Comic Ricky Gervais, who was recently announced as the host of the 2012 Golden Globe Awards (for the second year in a row), is featured on the cover of the new issue of New Humanist magazine. As a proud atheist, Ricky uses his coverphoto and accompanying interview to voice his religious beliefs (or lack thereof). On the cover of New Humanist magazine, Ricky strikes a Jesus Christ pose and in his interview, he explains his staunch atheism … just in time for the Xmas holiday. Click below to see Ricky’s latest magazine cover and read excerpts from his newest interview.
Ricky Gervais has become a target for Christian outraged by his views on religion. The unapologetic atheist is being targeted on Twitter by a host of believers who have taken offence at his view. The Office creator, 50, has often spoken of his lack of faith, but his appearance on the cover of New Humanist magazine in a Jesus Christ-style pose has pushed a few over the edge. For the shot, he uses a microphone stand for his cross, dons a crown of thorns and has the word ‘atheist’ daubed across his chest in blood red. But if the picture is deliberately provocative, it is his words that have drawn the ire of Christians, who have criticised him for ‘standing up for queers.’ In the article, the Extras star discussed his new project, called Afterlife, in which he plays God. Ricky reveals he plays the religious leader as ‘an arrogant, wisecracking son of a bitch, who thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread’ in the new show. And he says despite the touchy subject the programme isn’t meant to be taken seriously. ‘He (God in the show) also loves welcoming atheists to heaven with a smug grin on his face. He likes atheists deep down though. Or rather he likes good atheists,’ Ricky muses. ‘He admires the fact that they were moral people even though they didn’t believe they would ever be rewarded with everlasting life. It’s not anti-religion, it’s just fun.’ He adds: ‘I used to believe in God. The Christian one, that is. (There are a few thousand to choose from. But I was born in a country where the dominant religion was Christianity so I believed in that one. Isn’t it weird how that always happens?) Luckily I was also interested in science and nature. And reason and logic. And honesty and truth. And equality and fairness. ‘By the age of eight I was an atheist. (That word shouldn’t even exist. It shouldn’t be needed. But it does. And it is.)’ Ricky further inflamed the situation yesterday as he stuck a number of messages on Twitter, including the quotes from writer Voltaire: ‘Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities’. One follower #GodsWordIslaw tweted the star: “ANY CHRISTIAN THAT FOLLOWS @RICKYGERVAIS IS NOT A CHRISTIAN” Good Christians hate you more than I do Keith. #embarrassment.’ He replied to the user: ‘I am not anti-Christian. I am anti-bigot @GodsWordIsLaw I don’t believe in ANY god. I treat all religions equally. And all good people.’
Boy, Ricky sure knows how to rile people up, even when he’s not trying to do so … but isn’t his honesty and intelligence admirable? It takes great bravery for anyone to be completely honest like this. Ricky isn’t saying these things just to get attention, this is what he actually believes and his speaking out shows others who have the same beliefs that they are not alone. It’s no secret that some of the most dangerous people in the world are religious fanatics … from many different religions. Ricky‘s non-belief is often misinterpreted as hatred toward religious people when, in fact, it is not. It would be so nice if we could all be tolerant of one another … if we could live and let live. I’m quite intrigued by Ricky‘s stance on this issue. I’m very interested in reading this issue of New Humanist. What do you think?
[Source]
Ella, I like you, and I mean it.
I’m not sure you have read into my comments quite correctly.
1. I am not willing to see the religious person view, yes you are correct. I’ve already discounted it and don’t apologize for it. My intentions is to offend you.
2. Perhaps you can enlighten me to the details of your past but bringing it up in a vague argrument is too easy.
3. I don’t expect you to take me seriously. Your not ready and may never be.
It’s ok.
4. “You’re argument below that interesting tidbit is basically I think your beliefs are dumb”
Your beliefs are based on a book that has so many holes in it they cannot be listed here. Here’s just one. and i’ll try and make it short, though I know I will ramble on. The 1st commandment states: Have no other god before me. But what about the Mayans, Native Americans (the ones who lived before being exposed to Europeans) and countless other human civilizations that have come and gone without ever knowing about the christian god. All of these civilizations have all had their own beliefs and different gods. So are you telling me God let entire civilizations of people live their lives never to know about him and then send them to hell for believing in other gods. Yes your beliefs are Completely Ridiculous! Even if God didn’t send these whole civilizations to hell for non belief. The fact that God let huge pockets of humanity never to be exposed to his exsistance shows you that the bible and christianity is just another regional belief system. The difference is Christianity got popular and conquered, Yes you are “fearless warriors” but what are you going to war over?
