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Bill Maher honored by Richard Dawkins at atheist convention
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(Photo: Paul Fidalgo)
Comedian Bill Maher was honored for his contribution to atheism Friday night at the Atheist Alliance International Convention in Burbank, California.
Richard Dawkins bestowed the eponymous award, and was careful to specify that the award was primarily for his religion-mocking documentary Religulous, and his overall outspoken opposition to religion's incursions and absurdities, but in spite of Maher's controversial advocacy for some pseudo-scientific ideas in medicine.
But in honoring Maher, Dawkins was not in the least reserved in his praise. He called Religulous the most important contribution to the atheist movement in many years, including books by himself and the other New Atheists.
Maher was visibly--and uncharacteristically--moved by the honor, and in accepting the award, noted the significance of being so praised by Dawkins, and thanked him for having been "a warrior for this cause."
But never one to miss an opportunity to rile an audience, Maher threw red meat to the crowd of nonbelieving conference attendees, dissing the pope for discouraging condom use in Africa, expressing exasperation with President Obama for his overt religiousness (said Maher, "When Obama gets Christ-y, I'm like, motherfucker, you better be lying."), and mercilessly tearing apart Pastor Rick Warren's bestselling Purpose-Driven Life simply by reading aloud selected passages. Said Maher of Warren's writing, "It makes me pee my pants."
Significantly, on his HBO program Real Time with Bill Maher broadcast live earlier that evening and streamed to conference attendees, Maher referred to Richard Dawkins (also on the program) as a "fellow atheist." In the past, Maher has made a point of referring to himself as an agnostic, claiming not to be utterly certain that there is no a god, while still generally casting his lot with atheists. (I even jibed a columnist last year for--at the time--wrongly labeling Maher an atheist. He is wrong no more!)
Dawkins is serving as an emcee of sorts for Saturday's events, which feature Lawrence Krauss, Jerry Coyne, and Daniel Dennett among others.
Update: Here's Dawkins appearing on Real Time that night.
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