Bill Maher: A Degree from Liberty University Cheapens My Real Degree

May 20, 2012 By 46 Comments

From Friday night’s Real Time with Bill Maher (NSFW image at the beginning of the video):

My favorite line: “This is a school you flunk out of when you get the answers right.” :)

Filed Under: Education, General, Humor 46 Comments
About Hemant Mehta

Hemant Mehta is the chair of Foundation Beyond Belief and a high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He began writing the Friendly Atheist blog in 2006. His latest book is called The Young Atheist's Survival Guide.

  • DG

    Bill Maher: one of the few individuals capable of making Glenn Beck look like a Rhodes Scholar by comparison.  We used to have a drinking game where we drank a glass of beer every time Maher said something over the top loony, but Budweiser couldn’t keep up production.

    • http://twitter.com/InMyUnbelief TCC

      If you think that Bill Maher is actually loonier than Glenn Beck, I question your connection to reality. Maher says stupid things frequently, but Glenn Beck is off the charts. There are orders of magnitude between them.

      • DG

        I’m not saying Beck isn’t.  It’s just that anyone with the slightest bit of education regarding the topics Maher enjoys discussing knows how out in left field the guy really is. Out there with Beck and company.

        • Piet Puk

           The diffecence being ofcourse that Beck is a liar and Maher is actually telling the truths you do not want to hear.

          • Kevin S.

            Maher isn’t always telling the truth. Check out his stance on vaccines. But him being an obnoxious gadfly still doesn’t rise anywhere near the level of stupid Beck brings consistently.

            • Fsq

              If you dig a little further, you find that Maher has actually revrersed his stance on vaccinations now that the whole shebang was found to be a fraud. The thing about Maher is that he is big enough to admit fault or where was wrong on something.

              And the va cine thing is one example of he issuing statements saying he was wrong.

              • http://www.SketchSepahi.com/ SketchSepahi

                 He admitted he was wrong? I can’t find any mention of that with Google. Care to clue me in on the source?

                • DG

                  If that were the only thing he’s said, I might spend more time looking.  He may have changed, but I’ve not found any quotes or videos.

    • http://yetanotheratheist.com/ TerranRich

      So you think Creationism is a real “science” and has some validity to it? Read a book, man, seriously.

      • DG

        When did I mention Creationism?  If you’re going to pull from the worn out book of Atheist Comebacks, please use the ones that actually apply to the conversation at hand.

        • Fsq

          Okay, so he is the thing sweetheart…

          You have been coming here just to troll the waters, and okay, if that is how you get off, I understand. That said, you don’t really have a foundation argumentation or logic. So here is the thing sweetheart, I challenge you to a debate on three issues:

          A) abortion and reproduction

          B) science versus religion

          C) false equivalency

          I propose we have the ate via online/real time streaming vieo. I cohost through my studio and magazine’s server.

          And here are the stakes….when I win, you admit you have beefing. Then, you go away from this blog.

          This debate is to address fact only, with proof, and verified peer reviewed data and studies.

          So the challenge is the sweetheart. Do you have the stones to try and go toe to toe?

          If not, then shut the fuck up.

          • Fsq

            Oh this fucking iPad auto correct…anyone know how to turn this auto correct fucking thing off?????

          • JohnK

            Fsq, I recall being called a troll by you in the past – remember that disagreement does not constitute being a troll.
            (By the way, what’s with the “sweetheart” thing? I know it’s a way to project superiority, sophistication and condescention, all rolled into one, but really, I feel like I’m reading a post written by a drag queen!

            • http://www.SketchSepahi.com/ SketchSepahi

               Dah-leeng! Nuh uh! You did not just go there!

            • Fsq

              Now, I know I type very fast and since I am trying to figure out how to use this Damian, I get the auto correct typos up the ass, but sweetheart, I believe the word you were shooting for was condescension…..NOT condescenTion.

              I’ll give you that one for free Shakespeare.