Historically: Christians fearlessly and ignorantly wiped out other cultures and civilizations in the name of God. Today Ella, you type out “fearless warriors” in an attempt you make yourself not be afraid and to have a sense of belonging.
I say you don’t need religion to do that. You need inner strength and it’s only going to come from one place and that is YOU! God can’t give it to you because deep down no one can really believe a lie, hence your struggle with your beliefs.
5. “you probably need therapy because you are lonely and you are scaredy cats(really?) and also dumb”
a. “need therapy” no, to grow up YES! (see the comment below for explanation)
b. “you are lonely” We are all social animals so loneliness is universal. Your interpretation of my fear comment is not correct. I mention that a lot of religious people have a strong fear component to there psyche and you prove my point in a earlier comment of yours. You state “I still don’t attend church regularly-mostly just enough to make my dad happy”
Here you are afraid to stand up to tour father. I’m guessing your an adult and you should be past the stage of doing things only to please your parents. Yes, of course we want our parents to approve of us but to still do things almost solely to garner their approval is a place were you need to grow.
Love and peace and Merry Christmas!
Sorry for some of the misspellings and grammar above, Bad proof reading :-(
Atheists are in the minority in America, to act like you’re some “Christian-in-the-closet” is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Trying to create the Christian religion into a small minority group to make you look like the victim! Please!
People are waking up. Europe is waking up! These religions were created to control. You might not think the world is flat but 2,000 years ago, people did and that’s when these religions were created, which is why the Bible could rival the craziest science fiction novels of all time.
In Europe, religion is dying out and places with the most atheists are the most peaceful countries with the most equality and non-segregation. Google that.
Religion gives an excuse for hate and when religion dies out and people stop brainwashing the children of the future, we will finally expose things like homophobia and racism for what they are – pure hate, without God’s name and the Bible to hide behind.
And P.S. ALL Christians should be grouped in together. You’re all apart of the same movement that has created destruction for thousands of years. You don’t want to be apart of a group that has murdered, raped, brainwashed people for centuries, don’t be a Christian. Until then, you will deal with the truth.
@Rachel- You obviously won’t listen to anything anyone has to say. Your post was full of self-righteous anger from beginning to end. You think ALL Christians should be grouped together? Are you hearing yourself? The world is not black and white.
We’re all a part of the human race which has done reprehensible things. If you think abolishing religion will create a hate free world you are incredibly deluded. You move on and try to be better and listening to all sides is key. Since you won’t listen I won’t waste anymore of our time. I am sorry you are so angry and filled with bitterness though.
@Rachel
I would hate to be your Muslim neighbor.
And let me elaborate on the last statement, my apologies.
When you believe in something, you keep it going. You might not agree with the history of Christianity and the bloodshed that it has caused, but if you believe in what it preaches or teaches (even if you pick and chose like 90% of hypocritical Christians), you are supporting it to keep going.
Catholics may not agree with the Church and child molestation but they continue to support it by being Catholics. If all the Catholics had abandoned the religion and created an uproar, the whole Vatican would be behind bars. But because people believe, they are still powerful.
And I’m not here for people who say things like “I’m not a Christian or Catholic or whatever, but I believe in Jesus”. How? These people created him and told the stories through their religion. Without them, you wouldn’t even know Jesus existed. So you really CAN’T be a “Jesus follower” or “God follower” without choosing.
That’s all I meant. If I offended someone, that’s fine with me. And if Ricky offended people, good. People have to push the boundaries in order to know how far we can go and make people think.
Nicely put Rachel. Where did Ella go? I miss her.
I think at least most of us can agree Ricky Gervais is fucking awesome and we need more people like him testing our limits and toughening our skin.
I’m out. Like I said to Trent earlier, this is why I avoid talking about politics and religion on the web. Strangely enough this whole thing reminds me of arguing with right wing conservatives on MSN and there’s no point when the other side is full of unkind words and take weird pride in thinking they’ve “won” an argument if they don’t get a response back within two minutes. I don’t get it, but the world is made up of all types and life is too short.
Sorry Ella I thought you left, I was mistaken.
I don’t agree that you have to listen to all sides
For instance, would you stand and listen to Osama Bin Laden (when he was alive) tell his point of view?
No you would discount it pretty quickly as crazy terrorist bullshit!
