaroobanzai7063]

"We have to do God's work because God's not going to". I love this man.

[@youxkio]

That's where you find "God". It is only in people's hearts.

[@RobertBurgener]

I guess I've gotten extensively cynical, my first thought was, "What was he diagnosed with? How long does he have?"

[@selamneway5939]

same here, lmao

[@neilsiebenthal9254]

I'm bet you're religious, since most religious people think atheist don't really put any thought into it and are just doing it to rebel or because they're angry at God or religious people. So they say things like, there are no atheist in foxholes, everyone will convert when they find out they're dying. Which really only says more about themselves and why they believe it, fear of death and feeling special, important. Such as the whole universe being made just for humans, and we're called arrogant for not believing those things 😂

[@RobertBurgener]

@@neilsiebenthal9254 Impressive, all those assumptions in one paragraph and all of them incorrect. I would say your reply has more to do with your own personal issues than with the original video and/or my response. Having been a fan of Penn for many years and being quite aware of his views on religion, it was exceptionally fitting. Too bad that you are apparently so riddled with issues and triggers that you were unable to comprehend the possible humor, as well as the relief that he is not ill. Though not particularly religious, I'll happily pray for you, any particular deity you would prefer, or will the Flying Spaghetti Monster suffice?

[@issamissam4043]

One of the best speeches I ever heard in my life. We need more people like him. Love you❤

[@eugenevaticinator4540]

Just as I was about to dislike this guy He comes back more loveable than ever

[@Eray-fy5bz]

I was about to do the same

[@jameschild1321]

Why were you going to dislike him???

[@rabbithole8592]

You were going to dislike him if he was a Christian!? Well, there ya go. That's the problem with your ideology. It's intolerant. Christianity preaches love. Love your neighbors. Love your Enemies. Jesus is the best example for all mankind. But guess what!? I don't anyone who isn't a Christian. That's between them and God.

[@GraeHall]

I am _SO_ fucking happy to see Penn looking so healthy. He's a fascinating and talented character, performer, thinker, and speaker. Just look at the thumbnails for his previous videos on the right, a year or two ago. Healthy Penn is a Penn that is going to live longer, and keep challenging us stronger.

[@GraeHall]

Also, I'd give Penn a solid fuckin' hug for what he said here. Dude's a sweetheart.

[@stuartwest8836]

.............yes I think you would..............

[@stuartwest8836]

Bot23 Could it be that in common with most people today, you are obsessed with .................................flesh, your own, other people's..........flesh........flesh........and...........more flesh.........O , and below waste body parts...............

[@stuartwest8836]

***** Not guilty, I have been married for many years.......

[@stuartwest8836]

***** aaaaaaah,the last resort of the challenged.......throw out an insult......works every time....

[@MikeWhite-pi7lf]

Wow he scared the shit out of me. I thought he had lost his mind there with the beginning.

[@Simon-fn1ed]

"I'm still an atheist, I'm still fine"😂

[@twistersurvivor]

Simon Bond Yesss!! I loved that little line!

[@dennisgalvin2521]

simon bond For now.

[@mkrulic517439]

wow CE, where to begin,...first we live in a secular country. thats because james madison was influenced by the father of liberalism, john locke. second, if someone finds out that their bride was not a virgin on their wedding night according to biblical doctrine you are supposed to take her to her fathers house and stone her to death. sound like a family value? about as much as separating children from their parents at the border, but I digress. third, we enjoy a hybrid economy of socialism and capitalism and if you dont know that, you dont know anything.

[@blakethingstad5052]

CE ThreeNinetyNine just no, I don't want to have to try to explain why you're wrong, but you just are. It's not even up for debate. You can say it is, but it's not. This is a fact. Yes, that's a logically fallacy to just dismiss your claim. But I just don't feel like trying to explain something so obvious (another fallacy).

[@zackstone4800]

You know there is know God?! Now your the religious Fanatic Pen!! You lost need there!!! I thought you were smarter than that??

[@tgward313]

I was actually scared for a couple of seconds--- then the world returned to normal

[@woody14555]

isn't it sad that this has to be explained? love this man

[@woody14555]

+Kelsang Phunrab I think most atheists have a human heart

[@NickR..]

+Chris Woodcock Citation needed.

[@woody14555]

+Sir Reginald lmao.

[@Jamal_Tyrone]

You're meant to say scope these days, not retarded.

[@skirk248]

it's honestly depressing we need to be told don't be a dick

[@JordanIsBadAtGames]

“Doing God’s work because gods not going to” I love it. That’s great

[@mustafaalnoori5213]

‘When your lord said to the angels : indeed I will make upon earth, a successive authority” Quran chapter-1 verse-30 We are supposed to be god’s representatives on earth and do what should be done

[@lawrenceeason8007]

Doing great here too. Was a believer for 50 years...unfortunately...but never been better now

[@randumbguy4587]

It's never too late to recognize you've made a mistake. Good on you!

[@ThetennisDr]

Hey... Thats huge man.. Now go after psychedelics syrup of truth

[@thehistoryprof6750]

I'm laying in bed youtubing before sleep. Came across this video of Penn who I enjoy...and my jaw dropped, I couldn't believe what I was hearing...you got me ! But more seriously you hit the bullseye. The answer for us all is universal compassion and love. We don't need religion to divide us. I love you even more Penn. Great message 👍.

[@badlydrawnturtle8484]

“We've got to stop judging people by the color of their skin and where they're from.” Okay. Good. But… “You are allowed to hate ideas… you are not allowed to hate people for their ideas.” This gets on my nerves. People keep saying it, but they don't realize what it means. They are implying that you can't judge people on their ideas, either. If you can't judge people on their ideas, what the heck can you judge people on? And don't you dare say we shouldn't judge people. You know very well that judging people is a necessary function of social interaction; and further, that the only valid method of judging people is by the ideas they bring to the table. Ideas and the people who express them are not perfectly separate entities; yes, you can judge people on their ideas. Yes, you can hate people on their ideas. This is, in fact, the only justifiable reason for hating a person. I'm tired of tiptoeing around, pretending that the ideas are horrible, but the people who hold them aren't. If someone thinks gay people should be stoned to death and apostates should have their heads cut off, I'm going to hate them for their ideas. And if you consider yourself a moral person, so should you.

[@charleshuber440]

You judge people on their actions. Period. The end. You don't judge someone until they do something wrong.

[@badlydrawnturtle8484]

You do realize that beliefs and actions are fundamentally linked, right? Someone's actions are based on their beliefs, and you understand someone's beliefs through their actions. If someone believes gay people should die, I'm going to judge them BEFORE they kill anybody, thank you.

