Freethought | Always Question Authority

My recent collision with Ben Affleck on Bill Maher’s show, Real Time, has provoked an extraordinary amount of controversy. It seems a postmortem is in order.

For those who haven’t seen the show, most of what I write here won’t make sense unless you watch my segment:

So what happened there?

I admit that I was a little thrown by Affleck’s animosity. I don’t know where it came from, because we hadn’t met before I joined the panel. And it was clear from our conversation after the show that he is totally unfamiliar with my work. I suspect that among his handlers there is a fan of Glenn Greenwald who prepared him for his appearance by simply telling him that I am a racist and a warmonger.

Whatever the reason, if you watch the full video of our exchange (which actually begins before the above clip), you will see that Affleck was gunning for me from the start. What many viewers probably don’t realize is that the mid-show interview is supposed be a protected five-to-seven-minute conversation between Maher and the new guest—and all the panelists know this. To ignore this structure and encroach on this space is a little rude; to jump in with criticism, as Affleck did, is pretty hostile. He tried to land his first blow a mere 90 seconds after I took my seat, before the topic of Islam even came up.

Continue reading . . .

By Madison S. Hughes (09.19.2014)

My view on suicide. I do not care if you commit suicide; I just don’t! Even if I knew you, I would neither care, nor make any attempt to prevent you from doing so. That is strictly your choice, and yours alone. Suffice it to say, if you did know me, I imagine that I would be quickly crossed off of your Christmas card list with this revelation; however, before you do that, hear me out, then please, cross me off the list anyhow.

A Cosmopolitan view on suicide. The religion of Islam promises seventy-two virgins for the successful act of suicide. Samurai warriors commit harakiri for duty and honor; moreover, Kamikaze pilots did it for glory, and to evade the dishonor of defeat or surrender. Lastly, the Jains defend a person’s right to end his or her own life; for, like the Hindus, they value nonattachment, including nonattachment to one’s temporal body.

The Christian view on suicide. Conversely, the Christian Creator does not directly address suicide in the Bible; nevertheless—for several specious reasons—Christians claim, even for first time offenders, the act of committing suicide to be an unforgivable sin, punishable by eternal damnation. Do the Christians have a corner on the world’s righteous behavior market—history clearly proves otherwise—or is it possible that when one peels back all the layers of the pious onion, one simply finds at the center a core of self-righteous ego? When the Christian claims grave concern for another choosing to take their life, one can’t help but wonder, is it truly out of a genuine concern for the parting, or is it an unrecognized ego’s firm grip on attachment; I submit it is the latter. In the opening paragraph I requested that you cross me off of your Christmas card list. I would rather you keep your money, and spend it on your loved ones. Why? Well, because I care!