Maher: They’re going to ‘poison’ Pope Francis for being too progressive

[Playinghardball]

Friday night on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” host Bill Maher said the he thinks newly-appointed Pope Francis and some other Catholic Church leaders may be secret atheists. Maher and a panel made up of Center for American Progress’ President Neera Tanden, actress Brit Marling, “HuffPost Live” producer James Poulos and playwright Paul Rudnick discussed the decline in religious belief around the world and the strange view some Christians have of God and God’s will.

Maher began by pointing out that when people want to ask if something is self-evident or obvious, they say, “Is the Pope Catholic?”

“Well,” said Maher, “I think he might not be.”

Last week Pope Francis called upon believers to be accepting and tolerant of atheists and to acknowledge that people who do not identify as people of faith are still able to do good in the world.

“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!” said Francis on Vatican Radio.

“I remember when I was making Religulous,” Maher said, “we talked to a lot of priests, and we found out that a lot of priests really aren’t believers.”

He went on to say that many of the nominally faithful clergy keep doing what they were doing because they want to help people and the church can be a means of accomplishing that.

“They know they can’t tell the masses that it’s all a crock, but they themselves don’t believe it,” he said.

Tanden said that, “as a progressive,” she favors the new Pope because of his outspoken stance against austerity programs in Europe.

“He’s criticized driving all these people into unemployment,” she said, “and all the cuts that people are really suffering from. He’s made arguments about corporate profits versus poverty, that we should care more about how people are suffering and care less about how banks are doing.”

“They’re going to poison him,” opined Maher.

Maher played the now-infamous clip of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asking an Oklahoma tornado survivor if she thanks the Lord for her safety, to which the woman replied she was an atheist.

“What did you think of that?” Maher asked the panel.

Video at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/01/maher-theyre-going-to-poison-pope-francis-for-being-too-progressive/

[onehandle]

1. If they're going to do it, they better do it now. He'll soon be the most popular Pope ever. nt

[Beacool]

2. I like Pope Francis and worry about him.

Let's not forget that Pope John Paul I only lasted a month in his job. I think that after Benedict, he's a breath of fresh air. He also practices what he preaches. No Papal apartments, red shoes or even gold crosses and other refinements. He prefers a simpler life, obviously within the parameters of the position he holds.

I wish him a long life, the Church needs him.

[IDemo]

3. Wolf -

[trackfan]

4. Reminds me of a story a classical music DJ told.

He was talking about seeing a magnificent performance of Handel's Messiah with an Episcopal bishop of a major American city "who shall remain forever unnamed". During the performance, the Bishop turned to him and said, "This is so wonderful; it almost makes you want to believe."

[Walk away]

5. When Francis gets done being a beard for Ratzenberger he's going to marry...

Lindsey Lohan! Does anyone actually think he is the "Pope"? Some people will believe ANYTHING!