[@sxrxrnrvigil]

+bluefmi I actually agree with Charles, I mean Voltaire never made this quote but it's attributed to him none the less, “I don't agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." There are people who have terrible beliefs, but they will actively fight for equality. We should hold people accountable for their actions, not their beliefs. Sure, we can judge people for absolutely anything, I agree with that, but to say someone should be condemned simply because they honestly believe something we disagree with is nonesense, we should care about whether or not they act on this belief. I would rather stand with a fundamentalist who thought atheists deserve to be hung, abortion is murder and who is anti gay marriage yet they fight for equality despite their personal beliefs then an atheist who rejects people simply because they believe he is going to hell or deserves to be hung according to their belief system.

[@badlydrawnturtle8484]

sxrxrnrvigil “I actually agree with Charles, I mean Voltaire never made this quote but it's attributed to him none the less, “I don't agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." ” That's not what that quote means. That quote says nothing about treating people nicely when they say something you disagree with; only that you don't have the right to shut them up. “but to say someone should be condemned simply because they honestly believe something we disagree with is nonesense, we should care about whether or not they act on this belief.” A belief is just what we call an inclination toward a particular action. If someone doesn't act on their belief, they don't really believe it; so when someone expresses a belief, you can expect them to act on it. That's the point of a belief. “I would rather stand with a fundamentalist who thought atheists deserve to be hung, abortion is murder and who is anti gay marriage yet they fight for equality despite their personal beliefs” There is no such person. If they think atheists deserve to be hung, they are not going to fight for atheists' freedom. If they are anti gay-marriage, they are not going to support gay marriage. This is exactly what I mean by my original comment; people think there's this disconnect between belief and action, when there isn't. The people you are trying to defend cannot logically exist. Beliefs dictate actions. A belief is what someone will do if given the chance. People are made up of beliefs; someone made up of misguided beliefs is a misguided person, and someone who is made up of intolerant beliefs is an intolerant person.

[@sxrxrnrvigil]

Badly Drawn Turtle There is a disconnect between belief and action and it is trivially easy to demonstrate. For example, christians believe that non believers go to hell, this is not an inclination to send people to hell. I believe the earth is round, this is not an inclination to act on anything. I personally know people who believe that gay marriage is wrong yet vote to allow it, that belief is superceded by a belief that god is the judge and the belief that equality is the best thing for the nation. I never claimed the quote was about treating people nicely at all, the quote is a demonstration that someone can disagree with something a person says yet they do not act on this belief. Your defintion is flawed, a belief is not an inclination to an action, it is something we consider to be a true representation of reality.

[@nicholasmcadams8041]

Totally had me going. The trickster tricked me :( lol. This is the only click bate I can honestly say was enjoyable.

[@lex3729]

Clicq Baaght?

[@TheBeeseven]

Good point Nicholas

[@hofifut]

it wasn't click bait. Click bait entices someone to click based on false pretenses. There was nothing in the title that was misleading

[@bruhmomenthdr7575]

Clique bate?

[@RedJoker9000]

2:17 hit me hard. Let's just say, I've seen that in real life, as well as to me a bit and when you can connect with the story, it affects you more. Luckily I had a father who wouldn't disown me. My mother did want to but my father stopped her. He saw family more important than the religion he followed (Islam). Muslim families can be nice, but horrible too. The biggest things that determine it, is how far they will follow the teachings.

[@RedJoker9000]

@Feiner Fug That is the type of father I have in a sense. He does a few things in Islam just to keep my mother happy. However, he put one of my mother's quran books on fire because rather than take care of my little brother (was maybe 4 and almost got hurt) she went to go pray and read the quran for her typical 30+ mins. My mother broke down crying like crazy; not for the safety of my brother, but for the fact that the book was being burnt. My father immigrated to the US for more opportunities and not deal with the close-minded people. Unfortunate for him, he ended up getting married to one. As for the pages, one of the few good things that came out of me learning Islam was writing/reading Arabic/Urdu. Many people find it amazing to look at, but what I liked the most was being able to watch Aladdin (the animated version) and read all the stuff on there.

[@RedJoker9000]

@Feiner Fug My mother side of the family are the devote type Muslims that are almost to the point where they would all kill. I'd say maybe only a total of 4-5 would. My father side aren't as devote but in a sense still are i bit. However, my father and one of my dad's brothers act almost nothing like a typical Muslim should act based on the religion. I know how to speak English (born, raised and living in US), and Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Punjabi, and Bengali growing up and still know it. Growing up and learning a language is easier than learning it later on, but was totally different than English. My mother side lived in multiple locations and kind of had to learn it even though Urdu and Arabic was the major language. The reason my mother acts so much open than she is supposed to based on Islam, is because she lives in America. If she didn't immigrate here thx to my dad, she'd be like one of those submissive women you see. All my aunts on both sides are very submissive; and basically all of the girls/women see my brothers and I as odd as we don't treat them like garbage and act differently. However, though we are atheist, they think we are Muslims.

[@RedJoker9000]

@Feiner Fug Yeah, but we don't live in a world where we see each other as equal or with common sense. To most people, they will take certain things they were taught deeply at face value because even their parent's believed it. Other things they don't because they realized the idiotic points and saw that so many didn't believe in it either. They see it as "If most believe it, it must be real and right". Most people used to believe the Earth was flat and center of the Universe. This has been disproven and yet, you still have people who believe that.

[@RedJoker9000]

@Feiner Fug thanks and same.

[@tlgayhart3064]

The trick is for Islam to do what Christianity has done over the years. Just ignore the worst parts of the writings and live by the best parts.

[@alexandremuise8889]

Protect the guy from the religion that wants to kill him for leaving his religion. I'm lucky, when I left Roman Catholicism for christianity, I knew there wouldn't be a Papal mandated fatwa on my life.

[@emptyhand777]

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

[@johnfairweather9188]

Your next step is to leave Christianity for the truth of atheism.

[@eleonorvoncarter6769]

The hell? You have pretty confused ideas bud

[@stankguac]

@@johnfairweather9188 stop preaching "truth" just as christians preach "truth". you're no better when you do so

[@johnfairweather9188]

@@stankguac There is no proof on any god.

[@spookym123]

"We must love them, we must embrace them, we must help them". And to think, some people actually need a book to know, or feel these things. And even with that book, some people ignore these things.

[@markriley5784]

That's because morality does not come from a book it comes from empathy.

[@squarerootof2]

Mark Riley Yes, it's a bit scary that some people only behave in a moral and ethical manner just because some book or a belief tells them to. What happens when those people lose their beliefs? I would hope they would behave in the same way, but some openly admit that they wouldn't.