              And why do you speak like drag queens are bad things? Maybe I am a drag queen. Would that be bad?

              Also, I don’t believe I was offering the challenge to you sweetheart. I was offering the debate challenge to the other exceptional idiot, not you, the average idiot…..

              Hugs and kisses

              Rue Paul

              • Fsq

                ****damn iPad…..NOT Damian…..damn auto spell check.

          • DG

            Actually I don’t come to troll.  I come to blog.  I initially was looking for atheist blogs to roam around in and find a place I could point my sons.  They are friends with some kids who are atheists, and they often have discussions about religion and religious topics. I used to be an agnostic, but that was many years ago, and I realize the climate has changed (though I’m shocked at how similar much of it is).  My sons were asking what atheists really think, and what they argue, so I decided to look around for a blog or two where i could point them for some casual reading.  It wasn’t easy, since not all atheist blogs are, well, kid friendly. That’s all I’ve been doing, throwing things out and seeing the level of discourse that arises (Note well, I don’t call people names, cuss and yell, or any such thing).  Trying to see if it would be something that wasn’t too tough for their ages, but beyond some of what they’re hearing from their friends.

            As for the debate, I have not the time nor interest.  There’s not even enough time to establish the parameters, what with jobs, kids, obligations, and yes, religious involvement.  Proof?  What type of proof?  Scientific?  Natural sciences only? What of philosophy?  Ethics?  Theology?  Where would we begin I wonder?

            Again, I’m merely looking for a place I can send my boys in order to get some ideas from your average, run-of-the-mill atheists. 

            Oh, and don’t worry about the auto correct.  I got the gist of what you were saying.

            By the way, you didn’t answer my question about when and where I said anything about Creationism. That alone is enough to make me think a debate would probably go nowhere, and get there fast.

            • Fsq

              Pussy.

              You use every excuse, yet by your prolific presence here you show yourself to be a liar, disingenuous, insincere and a smoke and mirrors coward.

              D not play semantic games with me. Ad you are backing out of the challenge because you are a coward and know that none of your alleged knowledge or arguments have a shred of a chance against mine. Not a father, son or holy ghost of a chance.

              So, since you have taken the coars way out, it is now time for you to fuck off and shut up.

              Also, this is not the place for you to blog. Go start your own blog, but dont come here to blog. Your words sweetheart.

              You are a coward, liar and fraud.

              Not to mention, you have kids? Those poor kids. I mean that seriously, not in jest. I feel total pity for your kids because they have a coward and a cult following

              • DG

                Sorry, but you’ve written nothing to suggest debating with you would be a collossal waste of time.  The mere fact that you write like someone who has yet to hit puberty suggests anyone’s time would be better spent doing anything other than debating with you.  Start acting like an adult, and not someone who just conquered potty training, and we’ll see.

    • Wildrumpus67

      At least Maher is funny. Some of Beck’s rants are downright scary!!!! …and no, NOTHING can make Glen Beck look like a Rhodes Scholar except maybe Rush Limbaugh.

      • DG

        That Maher is in any way funny is an opinion.  To me, Maher is as funny as that kid who went around and knocked the books out of other kids’ hands in school for a cheap laugh.  It wasn’t funny then.  It’s not funny now.

        • Piet Puk

          clearly your grasp of humor is the same as your grasp of reality; not very developed.

          • DG

            I actually moved past that brand of humor once I was old enough to shave.

    • http://www.facebook.com/brothergilburt Peary Kaufman

       Usually when Maher says something laughable it’s because he’s actually trying to be funny (because he’s a comedian). Beck, on the other hand, is laughable when he’s completely serious (because he’s motherfucking batshit insane).

      • DG

        Oh no.  The only time he makes us laugh is when he’s not trying to.  I hope his fans realize this. 

    • Baby_Raptor

      Sorry, nobody can make Glenn Beck look like he has a 2 digit IQ, muchless like a scholar. 

