Proclaiming himself to have gone beyond atheism ("not believing in God"), magician/bad boy Penn Jillette says that he positively believes that there is no God. The "case" he makes is the same sniggery pastiche of cliches every mildly precocious juvenile at the back of the class in high school has made himself feel big with since classrooms first had backs.
Bolder than most, Jillette admits that his position requires a leap of faith, but he insists it makes a better, freer, more moral life for him. And he says this via National Public Radio (your tax dollars at work).
Jillette is wrong, of course. I'm not saying that he's wrong about God; that's a given. He's wrong in saying that he believes there is no God. He certainly does believe in a god. That god's name is Penn Jillette. His all-trumping devotion to that god is why his universe has no room for the real and living God. "Evidence" has nothing to do with it.
What a sad, bad bet Jillette's playing out. Pray he bails on it, while he still can.
UPDATE: Doug TenNapel interacts much more fully with Jillette; definitely worth reading.
Monday, November 28, 2005
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2 comments:
*sigh*
The strange things you come across when looking for a little entertainment.
If you're going to refute someone's position, please at least do it with arguments somewhat better than the 'high school cliches' you're refuting.
Penn's a big guy, and he's used to getting his way. He's no stranger to ranting about one thing or another for the sake of entertainment(?), or simply verbally beating his chest and asserting his opinions, shouted at the camera and strewn with profanity almost as if to intimidate opposing views. All in all it makes for a rather obnoxious package. But hey, if he can do a few magic tricks, at least he's still good for children's parties. Actually never mind, don't subject your children to him.
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