[@markriley5784]

SquareRootOf2 I grew up spending all my time with religious ideologues. Over the last 15 years I spent a lot of time with atheists, and almost all of them began as religious ideologues, later deprogramming themselves. And I can assure you your fears are most unfounded. When people stop getting there morals from a book they start getting them from empathy instead; and of course, as their empathy grows, so grows their Morality.. The only exception being the psychopaths, sociopaths, and to a somewhat lesser degree, the narcissists. But they will remain the same regardless of whether they are Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists or agnostics. All ideologies whether they be racist, religious, conspiracy-theory, extreme-political, etc., they produce a mind-narrowing worldview that replaces portions of reality with a delusion. And it's the primal urge in the deepest most primitive part of our brains that gives us the desire to be tribalistic. Since this urge is so ubiquitous within our species, evidently it helped us back in the Stone Age. Now the world is smaller, the only way we are going to survive is if we perceive ourselves as belonging to just one try the tribe of all living things on this planet. But it is this primitive desire for tribalism for finding strength in numbers that causes Ida logs to make every effort to increase the size of their tribe. And so, if they are ideologues, they tried to warn everybody that all hell is going to break loose across the planet if they're tribe doesn't grow, or even worse, if their tribes to shrink in numbers. You should read a book titled " when it was dark". It was published in 1904 in Britain, and being a Christian, it tells the anti Jewish story of how this dirty Jew and Britain wanted to destroy Christianity and so he found this in a financial bind and paid him money to falsely claim that the Tomb of Jesus have been found in Jesus's body was still in there so he had never risen from the dead. And when the news spreads around the whole world everybody to started raping and killing each other even the even the Muslims and Hindus and the atheist in the Buddhist they all start killing and raping each other because Jesus wasn't truly the death-conquering son of some god LOL! But then the truth came out and everybody went back to living largely in peace, even those who never even believe in Jesus in the first place. Oh the delusion of ideology, especially when it's engaged out of a fear of death!

[@markriley5784]

SquareRootOf2 by the way, the two ideologies that produce the most Violence by far throughout history these two ideologies I don't even have to mention them by name you already know then by name. And if you were to read the respective Manifesto of each, carefully, cover to cover, you would understand why they have produce so much violence, racism, misogyny, slavery, and even child sexual abuse. So it is no wonder, that people who are banned in these ideologies to see a significant increase in their empathy and therefore their morality

[@squarerootof2]

Mark Riley I was brought up a Catholic. I went to a Catholic school run by a sect of Catholic monks and also went to Sunday School (a place where you receive further indoctrination in preparation for your first Holy Communion at about 7). I don't think I ever really believed any of the religious teachings and neither did my school mates, I think. We all knew which teachers were openly pedo (because of rumours or personal experience). As the youngest of six atheist siblings, I think I wised up to the religious lie more or less at the same time I stopped believing in Santa Claus. I mean, even a child can see something is seriously off when someone dressed in robes says "this is the body and blood of Christ, now eat it and He will be inside you", "don't chew it because that's a mortal sin". lol If the Catholic church had dispensed with all that bulllshit and stuck only to the moral values, it would've gone better for them. Still, it is quite surprising they've managed to make it to the 21st century. I think very religious Catholic countries like Ireland or Spain produce the greatest number of atheists. People only went to mass on Sundays to be seen and nowadays only old women go to mass. In the UK Protestant priests can marry and lead normal family lives. I think that's why the pedo phenomenon is more prevalent in the Catholic Church, where the deviants seek refuge and are welcomed with open arms. The only people who have told me they would act in evil ways if they didn't have religion to back up their morals are Mormons or people from similar sects that stop you in the street to proselytize. I've never really believed their claims but they seem to believe it themselves.

[@theryankruger]

This video reminding me once again to never look at the KZbin comments. This was beautiful, the comments are not.

[@Stringslayer92]

partly agree. the comments are really sad. but at the same time i dont really agree on everything penn says. especially at the end: when he says that atheists have to scream theres no god but not so loud so they can still help religious people. i get that and i think thats alright but i have this mad idea: how about people just live together without anyone screaming anything? i can confidently say im a religious person and i dont scream atheists are idiots. he also says at some point that it is possible to say religion is wrong but to respect those people. once again: why dont you just say nothing? i can respect atheists or any person but i think if you want to be respectful towards others then respect their beliefs. no one needs to convert anyone. what do you think?

[@RaimonTarou]

the main idea is ideally you should be able to choose to say either nothing or say religion is wrong. It's having the choice to form and have an opinion that is important. Freedom of speech, look it up. Its a pretty basic human right that should be protected.

[@Stringslayer92]

yes sure of course this is a basic human right. but dont you feel bad too if there are people who say they respect you and your beliefs but at the same time they try to convert you? thats hypocrisy in my opinion. i dont say its wrong to vouch for your beliefs and i its completely okay to say that you believe in something. but all i say is that it sounds (to me at least) like he goes around and tries to convert people and convince them to believe his own beliefs. and that has nothing to do with respecting others beliefs. now i dont say that religious people dont do that either and i think thats not respectful to others beliefs as well. say what you want but all of this is hypocrisy.

[@RaimonTarou]

who the heck cares if they are trying to convert me or my pet cat, or even if its hypocritical. The point is i am NOT FORCED to convert! And in a country where people's freedom of speech is protected, that would definitely be the case!

[@Xarai]

if was also illogical and stupid, with conflicting priorities, and misunderstandings

[@pamelamays4186]

Aw, Penn, you had me going for a minute there.

[@hoimangkuk]

As a person who believes in Islam but also having problems with Muslim communities, I really want to say thank you to Penn for saying this idea out loud... We do need help, and sadly most people directly rejected us the moment they know what we believe in... We are receiving hatred from both Muslims and Non-Muslims communities...

[@SandroSegadora]

Wait, so am I not allowed to hate the Nazis for their ideas, I'm confused?

[@colindupee]

Dude, not all Nazis were Nazis...

[@SandroSegadora]

Colin DuPée Well, what do you mean by that? Do you mean, that #NotAll Nazis hated Jews, or do you mean that there were German people who called themselves Nazis because they were scared that their family would be killed if they didn't? I agree with the latter one but I think that all Nazis hated Jews, now, not all Germans were Nazis but that's kinda self-evident.

[@nolanhartwick7184]

Honestly, there were millions of Nazi's. At its height, it was just THE major political party in Germany. I would be astounded if all 100% of Nazis hated jews. There is just too many of them, and the party itself was too mainstream at the time. Surely there were plenty of people who joined the party for purely political reasons, or just because their parents/friends told them to. There would have been plenty of reasons to join the Nazi party that don't require the hatred of jews. Of course, it is also true that anti-semitism was a very very common belief/practice among Nazis. To touch on your actual question, I suppose Pen would want you to hate the Nazi Party but respect and support all of the Nazi party members? IDK?

