Aww: The official atheist/Christian reconciliation post
posted at 8:30 pm on December 19, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Via Breitbart, a palate cleanser to wash away all the bad vibes of the past few days.
Here’s where the love begins, people. It’s time to heal.
Update (Ed): As a believer, I’m impressed with Penn’s message and the acknowledgment of the love behind true evangelization. However, I suspect Penn may regret offering this encouragement before too long.
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Note to self: Send Penn a comb and scissors for Christmas.
MadisonConservative on December 19, 2008 at 8:33 PM
When will atheists reconcile with muslims?
SouthernGent on December 19, 2008 at 8:34 PM
I like the guy that doesn’t say anything. Anything!
Kini on December 19, 2008 at 8:34 PM
The official
atheist/Christianmuslim/Swedereconciliationriot postYet another Euro-socialist country under seige from jihadis and their leftist allies.
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 8:35 PM
if you tell someone “I’m sane, I’m not crazy”
Yes, you are.
lorien1973 on December 19, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Psalms is not in the New Testament.
terryannonline on December 19, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Yes, someone please do.
When it’s pulled back it looks good. But man, does he have reverse male pattern baldness or something?
lorien1973 on December 19, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Damn Penn looks like he has been on a week long bender.
Oh and BTW Psalms is in the Old Testament
F15Mech on December 19, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Dammit! I got to 1:21 and it froze up. What did the guy say to him?
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 8:38 PM
That was uplifting. Thanks, AP.
BadgerHawk on December 19, 2008 at 8:39 PM
The man that took time to speak to Penn did so because he is living a life centered on Christ. What Penn experienced is the Love of God touching his heart.
A man can change a lot of things in his life, but only God can change the heart.
jbh45 on December 19, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Skepticism, Dogmatism and Epistemological optimism.
That’s Relativism and Absolutism all rolled into one.
Kini on December 19, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Have you ever looked at someone and seen in them the reflection of the worst in yourself?
Yeah, when my hair looked like that, I couldn’t stand the itchiness either.
Count to 10 on December 19, 2008 at 8:45 PM
I wonder if the kind, tolerant gentleman giving him the Psalms booklet was named TheMightyQuinn. Sounds a lot like him.
a capella on December 19, 2008 at 8:45 PM
They say that’s the reason Christianity originally spread, they had the effect on people we are seeing in Penn here. Simply some earnest, good people whose intentions were full of generosity.
Dr. Manhattan on December 19, 2008 at 8:46 PM
Complemented him and handed him a pocket book of psalms.
Count to 10 on December 19, 2008 at 8:46 PM
“palate cleanser” my tush, listening to him stipulate five times that the guy was religious yet “sane” leaves my palate fairly messy.
gash on December 19, 2008 at 8:47 PM
It was a very decadent and hopeless time when Christianity started spreading. I imagine that people dying for the love of their executioners must have been quite impressive to bread and circuses crowd.
Count to 10 on December 19, 2008 at 8:49 PM
The Gideons do distribute a pocket sized New Testament with the Old Testament Book of Psalms included.
Scribbler on December 19, 2008 at 8:49 PM
The Gideon Pocket New Testament usually has the Psalms included.
Jewel on December 19, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Hey Penn, that was your guardian angel. Take a hint.
Fletch54 on December 19, 2008 at 8:52 PM
Oh? You’ve searched every inch of the universe?
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 8:53 PM
And it was one good man that saved our souls.
Goodness…PASS IT ON.
christene on December 19, 2008 at 8:54 PM
Take out the long pauses, the repetition, & that five minute video becomes 37 seconds.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 8:55 PM
I am Catholic, you are not. You still persecute priests for the sins of a few. I say nothing about atheists. The times have changed and Priests I know are battling the image . but atheists and protestants still attack my faith. Have at it. I’ll use discourse here to attack the true enemy of us all… islamofacism. Oh and to those who reference the “Inquisition”? Will you be so passionate as to the Islamic life today based on the 12th century?… will you? I thought not.
MNDavenotPC on December 19, 2008 at 8:57 PM
Nice. I love Penn Jillette, and now I love him even more.
(But not in a stalkery way, Mr Jillette’s Lawyers.)
Tanya on December 19, 2008 at 8:59 PM
jgapinoy
How do you know there isn’t some other God out there, in some “inch of the universe.” Penn is working from a positivist standpoint on knowledge, your argument would be nonsensical to him. He doesn’t have to search the rest of the universe to know what he knows, just as I am certain I don’t have to search the rest of the universe for an 1955 Toyota Prius. There isn’t one.
Dr. Manhattan on December 19, 2008 at 9:00 PM
That made me laugh.
