Iruka

P&T basically say that before China took Tibet it was a place where the majority were seriously opressed by the priest caste (lamas) and that it is likely that this is what they would want to go back to if they got Tibet back. I didn't feel they really prooved anything against the current Dalai Lama. Their case was much stronger against Mother Theresa.

I bet the left and right theists in this country will completly miss the point, much like blacks and whites did with Malcom X's life.

Malcom X learned the same thing we all should learn. He idiolized his mentor, who turned out to be a womanizer and a political con man, no different that Mother Tarresa. Even if people wanted to believe in the good of the Lama or Gandi, they too were human, not super heros.

I myself often quote Jefferson. But I do not deny the bad he did as well. He owned slaves.  

The point of this half hour was to expose the illusion of worshiping heros, anyone, and they even poked fun at Hitchens too. "After a few more ciggarettes and a couple more drinks".

 But, unfortunatly the politically correct people will say, "Dont criticise religion or these people".

People are people and do not diserve a pedistal because of a title or the clothing they wear. If we never questioned, we'd all jump off a cliff.

I also cringe when atheists say, "Penn, or Hitchens or Dawkins" are my hero. No they are not, and I doubt that they would want us looking up to them, I do think they merely want us to listen.

That half hour is an example of how humanity still needs to get beyond worship. Be it a celebrity, a political party, a leader, a nation or religious leader. If these people ask you to follow them then they damned sure should be open to question and scrutiny. If they want obdeiance, tell them to go look for another slave. 

BTW, thanks for putting this up. I never get to see the show.  

I must watch this when I have time.

"I also cringe when atheists say, "Penn, or Hitchens or Dawkins" are my hero. No they are not, and I doubt that they would want us looking up to them, I do think they merely want us to listen."

Well said. The furthest I would go is admiring their courage. As I said on a YouTube thread somewhere, the beauty of independant thought is that your views don't have to be in lock step, or diametrically opposed to anyone elses. It is a la carte with room for your own ideas.

 There is also plenty of dogamatism and egomania in the world of atheism, no more or no less than any other field though - especially online!

My Grandma tried to make a documentary about Mother T. However, as I heard it, when my grandmother trekked across India to interview her, she was kept waiting, then eventually turned away without an audience.

So I'm biased against Mother T. However, in her defence for that occasion, she had been (incorrectly) informed by another documentary maker that my Grandma was out to make her look bad, so fair enough, maybe. In amusing karmic balance, the other documentary maker then made Mother T look really bad in his own documentary

Wonder if it was Christopher Hitchens...

Not impressed by Hitchens' and Penn&Teller's accusations about any of the three really. I agree with the summary that they are all humans.

Christopher Hitchens didn't come off very well, but then he never does. I honestly don't think he cares, and I'm glad - he's way more fun that way.