[@ApesAmongUs]

Both of those options are true, and I'd go further and say there were likely many Germans who were not Nazis yet hated Jews anyway.

[@E.OrthodoxMHNIN]

No it's ONLY Muslims you're not allowed to hate, because of their ideals... Penn has apparently embraced the European Societal-Suicide program of the Cultural Marxist.

[@ri3m4nn]

"I'm still an atheist. I'm still doing fine." lol perfect

[@VJagentONE]

@Ri3m4nn ....of course you are....you are in the eye of the hurricane......wait until Judgement Day....it won't just not be fine anymore...it will be an eye opener....but also too late

[@ri3m4nn]

+VJagentONE notice the use of quotes

[@jasonGamesMaster]

LOL. I'm waiting. Nothing's going to happen, but I'm waiting. Pray for me to get cancer or something so I can not worry about that either.

[@nommy210]

You got it, buddy. Let me know how Judgment day treats you when it's your time. Except you won't be able to because Judgment Day won't happen because all religions are fiction.

[@ri3m4nn]

Christopher Flores not for you to judge, ya dummy.

[@avjake]

That opening was the best drug I've had in a long time. This talk is so full of great sound bites, I can't even start. Just watch the thing.

[@Corn0nTheCobb]

That's what we're doing. That's why we're here...

[@georgeforeman9666]

For 50 seconds I had lost all respect for Penn. then I realized he had pulled off his best illusion ever. Now the message he has here is really good.

[@User-jr7vf]

So you don't follow the main idea in this video. You lose respect for someone just because he/she has converted to religion.

[@georgeforeman9666]

User Droid Did I not say the message he has here is really good? And yes I do loose respect for someone who buys into fables. When someone believes the earth is flat I loose respect for them. If they believe Harry potter is real I loose respect.

[@jesperjee]

@@User-jr7vf The idea in the video is not an issue. But converting to a religion deserves no respect. Can they be good parents? Yes. Then that deserves respect. Do they earn an honest living? Then THAT deserves respect. Do they believe in fairytales and teach that to kids? If so, they don´t deserve respect at all.

[@MostlyBuicks]

Technically speaking phobia means a fear of, it does not mean a hatred for. Phobia is conflated with hate almost universally these days and it is incorrect.

[@dcanaday]

Even more technically, it means an irrational fear of. If you have a rational fear of Muslims, that's not Islamophobia, even though you will certainly be accused of it regardless.

[@MostlyBuicks]

True that! I have taken a tack that call me whatever you want. But I will not let someone else define me. @@dcanaday

[@malcommobo32]

Hateful actions are often based in fear.

[@dcanaday]

@@malcommobo32 True. Sometimes the fear is legitimate though.

[@williamcarter7977]

Technically phobia means having an IRRATIONAL fear. Irrational fear can lead to hate.

[@lorigiggles2]

Loved this video!! This is how we change the world for the better. Sad thing is that many will discount these words of wisdom just because they were spoken by an atheist.

[@JohnRay1969]

Intelligent people will hear him even the Christian and Muslim ears can hear the truth when it is spoken. If truth falls on deaf ears, speak it anyway. Speak the truth not to convert but to preserve.

[@alphabanjaxedbanshee7034]

Plot twist, he's becoming a mormon

[@salmonella4u]

you mean a mor_on.

[@generalviewer8347]

kids, put on your undies!!!

[@polyp2910]

the burned man?

[@aiden-sy3ex]

@@polyp2910 the best christian character in any media, period

[@thewatcherinthecloud]

"Preaching hate." THIS is why the young people are leaving churches. The religious don't want to admit that they are full of hate.

[@zuffin1864]

Quite blanket statements you are making there. Just because religious profiteers are able to expand their voice loud and wide doesn't mean they represent the group they claim to represent.

[@GrampaCaligula]

"We have to do God's work because God's not going to." Well said, sir!

[@MrSanford65]

I find that people who preach against hate always have the most hateful words for the people they consider haters. Even more vile then the haters they hate

[@MasterJoeKerr]

You're a hater.

[@MrSanford65]

+Master Joe Kerr nature gives us nothing in vain, including our hate

[@MasterJoeKerr]

Nature gave us "us" and we are destroying nature.

[@MrSanford65]

+Master Joe Kerr we are part of nature which is why everything we feel and express at some point in time has a legitimate value. But people condemn emotions when they don't want to look at the facts

[@MrPoster42]

Yeah and not tolerating intolerance is intolerance...... There is no kind way to call out someone being hateful or bigoted.

[@spracketskooch]

That guy wan't afraid of terrorists Penn, he was afraid of his own community, inside the US to boot. How do you fix that situation without telling someone to stop believing what they believe, or telling them to fuck off? It's not our obligation to help anyone, nor is it our obligation to accept people into our country who refuse to obey our laws or hold our values.

[@2l84t]

Fuck off.

[@Zubberbilly]

no u

[@spracketskooch]

2l84t I'm currently fucking off, I'll be fucking on later if you need to find me.

[@spracketskooch]

***** Do you even know what a fascist is? You do know the vast majority of these "refugees" are young men who come to the west for economic reasons, not fleeing from war, right? Islam is not a race dummy, it's an ideology, if you're going to insult me at least get the right word. According to you and your ilk we already live in a white supremacist regime. I have no problem with immigration, but immigrants need to respect our laws, and they don't need special protections. A person who commits a crime is a criminal no matter their beliefs.

[@LORDNAG1]

like cops?

[@anatomicallycorrectmuppets8180]

We got 21 Afghan refugees at work. I volunteered to work with them. I was shocked by the sheer ignorance of my coworkers who insisted they were there to blow themselves up. It is sad that people are so gullible and willfully intolerant of things they don’t understand.

[@ahmedshaikh7662]

Im pakistani and muslim and i wouldnt be angry with that boy. I would respect his decision.

[@phishfearme2]

good for you - please pass it around - it's too bad that it only takes one (who thinks you both are wrong) to kill someone for your thoughts

[@kanon1118]

Thought crime, as the late Christopher Hitchens would say,

[@Enyonam214]

Ahmed Shaikh Y do you feel you should be angry? Islam is stupid!

[@_TehTJ_]

Because you're a good person. Also, Deadpool was a great movie. So, cool PFP

[@bademoxy]

if only the percentage of islamists wasn't high enough to be a threat to everyone else-including other muslims such as yourself-, there wouldn't BE a problem. only 10% of germans were nazi party members,yet that ended in a conflict which killed tens of millions..

[@t3knology1]

It being the wrong word is something I have said for ages. People use the phrase, "Oh, that's just semantics", but don't realize how much the correct words really matter.