I do listen and consider someone point of view if they base what there saying on something that can be proven over and over again and reinforced by new evidence. If you ask me to take something on faith then you ask me to be a fool.
Ella, I love the right wing conservatives, they show everybody how bats shit crazy religious people really are and therefore push the people in the fringe further way from religion.
The difference between them and me (an athiest) is I don’t base what I believe is true on a flawed 2000+ year old book written is a small region of the world ignorant to the rest of it.
Never did I say abolishing religion will create a hate free world, I said that it would end the excuse of hate. So many people kill in the name of God, so many people hate homosexuals in the name of God, when God no longer exists in the mind the world’s majority, these people will look simply hateful and will be in the minority rather than be powerful in the majority.
“Since I won’t listen to anyone”…that was my first post @Ella. And yeah, why WOULDN’T anyone be angered and bitter about things such as Christianity and Catholicism when it has destroyed the world? Destroyed people, destroyed families. It’s a cult that has to be stopped.
I’m one of those people that both sides hate. I’m an agnostic. The Fundamentalist Christian lot hates me because I don’t agree with their view of a deity who is in essence an abusive egomaniac parent, punishing their children for not completely and utterly adulating them. Seriously, if there is a deity or deities, they are so much more advanced than humans that our adulation would not be in any way necessary for our existence. I despise organized religion because it has started so many conflicts and separates people from each other.
On the other hand, I get crap from atheists because I don’t believe that we are all just “walking meat sacks” whose entire consciousness will wink out when our bodies die. I believe there is something more to it than that but I don’t claim to understand what it is. The more acerbic Atheists think that people like me are stupid because we have any spark of spiritual belief. And I don’t think that’s cool either, or that it’s very scientific. A true scientist would say that we can’t PROVE such a belief is true but would keep an open mind to future findings rather than belittling someone who said they think that survival of the conscious energy is possible in some form.
The point is that none of us really KNOW for sure. So it would be nice if we could stop belittling and hating on each other and show some love. Whatever the case of the existence or lack thereof of a soul, it sure as hell wouldn’t hurt to adopt the Bill and Ted philosophy and be excellent to each other. It would certainly make it a better world.
@Faycin A Croud – “The point is that none of us really KNOW for sure. So it would be nice if we could stop belittling and hating on each other and show some love. Whatever the case of the existence or lack thereof of a soul, it sure as hell wouldn’t hurt to adopt the Bill and Ted philosophy and be excellent to each other. It would certainly make it a better world.” AMEN to that :D
I was to totally out of the conversation on only scanning the responses while watching How I Met Your Mother then I read you “Bill and Ted philosophy and be excellent to each other,”
RIGHT ON!!! That is an awesome philosophy and I am all for it no matter what you do or don’t believe! :)
Word.
Probably the most thoughtful and balanced comment I have seen on the internet to date.
Wow. That’s the closest description of my beliefs I’ve ever seen. Thanks.
Truly inspiring :)
That should read “our adulation would not be in any way necessary to their existence.” Hopefully that makes better sense!
@Trent-
Hi Trent, I’m not really sure how to contact you via email, but I was on my facebook page this morning and saw that I ‘liked’ Ricky Gervais covers New Humanist magazine| Pink is the New Blog which I did not. Can other people on this site somehow access my account? I’m not even subscribed to PITNB on facebook-No offense because I do ‘like’ your page.
Any idea how that happened? I just find it troubling that stuff is popping up on my page without my permission. I’ve commented a lot on other topics and have never had this happen before. Thanks!
@Ella — I’m not sure what you mean by “Can other people on this site somehow access my account?” Which account are you referring to? I would have no idea if/how anyone might have access to your accounts.
I guess I mean my facebook account. I don’t think I have an account on PITNB. I’m not sure how anyone could find me on facebook as this site seems pretty secure.
Just to be clear I’m not accusing you or anyone of anything, I just saw the post on my site and got confused and a little nervous. Some of the replies I got weren’t very, as Faycin A Croud would say “excellent,” and I know I didn’t post this page on facebook myself. I was just curious if you had any suggestions to what could have happened. If not, that’s cool.
Ella,
There are addons you can get for browsers that block facebook on external websites, so you don’t see those “like this” buttons at the bottom of articles or whatever. Pretty useful, if not a direct solution to your problem. :)
@Jerd
Thanks for the advice! The internet makes me nervous sometimes, lol.
@Jerd
…Also where do you find these addons?
This is the one I use :)
http://webgraph.com/resources/facebookblocker/
Thanks again Jerd!!!