RightOFLeft on December 19, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Love the haircut riffs :rolleyes:
———-
Proselytizing isn’t a bad thing when it’s done correctly as Penn described, but I do mind religious based intrusions into my life and liberty coming from government using it’s coercive powers.
toliver on December 19, 2008 at 9:02 PM
… attack the true enemy of us all… islamofacism. – Dave
He shoots … HE SCOOOOORRRRESSSSS!!
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 9:02 PM
We can be reasonably sure that Toyota didn’t make a car called Prius in 1955.
I don’t see how that has anything to do with Penn’s supposed absolute knowledge that there is no God anywhere.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Complemented him and handed him a pocket book of psalms. – Count
Thanks. And what was Penn’s reaction? Positive, I hope? I still can’t get the thing to play, must be too many people watching it.
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 9:05 PM
“Atheists” like Penn seem to have a predisposed opinion that anyone with religious values are “hateful” against someone or something. The man he spoke to broke Penn’s assumptions. Penn seemed shocked that a “good man” could be Christian.
Seems like he’s never really understood Christianity. Never talked to Christians enough to understand what makes them tick. Or most other religions for that matter…
beancounter on December 19, 2008 at 9:06 PM
You know that they perform primarily in Vegas, right? Most of the complete strangers who randomly approach you in Vegas, have never even visited “sane.”
Tanya on December 19, 2008 at 9:06 PM
And I mind when gov’t (via schools, PBS, NPR) preaches things like evolution-as-fact & man-made-global-warming.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:07 PM
“How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that?”
*jaw drops*
He gets it. Wow. He actually gets it.
I think “reconciliation post” is a little too mild a description, Allah.
But yeah, someone should drop him a note to tell him Psalms is Old Testament, not New.
Ryan Gandy on December 19, 2008 at 9:08 PM
Its really good to hear Penn say that,the guy was a ‘good
man’!
And especially in light of this last election, where,it
seemed,that the MSM went to war on Christians,and Mormons!
If the MSM wasn’t trying to crucify Mitt,it was the visit
ing ‘witch doctor’ at Sarah Palin’s church!
I am always amazed as to the hate that spews from the left
on anything religious,accept for the radicam Muslims and
Rev.Wrights church!
Penn’s comments were a breath of fresh air to be sure!
canopfor on December 19, 2008 at 9:09 PM
I think that’s why he asked so quizzically. I thought the same thing — a pocket New Testament with Psalms? But if you read above, the Gideons apparently do produce one.
Tanya on December 19, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Ok, got it working.
“It was wonderful.”
Cool.
UFC is on, later folks!
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 9:13 PM
In the spirit of reconciliation, I’ve made some good friends over the years with Christians who’ve never completely given up preaching to me. Though I’ve never met him, even St. O has his moments, when he’s not ranting about worshiping Baal. Just one request from would-be missionaries: don’t tell me you’ll pray for me. Pray for world peace or something.
RightOFLeft on December 19, 2008 at 9:13 PM
The first Christians were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. That’s why they were willing to die during the persecutions for the things that they believed. And then others who weren’t witnesses were willing to die because they watched the witnesses suffer for the Lord.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:14 PM
Literally, or are you referring to the Atheist vs. Christian thing going on here?
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:15 PM
Right on, right on!
Viscount_Bolingbroke on December 19, 2008 at 9:15 PM
I’m curious, my friend…why?
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:16 PM
@ jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Thats called education. Evolution is science, and is as close to fact as you can get.
muyoso on December 19, 2008 at 9:17 PM
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:15 PM
I think he means literally. I’m watching Fight Night right now.
Ryan Gandy on December 19, 2008 at 9:17 PM
If you know there is no God then you may be a stiff-necked lamb. If you’ve never witnessed the presence of Jesus in another then you may simply be dry. If you have never felt the Holy Spirit within yourself then you may have a wandering soul. It appears that Penn’s neck may be loosening up a bit since he witnessed the presence of Jesus in another and felt the Holy Spirit within himself.
Baa. Baa.
ericdijon on December 19, 2008 at 9:17 PM
right4life on December 19, 2008 at 9:19 PM
You first.
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 9:20 PM
I’d estimate that there have been hundreds of prayers for me. If God hasn’t gotten the point by now, he’s not going to. There are better causes, with a better chance of happening, like world peace. Or the Cardinals winning the super bowl.
RightOFLeft on December 19, 2008 at 9:23 PM
That’s right baby! I put the neckedness in stiff neckedness!
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans or some other such event. You’ll find more than a few religious types who don’t exactly fall into the “sane” category.
Here’s a tip of those people: Screaming in people’s ears through a bullhorn that they’re all fornicators destined to burn in Hell because they’re having a beer on Bourbon Street isn’t an effective marketing technique.