[@t3knology1]

The scariest thing about the Islamic religion is not terrorism. It is the religion itself. It is it's devious ability to take as much time as needed to take over areas using whatever means necessary. Even flat out lying is perfectly okay as long as it is done as part of jihad.

[@HuatulcoGuy]

"We have to do God's work because there is no God". Preach it brother!!! 👍

[@jamieb3071]

Its the best thing he says in the whole video

[@gking407]

Jamie Badar It’s one of the best things anyone has said in any video for a long time

[@jonc.m8717]

We have to do God's work because God's not going to.

[@100thApe]

For a minute there I thought I was losing my goddamn mind. Good one Penn!

[@chrisbrooks4032]

I love that he quoted the bible.

[@alecsimms9653]

Chris Brooks Satan knows the Bible backward and toward.

[@chrisbrooks4032]

@@alecsimms9653 Satan doesn't exist. He evolved at the end of the old testament to try to explain the problem of evil. All your invisible friends are imaginary in fact. Good day.

[@85Funkadelic]

@@alecsimms9653 imaginary enemy is just as fake as imaginary friend. None of it makes sense it's super obviously bulshit. You probably will come to that conclusion yourself someday.

[@Dragoderian]

If there was a Satan, he would undoubtedly be the author of the Bible. What better way to ruin all that 'God' has made than to found a bogus religion in his name, and popularise it?

[@waynelawson1235]

@@chrisbrooks4032 Philippians 2:10 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and thingsin earth, and things under the earth;” King James Version (KJV)

[@TS-qq7vr]

"Hair that looks like cotton candy made out of piss" I think we all know his name.

[@RaulTorres-vr6tm]

Hillary?

[@donjonson9587]

@@RaulTorres-vr6tm I heard if you say her name three times Trump will win the next election. Ah. Who am I kidding? Unless the dems can come up with a candidate with half a brain we're getting Trump again no matter what. Hopefully they don't screw Bernie again.

[@DivinaaCreative]

Carrot top

[@fishinghuntingfool]

This Sucks ?

[@gustercc]

Don Jonson you’re a good man!

[@railroadtrash09]

The best way to help others is to help yourself and be the example. If you step on others, that is wrong, but examine yourself first...

[@thefnaffan2]

True words

[@audiofunkdialect]

Always more conversation not less. Always more communication not less.

[@deanwcampbell]

Agreed with everything upto @12:49 In engineering we use an equation (simplified here); Probability x Consequence = Actions. Sure the probability is very very low, but the consequences are very very high; so that deeply effects the measures which should be implemented in order to maintain a safe surrounding environment.

[@cjjc0]

the consequences aren't very high - even including 9/11, terrorists kill very few people. they just kill them in ways and for reasons that are very shocking.

[@cjjc0]

I should say, very few westerners. the suffering inflicted on Muslims is incredible

[@ProProboscis]

BS

[@HamHamHampster]

In most parts of the world, you have a far better chance of dying in a traffic accident than a terrorist attack. I am sure you don't avoid transportation because of it.

[@ProProboscis]

HamHamHampster Mr Genius engineer would have never approved of a 2016 car because you know " the probability is very very low, but the consequences are very very high; so that deeply effects the measures which should be implemented in order to maintain a safe surrounding environment."

[@maciejjachtorowicz6727]

In this torrent of edgy-alt right comments I thought I'd post something less paranoid and irrationally angry. As an atheist I worry deeply about the situation that we as a species are digging our heels into. Humans are more than the ideas we hold and protect, Penn Jillette is speaking to the human beings underneath the ideologies. Per the constitution, we have no right to deny these human beings Life, Liberty and Happiness because of an idea, no matter how dangerous or how wrong it is. America must be built on disagreement, the freedom to think. Those of you who say "Islam is a plague" are simply cherrypicking the instances where Islam has caused damage. Like Christianity, in the majority of places it exists, it holds communities together. We must think as human beings, freely and openly, not as ideologues.

[@slowbros1048]

Maciej Jachtorowicz 100% agree looks like the dark ages didn't happen in the north pole..... the renaissance was not the result of religion. It was the result of wealthy rulers allocating city-state resources into R&d. Nice try though. Unfortunately christianity is just as shity. The real difference is most modern "Christians" really aren't even following the words of their book (in many aspects), muslims also dont for the most part. The difference is the level of extremism. Muslims do tend to be more fundamentalist but it is my belief that it is the result of years of political instability.

[@slowbros1048]

The years of political instability and war was my answer to #3 btw.

[@albertrogers8537]

Maciej, all three Abrahamic religions are both false and in their stated principles evil. "Islam is a plague" is true. So are "America First" and even "Rule, Britannia" as foreign policy. But Muslims are not individually a plague. A group parading under the banner of rebellion against the Union, the Confederate Flag, and a group with "Death to America", are equally to be banned from the streets and treated with maximum suspicion. But not individuals.

[@albertrogers8537]

Your point is of course that not every individual Muslim believes all the wickedness of Islam. I gently assert nevertheless that like the other two Abrahamic religions, Islam is a plague. Anybody who can read even the books of the Prophets, or the concluding Book of Revelation, without some pangs of disgust is either deceiving himself or dangerously deluded.

[@albertrogers8537]

Oliver Johnson The Renaissance is reckoned by some to have been in part the result of the reduction of population in Europe, by the Black Death!

[@jf1615]

Phew!!!! I was worried there for a minute that someone had given him a lobotomy..

[@miklo6907]

A lobotomy wouldn't fix his Ignorance

[@chrisbrooks4032]

@@miklo6907 Da fuq

[@miklo6907]

@@chrisbrooks4032 Phukn A

[@chrisbrooks4032]

@@miklo6907 What the fuck is up with your name?

[@DBEdwards]

Or that he had seen the light

[@MichaelYugo]

A. I'm glad you got me good and didn't actually slide back. B. This was a beautiful perspective I'll have to absorb into how I approach this topic. Thanks Penn.

[@HillbillyHippyOG]

“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -MLK What a beautiful message. Our ONLY choice is to reach out a hand in friendship and hope that compassion bridges the fear between us. We will never find peace through war and fear and hate. Thank you, Penn.

[@glennwilson6179]

He hates MLK's Christianity. While Islam is such a bore with all its stable enduring compassionate democracies.

[@mazingdaddid]

"We have to do God's work because God's not going to." How profound of a statement.

[@mathewlarrigan2723]

First off he said God doesn't exist.. then says we have to do the work .. Obviously we have to do the work .. That's the whole point of free will ..

[@mazingdaddid]

@@mathewlarrigan2723 what do you mean by free will? The point of the quote is that people hang on to this thing that has no basis in reality, and claim they are doing god's work, but it's just their work in desguise, or worse off, someone else's work masquerading as god's.

