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Thursday, October 2, 2008 12:00 AM

Bill Maher vs. the "talking snake"

The HBO host and comedian talks about "Religulous," his onslaught against the religious idiocy that threatens to deliver America to Sarah Palin and her fellow "space god" worshipers.
Andrew O'Hehir

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  • Friday, October 3, 2008 01:11 PM

    "People behave ethically all the time without relying on myths."

    I'm not so sure about that, Bill. Research has been done that people will do just about anything if they're absolutely convinced there will be no accountability, no consequences. What the myths of religion do is provide the threat of consequences, whether it's just karma and "what goes 'round comes 'round," or the more gruesome idea of roasting over an open fire for eternity. I'm happy being an agnostic, but being an agnostic means I don't know...so being a good person is like hedging my bets. I'm not sure I'd want to live in a world of true atheists.

    —Jim Read Jim's other letters

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