Hollowpoint on December 19, 2008 at 9:29 PM
I don’t pretend to understand all of the dynamics of prayer. Why do some get answered quickly & miraculously (yes, I’ve seen miracles), & other prayers seem to bounce off of the ceiling. But I never give up on a person until he’s dead. Even Bin Laden can be converted. How then can we give up on RightOfLeft?
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM
We “non-beleivers” beleive that you can find truly good people of all walks of life and beleifs.
I have met some people who call themselves christian who have told me that unless I beleive what they beleive, and accept it, then truly I can not be a good person.
It is this smug arrogance that keeps them from being good people.
paulsur on December 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM
You have no clout
You better not try
You better watch out, I’m telling you why.
Twelfth Imam is coming to town
A-Bomb is on list
I’ll use more than twice
Good Muslims who die
Will go to paradise
Twelfth Imam is coming to town
He knows if you’re a Christian
He knows if you’re a Jew
He knows if you’re an in-fi-del
He’s told me what to do
So….You have no clout
You better not try, I’m telling you why.
Twelfth Imam is coming to town
Twelfth Imam is coming to town
Aleph on December 19, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Bin Laden is a beleiver in the God of Abraham, what is there to convert?
paulsur on December 19, 2008 at 9:38 PM
Bin Laden rejects the Christ that Abraham now worships.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:41 PM
allah is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
right4life on December 19, 2008 at 9:41 PM
A kind, honest, and sincere reaction to a genuine believer’s love for, and desire to serve, Christ.
God bless you Penn.
Richard Romano on December 19, 2008 at 9:43 PM
I don’t know exactly what they said, but until you obey the most important commandment:
then you are living in treason against the highest authority of the universe.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 9:45 PM
What an ugly woman!
el75 on December 19, 2008 at 9:47 PM
I love Penn. I don’t agree with him on everything. But I still like him.
Warner Todd Huston on December 19, 2008 at 9:52 PM
I mean really. Come on. This is chutes and ladders strawberry shortcake land. How do you reconcile with this kind of fruitbatery?
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 9:56 PM
I dislkike being browbeaten by anyone holding a particular viewpoint. Most browbeaters I’ve come across have been of the rationalist stripe, though. I can’t think of many instances lately in this country in which the government used “coercive powers” to intrude on religious freedom or freedom from religion. Maybe a Ten Commandments statue or something?
By the way, yeah, Penn looks like he’s really gone to seed.
ddrintn on December 19, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Or a qualified surgeon. :)
FloatingRock on December 19, 2008 at 10:00 PM
HA! RISE LOLZRUS!
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Some of the greatest minds in history, as well as today, believe in this “fruitbatery”.
The Bible says,
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I believe in God, Christ, science and evolution. Evolution is simply the Lord’s gift to his creation to enable it to adapt to changing circumstances. Even if I evolved from some some primordial pool of slime I am still His creation and I can accept that. I used to be an atheist and was reborn in Christ because of folks that showed His love and I couldn’t reconcile the beauty of all that is real with being purely accidental.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 10:16 PM
” I know there’s no God…” Not “I think or believe there is no God”
That’s where atheists lose me, no humility, just massive ego-
Agnostics saying “I have no way of knowing whether there is a God or not” That makes sense.
Little Boomer on December 19, 2008 at 10:17 PM
Creationist “science”
FloatingRock on December 19, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I love Penn. I don’t agree with him on everything. But I still like him. – Warner
I agree with everything Teller says!
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 10:21 PM
My wife divorced me largely because I would constantly challenge our Sunday school teacher when he went off on a literalist bent. I take many of the early Biblical stories as parables explaining the world the best way they could 5,000 years ago and compare it to the stories told by other developing cultures.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Was it worth it?
Spirit of 1776 on December 19, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Yes, I would be miserable today with her.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Athiests have it good. I wish I could be so lucky. To know that there are no punishments post death for anything in this life would give me great comfort.
keep the change on December 19, 2008 at 10:39 PM
He knows if you’re a Christian
He knows if you’re a Jew
He knows if you’re an in-fi-del
He’s told me what to do
– Aleph
Ha! Awesome! “I keeeeeel you!”
Tony737 on December 19, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Ignorance is bliss…for now.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 10:43 PM
I would say that while I am a deep believer in Christ I am the last person a literalist would want in their Bible study especially when it comes to creationist theory. I look to the Torah to understand God’s law not the laws of nature and as a history of the Jewish people. My position is not difficult to accept as long as you are not a literalist. The earth is billions of years old so be it, it was still created by God as well as all the flora and fauna that have graced its surface. Even if it were proven that man came from an alien I would still believe it was an act of God. We cannot claim to know his ways or means all we know is that it all exists.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 10:47 PM
This literalist would love to have you in my study.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Don’t flatter yourself.