[@mathewlarrigan2723]

@@mazingdaddid God gave us free will .. It actually says that this would happen and people would do this .. This has all been predicted.. Even the Elite will be "fooled"?? Sounds very similar and Penn is very cunning to manipulate and twist words and there meanings

[@mazingdaddid]

@@mathewlarrigan2723 ok... what do you mean by free will? I want a definition. And where was this predicted?

[@mathewlarrigan2723]

@@mazingdaddid This was predicted in the Bible ..🤔🤨 waoh man. So attacky.. This was all predicted and we were all warned before technology was a thing

[@ioveyoubestfriend]

God damn! I thought he was actually being serious! Hahaha! That was good!

[@ataraxia7439]

Started crying watching this. There’s a big gap between being a cynic who isn’t afraid to criticize people’s sacred ideas and someone who just doesn’t care about others.

[@gking407]

Listen to this video, then listen again after a few months. This is profound and I failed to grasp how much so until I gave it a second listen.

[@lachlanwelsh5880]

Yep, you are correct! I’m returning after a few years. I think it resonated very strongly with me the first time. Not sure if the same amount the second time... tho I think so. Is great to see someone saying what I have long been able to try to live. Learned this when I was young bc a close relative spewed love for his own kind but no empathy for anyone else, that really was hate. Disgusted me for life, but set me on a good path. Nice to have met you Adam.

[@pitdog75]

I love Penn, but the examples he gave - Irish, Polish etc - not good examples, those people integrated. Moderate Muslims hate gays, subjugate women, are not compatible with the west. Islamy is not just a religion, it's a total solution as Hitch noticed, it's a way of life. Penn seems to be blind to the teachings of Hitchens. Poor unfortunate folks need to be embraced, but those "good" people you might meet he mentions think gays should be killed, children can be raped at will.

[@LtRabbit]

i am a big fan of Penn and I agree with your comment. Another reason Penn is awesome is he wouldn't shout us down for disagreeing with him.

[@andrejbelanov354]

There used to be secular, progressive majority muslim countries, I think there could be again.

[@pitdog75]

+Andrej Belanov certainly. in my country theres a population of muslims. they livee here for hundreds of years. they are chill, our folk. they assimilated.

[@GuyMcCaldin]

I think if you look at the historic details, instead of the ideas, you'll see what you're arguing here isn't actually true, and the reality is much uglier. The Irish that immigrated to America between 1820 and 1921 did not integrate easily. They mostly formed isolated communities, and were subject to prejudice due to language (not all Irish spoke English as a first language), religion, appearance, and xenophobia. It's possible that some of the objections to Irish immigration and culture back then were valid, in the same way that objections to Muslim immigration and culture are valid now. The opinions on Irish immigration changed over time, particularly after WW2 thanks to the mutual sentiment shared among the Allies. The point I'm attempting to correct is the 'rewriting' of history to serve a particular viewpoint about compatibility between cultures.

[@andid]

We just got the right to marry last year and were being electrocuted and worse not many years back. For the love of gods, stop waving around fair treatment of gays as a traditional feature of "the west" because some of you got it together last decade. We may appreciate the belated favor, but we don't generally enjoy being used as a political prop for the fearmongering of other minority groups. That shit will come back around to be used against us eventually, it always does. So please, if you actually care about us, fucking stop. You'd think skeptical atheists would realize it will be used against them too eventually, but I digress. Somehow you guys took Hitchens view that Islam was noticeably worse but still entirely connected to western "Judeo-Christian" values, irrational beliefs of humans in general, and warped that into Islam as 99.9% of our world's problems, incapable of secularization. What Golden Age? "You leave those kind western Christians alone and assimilate", that's what Hitch would have said! Unbelievable. And holding up the west's treatment of women using Hitchens? You notice no amount of irony there? He's a great man on many subjects, but I'll just say there are better examples.

[@PavlosPapageorgiou]

This is far, far, better than your libertarian video.

[@jarret45]

Both were good.

[@DickJohnson3434]

Wow, you must really suck. Tell us more.

[@jarret45]

Dragonschnapp While your assessment may or may not be right, that really has nothing to do with Penn's video. In fact economics in general had very little to do with his video. I felt his video focused on bringing humanity and compassion into 'libertarianism'.

[@Maytag99]

I really liked both videos, honestly.

[@packrat-y7j]

My first two friends when i moved to NYC were an Egyptian Arab, and a Syrian Kurd, in a Polish neighborhood. They were wonderful neighbors and friends. To me, that's the beauty of NYC.

[@LevisH21]

not all Egyptians or Syrian are Muslim. religion has absolutely nothing to do with race, nationality or ethnicity. the problem is of course religious fundamentalism. the ones that are hardcore are dangerous.

[@packrat-y7j]

@@LevisH21 of course! You should have seen the way they joked with each other. They played with the stereotypes by the minute.

[@vyse102]

As much as I love this, at 5:33 Penn says that Islamophobia is not racism (because it's an idea) but that saying anything against Muslims is. Muslims aren't a race, they're adherents to a religion. If you wanted to make the argument that people use the term Muslim to replace "Middle-Easterner", that's different.

[@vyse102]

I don't agree with some of the "most people are good" argument, either.

[@LesMiserables999]

Disprove it then dipshit

[@vyse102]

LesMiserables999: Which? Also, throwing ad hominems at someone when none have been thrown at you is unnecessary and only serve to make you appear less reasonable.

[@Maytag99]

Isn't that just a semantics argument that misses the point? Prejudice against a group of people for their religion is just as bad as prejudice based on the color of their skin.

[@RicardoPetinga]

You say that as if cultural and religious conditioning are easy to get rid of. Like they choose to adhere to that religion therefore they can easily opt out of believing in it. The thing about belief is that it isn't a choice. If you believe you can't choose to not believe, and if you're not a believer you can't force yourself to believe. You can choose to question your religion and to seek out whatever counters it, if you have acquired the mental tools with which to do so. There are ways of getting to atheism even from extreme conditioning, but don't fool yourself into believing that you'd get to atheism all by yourself if you hadn't had the privilege of greater access or having been circumstancially exposed to alternative perspectives. Religion is forced down people's throats since birth. If people are shown only one view on a certain issue and it comes from those that claim to love them, how are islamophobic attitudes going to make them see opposing views as valid and legitimate? Islamophobia attacks people's sense of self, their identity, instead of supporting them with means that would facilitate them opting out of Islam. Also, there are so many muslims that aren't middle-easterners and middle-easterners that aren't muslims that if people actually use those terms interchangeably they're just being fallacious.

[@TheSlaight]

This was beautiful. it brought me to tears when he said "We have to do God's work because God isnt going to"

[@okyouknowwhatever]

That's actually scary. He sounds like a creepy utopianist.