      • DG

        Perhaps a comedian with a 1 digit IQ?   Oh, and please don’t think I’m defending Beck or any such thing.

    • Edmond

      Reminds me of a drinking game I made up where you turn on any evangelical program, and take a drink everytime someone says anything substantial, or meaningful, or verifiably true.  Soberest drinking game I ever played.

      • DG

        Try it with waiting for a coherent thought from Maher some time.  You’ll think the evangelcial game was a deluge by comparison.

  • http://www.alise-write.com Alise Wright

    I get what Maher is saying here. I would, however, encourage folks to check out Kevin Roose’s book The Unlikely Disciple. He addresses some of the academic requirements. 

    • Icaarus

      Good book, really supports the line the school you flunk out of when you get the answers right. He had the whole section about trying to pass his “science” tests. Just hilarious 

      • http://www.alise-write.com Alise Wright

        Absolutely, and he’s completely right. But he also addresses that most of the requirements are pretty straight-forward and in many cases, more academically strenuous than other institutions. Saying that it’s not a real school isn’t entirely honest – it’s a lot more complicated than that.

        Of course, complicated isn’t funny, so I’m not surprised that Maher didn’t get into it. But it really is an absolutely fascinating memoir. 

  • http://twitter.com/SkeptimusPrime Dylan Walker

    Maher has a habit of saying nutty things sometimes, but I’d say he is right on target with this one.

    • http://www.SketchSepahi.com/ SketchSepahi

      Human beings are like monkey paintings. Even the really good ones aren’t without the occasional smudge of faecal matter.

  • Kevin S.

    Is Liberty an accredited institution? Because if not, it doesn’t really cheapen your degree that much.

    • LifeInTraffic

      Unfortunately, yes, it is.   And, unfortunately, I know several people who recently graduated from their biology and chem programs. Compared to the academics at other schools, it is far closer to a high school curriculum in difficulty, IMHO. And, yes, YEC is taught as fact, and evolution is taught as bad science and conspiracy. I have no idea how this place got accredited programs in the sciences short of blatant dishonesty.

  • http://www.quietatheist.com/ Slugsie

    Where can we get bumper stickers

    “I flunked out of Liberty University*”

    • Lucilius

      That might imply we’re too dumb even to go there, which is a logical impossibility except perhaps for some of our trolls. Maybe we could stick with Biblical phraseology and get one saying “I was cast out of Liberty University.”

  • http://www.facebook.com/cburschka Christoph Burschka

    Obviously every word of the US Constitution was personally written by a perfect and omniscient creator, as was every word of each of the twenty-seven amendments that were passed to improve it.

    In his original version, God even forgot to give his people the right to guns, let alone less significant stuff like freedom of speech or habeas corpus.

  • http://www.SketchSepahi.com/ SketchSepahi

    “NSFW image at the beginning of the video”

    You Americans are adorable.

  • ursulamajor

     
    Don’t feel the need to be kind:

    My sister-in-law just graduated Summa Cum Laude from Liberty with a BS in Education with a minor in Christian Counseling. She was dissappointed that the speaker was Romney, not Chuck Norris. 

    ~le sigh~

    • Fsq

      Never has the term “BS” been more double entendre intended than this shining example….

  • dapontes

    Bill Maher is just so desperate to make people laugh. The worst part is that he is so far off with his facts. It just gives me another reason to go to Liberty University next year. I’m always up for a good laugh, but this is just cheap and dirty.

    • http://www.SketchSepahi.com/ SketchSepahi

      Leaving your opinions of Maher’s character to one side, what’s cheap and dirty about pointing out that teaching creationism in science education is not up to par?

  • Liberty Grad

    Liberty University is ranked 80th regionally.  The college is founded on Christian ethics which of course Bill Maher is NOT!  Many didn’t agree with Romney’s being the speaker at graduation but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is the #1 private college in the entire state of VA!