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Some of the greatest minds in history believed the universe was made of concentric crystal spheres. Fruitbat.
ronsfi on December 19, 2008 at 10:55 PM
I learned this one little formula a long time ago. GOOD – GOD = 0
One can be good, but it is only a reflection of God’s Goodness, which is infinite. Without God, any goodness is… well.. faked.
newton on December 19, 2008 at 10:58 PM
Why is that? I am a believer just not in literalist theology. I guess I am an evolutionary creationist. I cannot claim to know the ways of the Lord nor can accept the interpretation of those ways from men 5,000 years ago.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 11:00 PM
I certainly don’t think I have a great mind, & most readers would know I wasn’t implying that.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Same here. Also, I like how he’s looking down his nose at the camera. Smug bastard. And how the reflection in his glasses of the monitor gives him a slightly robotic look.
Still, not bad I guess. At least he’s met ONE good Christian in his life :P
Ugly on December 19, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Why is what? That I would love to study the Bible with you? Because reading God’s word–as well as the many treatises that support it’s truth–just might win you over to believing all of the Word of God.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 11:07 PM
I remember the first modem I ever used. My friends dad worked for Bell and he had something my friend showed me one day in 1980. It was some computer box from which ran a cable at the end of which was a rubber boot receptacle into which you insert the telephone receiver. My friend dialed a number and put the phone into this rubber contraption. Then a dot matrix printer started printing. Supposedly the printer could talk to some remote location through the phone. It was an oddity his work required. I saw no real use for this thing.
keep the change on December 19, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Being browbeaten by an individual or group of private people is one thing, but when the government [with their monopoly on force] is doing so on behalf of the religious, I’m not a happy guy.
And come on brother, this thing stretches wider than a Ten Commandments display in a public building. I don’t give a rat’s ass about that.
toliver on December 19, 2008 at 11:11 PM
I once knew a man whose family and friends prayed for for 40 years before he became a Christian. God’s love can capture any man’s heart, even if he thinks he doesn’t want or need it.
CP on December 19, 2008 at 11:19 PM
JGap, I believe in the word of God as in Noahide or Moseanic law just not the literalist belief that the world is only some 5,000 years old based on the musings of man 5,000 years ago. I am created by God,all that is known was created by God. To me learning about all the sciences is as much about learning about His creation as is all the Biblical study of His Word. I do take the New Testament far more literally than I do the Torah or other books in the Old Testament.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 11:21 PM
All language is poetry,
Especially theology.
Being literal about similes
It is mangle their symmetries.
profitsbeard on December 19, 2008 at 11:23 PM
I have little stomach for fire and brimstone preachers myself. I was brought to Christ by those that practiced His love.
goat on December 19, 2008 at 11:23 PM
What are some examples? I’d probably agree. I don’t want government involvement with or sponsorship of religion either.
ddrintn on December 19, 2008 at 11:30 PM
“How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that?”
*jaw drops*
He gets it. Wow. He actually gets it.
Ryan Gandy on December 19, 2008 at 9:08 PM
I’ve never really considered the issue in those terms. With that said, I don’t see why a complete stranger should make my life and my personal decisions his business.
Sign of the Dollar on December 19, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Would the thought that there is ultimately no justice give you comfort?
oldleprechaun on December 19, 2008 at 11:41 PM
But the New Testament writers, as well as Jesus, clearly believed the literal Old Testament.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 11:47 PM
It’s called compassion.
When Jesus saw a crowd of strangers, he wept for them, because “they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
May the Lord grant that I would increase in that virtue.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Penn and Teller have always been good guys. They’re libertarians and they’re as much a part of the republican party as the rest even if they do have occasional pretensions of independence from the party. At the end of the day, the reps are the best they’re going to get. I’m a libertarian myself. I’m an agnostic, and while I respect the values of my more religious peers, I don’t really carry such things to my soul. I’m one of those people that needs to be convinced one way or the other before I move to either camp… and I acknowledge that I’ll probably never get that hint.
Anyway, not all atheists are jerks just as not all religious people are creepy. I stand between and I wish the two would just stop cat fighting with each other… it serves no purpose and is generally annoying.
Karmashock on December 19, 2008 at 11:51 PM
Aye, tis an excellent point ye have there.
jgapinoy on December 19, 2008 at 11:53 PM
Yes. Because as a Christian, we are not to take solace in seeing others punished, especially when we realize that, by virtue of Christian doctrine, we are all deserving of it. I wish I could be an atheist. I like their view of the universe better. But in the back of my head, I got a bad feeling . . .
keep the change on December 19, 2008 at 11:56 PM
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