[@garymalarkey4626]

What is creepy or chilling about the idea of a utopia? Serious question, I've never actually heard someone try to claim a utopia would be a bad thing.

[@okyouknowwhatever]

Gary Malarkey Because a Utopia would never work. Why would it never work? Because this thing we call reality and the human heart. To have a Utopia to work you would basically have to kill all humans.

[@garymalarkey4626]

okyouknowwhatever I agree that a true utopia is unattainable, but the idea of having no crime or poverty is hardly something to get all upset about. I think trying to make life as much like that as possible is a pretty worthwhile goal.

[@EvolBob1]

+okyouknowwhatever Is that a pianist from Uto?

[@sisbrawny]

The main point Penn made here - "don't hate the people, hate the idea", is something I can't seem to fully see the logic in. Islam wouldn't exist without Muslims. Muslims are people with the free will and human capacity to know and understand that there are such things as bad ideas, hate, and intolerance. Muslims aren't a special class of humans that should have certain standards apart from the rest of the world. So it's perfectly legitimate to judge Muslims on their devout connection to Islamic ideology. We need to be reminded, an ideology is a set of beliefs and ideas. It's not something we're born with, and it is something that can be changed.

[@sisbrawny]

And the young man he used as an example doesn't match up with his conclusion. The young man was atheist, not Muslim, who realizes how horrible that ideology is. The one thing I can see, is there likely is many people who identify as Muslim, who aren't. They are the one's we need to go to. Not the atheists or confident ex-Muslims, and not the extremists who are proud to say they support ISIL. The grey area in the Muslim world where people are forced to comply but really don't agree. And in that regard, yes we absolutely need to be more open to them.

[@agnosticatheist7529]

I can easily hate your religion and not you. Just like I can hate a political ideology that you adhere to. Religious or political ideologies are not people. How hard is that to grasp? You are a simpleton, if you were raised to believe x was wrong, yet western society thinks it is is good. You would be just as fucked up as they are. The fact is, they think they are doing good by what they were raised to believe. Welcome to religions, where irrational, delusional and unsubstantiated beliefs tend to produce many irrational, delusional and willfully ignorant believers.

[@sisbrawny]

+Agnostic Atheist - Thanks for replying, I'm really trying to find an answer to this. I must say you do come off as hypocritical, as you very well made a judgement of Muslims (or generically believers of religions), as being irrational, delusional, and ignorant - to which I agree. But I would also say one who supports, or at least is passive of the barbaric ideas of the Islamic faith as being horrible, disgraceful people on top of that. A Muslim is just a person like you or me. They have the human capacity and conscience to know what is good and bad. No one can't be judged or condemned for their convictions. Ideas are ideas, but it takes a person to create it, and other's to follow. Get my drift? I'm am very sympathetic to how Islam is injected into people as soon as they're old enough to read. It's a really bad thing that's happening. But appealing to hardy believers isn't going to fix anything. I do agree we need to be open to those who fear for their lives if they stand up against Islam (and the Muslims who force it on them). But as I said, those people by definition are not Muslim. It's as if someone who openly supports beating gay people, but as soon as they say "but I'm Muslim", it suddenly erases all judgement, accountability and ownership of that barbaric belief. Does this sound rational to you?

[@MaggaraMarine]

People are more than their ideology. Just because their religion says some horrible things doesn't mean they necessarily support/follow those parts or take them literally. There are plenty of different interpretations of Islam, just like there are plenty of different interpretations of Christianity. There are plenty of Muslims that don't follow their religion that religiously, just like there are plenty of Christians that don't follow their religion that religiously. You can't generalize people just based on their religion. Not every Muslim is the same, just like not every Christian is the same. So no, if you hate an ideology, you don't need to hate everybody that follows that ideology. "Muslims aren't a special class of humans that should have certain standards apart from the rest of the world. " Of course they aren't. But they are humans too. As I said, people are more than their ideology. Sure, some Muslims totally deserve to be hated. Some Muslims are horrible people (and a lot of it has to do with their ideology). But just because one identifies as Muslim doesn't mean they should be hated. Individuals should be treated as individuals.

[@sisbrawny]

MaggaraMarine You're perfectly right on judging on an individual basis. However, there is an alarming amount of so called _moderate_ Muslims who do openly support extremist views, and many more who are passive, or fail to point out the barbaric beliefs and actions of a sizable portion of the Muslim population. Islam needs to be reformed. The day it comes down to mocking them for retaining the harmless but wacky beliefs will be a great turn for Muslims, and a peaceful world.

[@hifiduck]

The only way to stop hatred is to realize that "All religions have 4 patterns in common: reward, punishment, time and money." You can see these patterns in many forms of human activities including...

[@albertomeza9763]

i was about to make a hate comment, i realized what the fuck am i doing with my life, i should be doing something productive like studying for my classes or to learn how to use 3d design software, but instead im here wasting my time, don't be me. Either way i will just say this. The only and truly greatest god is our lord and savior Harambe. #dicksoutforharambe

[@yeaman992]

I'm proud of you. Today truly is the first day of the rest of your life.

[@thebusinessgoat]

My dick is out boi

[@ResoluteDeicide]

all praise Harambe

[@sorenveale820]

Schlong is out and hangin long boi

[@cromfayer]

+

[@the1khronohs40]

Don´t know what to say to this other than, you are awesome, Penn! Love from Norway!

[@reconteam91]

Sonofa- you had me going for awhile there! So glad to see you're still an intelligent individual.

[@rayrous8229]

As atheists we have to protect apostates. We see the damage religious extremism does. Religious moderates cover for the extremists. Apostates are often risking everything. They need a new community.

[@DoomsdayOps]

Powerful words. He is probably one of the best among us and an example of what we as humans need to be if we are going to survey and flourish.

[@MostlyBuicks]

I respect NO religion. But I can respect a person's right to be wrong.

[@ezaddinharun7952]

Atheists a such arrogant dumb. They say they dont respect religion. And they also say do not believe god exist (whch therefore religion exist). Hw cn anybody disrespect somethng whch does not exist? Atheists are indeed bipolar and tt is they believe in crazy stupid thngs like the psuedoscience Darwins Theory

[@williamseipp9691]

I'm not an atheist but Penn's message is on fucking point. Believing in your own power and responsibility to be compassionate to other people in need is a message that everyone needs to embrace as a personal creed. All other personal belief systems, whether it's Pepsi vs Coke, Steelers vs Patriots, Allah or Jesus need to come second when considering how we want to treat each other.

[@AlwaysAwesome001]

🤭

[@joelstein4657]

This young man faces the same problem my father did. His father was a Russian jew and his mother was an Irish catholic. Neither people wanted anything to do with him. He practiced Judaism but the congregation didn't want him. I never knew any of this til after he died and my mother told me. There are good things in both religions but as long as humans are involved there will be discrimination and hatred by their very nature. That's why I am a confirmed anti-theist or athiest for short.

[@clintleffingwell8129]

"...hair that looks like cotton candy made of piss." - That comment was golden (pun intended). :-)

[@jkilmer421]

It's great to be in the same universe as you Penn! You make it better!

[@theeditor8776]

Relocation in the Middle East is far cheaper, meaning you can save far more lives relocating them in the Middle East than you can by dragging them over here way out of their culture.

[@theeditor8776]

12 times is the number I've heard by the way, meaning you could have saved 108 people instead of the 9 Nevada took in.

[@pluckyduck11y]

But that makes WAY too much sense, besides how could the condescending regressive-Leftists virtue signal that way?

[@palibakufun]

This so much. Islam has a culture that comes with it, and that culture is too incompatible with western culture. If you were to supplement all of the good Muslims ONLY into the US, there would STILL be a problem (ignoring the fact that adding 100 million of any people would not go well), because our views don't line up with theirs.

[@fleshanthos]

Hitchens said so himself. I totally agree.

[@fightermma]

Pakistan isn't in the Middle East you dope.

[@CW-xf1li]

I applaud this speech. Nobody should be targeted because of thier faith, provided it doesn't manipulate, oppress or harm those who opt out.

[@davidhollyfield5148]

Hahahaha!!! I was sucked in for a second. Glad I stayed for the rest of the speech. Beautiful and compassionate. And a lot of American atheists have difficulty coming out too, but at least they don't have to worry about being killed for it. Penn is a TRUE patriot.

[@tuggerjb]

Ngl, they had us in the first half. My mouth was literally hanging open. So grateful you were kidding. Your message was truly inspiring

[@homerco213]

"We have to do god's work, because god's not going to." >mic drop

[@sadiqakhan277]

Living amidst a muslim family surrounded by muslim relatives , neighbours and friends , only few close ones know my real belief . They are guarding my secret so i dare not open my mouth and tell the world about my new identity . I look ,i dress ,i eat ,i talk like a muslim but in my heart i know i am not one . Its a very lonely journey, but now that i know there is no God ,there is no going back .People like you give me so much hope .

[@N0Xa880iUL]

😳

[@grahamparker538]

any family that puts religion above their own family has to be wrong

[@fararian]

Very generic thing to say.

[@randibgood]

@@fararian How is that generic? What instances do you think one should put religion before family? And why?

[@elsosagaming]

4.4K dislikes are people who thought he converted to their medieval religion.

[@rhodeliaalcantara2675]

I knew it! Penn was just messing with me.

[@omarnassery7280]

Penn Jillette, in the best tradition of American humanism, and a thinking, feeling atheist. Bravo brother!

[@PeterMasalski93]

Are they rebooting "Fool Us", cuz he sure fooled me!

[@jeggsonvohees2201]

A click-Baity title if ever I saw one.

[@timq6224]

fortunately they spilled the beans in the description

[@ShyGuyXXL]

"You can hate ideas but you can't hate people." But I can hate people for holding on to said ideas.

[@neonsashimidream1075]

8 years late to this but wow. It's refreshing to hear him point out that Islamophobia is the "wrong word" and I would agree for any of these "phobia" words meant to refer to bigotry. Some people will get upset if you point that out or even accuse you of being a hidden racist or something for it, which is just madness. We can't just create words based on established etymology and eons of usage and then bestow our own definition on to it. Anyone with knowledge about language and etymology knows what I mean. Words have to be chosen carefully because we don't control their meaning and how they affect people's worldview. It's hard to remember that we first pick up words by hearing others using them and understand their meaning purely based on the context we heard it in, often confusing other aspects of the context with how it was meant. Not everyone was raised with the habit of researching a new word before using it. Eggcorns are the perfect evidence of how that works. If you're going to create a new compound word for a purpose as important and, likewise precarious, as this, it's critical to consider the etymology and maybe even consult a linguist. It's not trivial! It can be the difference between life and death, freedom and fascism or empathy and hatred.

[@etude316]

Did you all just forget he made a living doing magic tricks?! Ok I admit it, he almost had me too ... staring at the screen incredulously "NO, no, no SURELY NOT!"

[@philv2529]

you actually did have me for a second there

[@mgmartin51]

Penn's greatest trick: making us believe for a few seconds that he was a mindless automaton.

[@rightousliving]

What a great preacher Penn is. As a Christian I agree nearly with everything he said and yes, there is no God when the definition of God is what most people have in their minds, an old man with long white hair and beard sitting on a white throne somewhere high up in the sky. Yet if Penn is serious about what he says, to love people and welcome them even when they believe things contrary to our own beliefs instead of despising them then he practically is doing exactly what Jesus taught his followers to do, to love unconditionally. It’s the doer of His Commandments that will be saved, not those who just claim it based on a magical recitation of some creeds and prayers. And His Commandment is to love, that’s it. Everything else is not Christianity but Dogmatism, an invention of a state controlled church.

[@p.bamygdala2139]

How do we solve the problem? Wonderful question! Some options: 1. Continue making passionate speeches and hoping for the best 2. Create a common external enemy to rally against, uniting us 3. Voluntary neurological engineering. Redirect dopamine flow from the emotional limbic system to the rational and critical prefrontal cortex. Make everybody highly intelligent. "Uplift" our species. Incentivize participation through ethical but clever marketing by playing to strong emotional cues (FOMO, etc.).

[@ManjMau]

Well... That escalated quickly...

[@jasonharris4878]

what an outstanding guy. he has a desire for truth and knowledge in his mind as well as love and compassion in his heart. humanity needs to be taking notes.

[@baphometic8767]

i feel like this is a dumb question but...why does he have a red fingernail?

[@TheTokyoAKA]

At this point, it can be seen as a trademark of sorts. That is.. that one entertainer with the one red fingernail = Penn Jillette. But he initially did it as a play on his mother's advice to get a manicure, since his job involves people looking at his hands. Now he keeps it up in memory of her.

[@mattdorrell9567]

I always wondered, as he enjoys slight of hand magic, whether it might also be as a slight distraction from what he's doing? Noticing the fingernail more than the card for example.

[@gawain_goat1409]

notice thats also his ring finger, my guess is that the ring represents a growth of his wifes finger on his hand, rather than just a ring, and that his wife would also have her ring finger uncolored, but thats just my guess.

[@robertcioata4034]

Timothy Murray He mentioned on his podcast that it's in honor of his mother.

[@MrJoeDone]

i scrolled down for the answer to that question.