FOX News, by Kristine Parks: “Succession” actor Brian Cox gave a harsh assessment of religion and its impact on the world in a new wide-ranging interview out this week.
In a new episode of The Starting Line podcast, the Scottish actor, who is a self-professed atheist and socialist, argued that religion has sold humans a false story about reality and contributed to their own “stupidity.”
“Human beings are so f—d, basically… because they’re so stupid,” he said.
Religion has “led us into all kinds of horror,” he went on to say, referencing the Holocaust and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. “The same things are being repeated again and again in belief systems which do not serve,” he said.
The actor claimed the conflict in the Middle East is “never going to go away,” because it is fueled by these faulty systems which hurt both Muslims and Jews.
Lamenting the lives lost in the conflict, he added, “People are so stupid… and they cannot see the writing on the wall.”
The problem with religion is that it shields humans from examining how they are contributing to society’s problems, he argued.
“It’s all about this notion of God, the idea that there’s a God that takes care of us all. There’s no such thing, doesn’t happen, that’s not what it’s about. It’s about us, and we don’t examine ourselves nearly enough. We don’t look at who we are. We’re always looking outside of ourselves, instead of looking inside ourselves,” he explained of humanity’s relationship with religion.
He also criticized the Bible as “one of the worst books ever.”
He pointed to the creation account of Adam and Eve in scripture to complain that “propaganda” from the religious text has contributed to a “patriarchal” society.
“Because it starts with the idea that Adam’s rib – you know that [from] Adam’s rib, this woman was created, and they’ll believe it because they’re stupid enough.”
“It is not the truth, it’s a mythology,” he continued. “We’ve created that idea of God, and we’ve created it as a control issue, and it’s also a patriarchal issue… and it’s essentially patriarchal – we haven’t given enough scope to the matriarchy.”
Humans simply haven’t “evolved” to the point where we look inside ourselves to deal with our problems rather than trying to solve our problems with religion, he argued.
The “Succession” star explained how he’s found more answers to life’s questions through acting. He explained that he believes the “one true church” to be the theater because it “is the church of humanity.”
“It’s people dealing with… those false gods we create for ourselves and the notion of the word God anyway, is a conceit. It’s a terrible conceit that we don’t really acknowledge.”
Prophetic Link:
“Distrust of God is the natural outgrowth of the unrenewed heart, which is at enmity with Him. But faith is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it will flourish only as it is cherished. No man can become strong in faith without a determined effort. Unbelief strengthens as it is encouraged; and if men, instead of dwelling upon the evidences which God has given to sustain their faith, permit themselves to question and cavil, they will find their doubts constantly becoming more confirmed.” Great Controversy, 527.3
Comments
Maureen Franklin
Monday May 13th, 2024 at 10:27 PMGod bless you William Stroud! Human politics do not have any answers for the human race. True there are good people in politics but unless the Lord is their leader they are floundering in the darkness just as much as those with evil intent. Despite the best efforts of the cleverest and most competent of leaders this world is on a downward spiral. That will not change till Jesus Christ comes to take His people home. He will force no one but longs to save all who will truly put their lives in His hands. No matter what opinions people express, there is only one source of truth, real truth, that is the Bible! It has the answers! Study the Bible, pray constantly. In this way we will come to know Jesus and this knowledge will lead us to eternal life. The Word of God has all the information we need to survive in this world and reach the next. God wants us to share this wonderful truth with all who will listen. May we all meet in the heavenly kingdom and spend eternity together in the earth made new!!!!! God bless you all.
Maureen Franklin
Thursday May 16th, 2024 at 01:49 AMMy comment actually belongs with the posting on the expectations of civil war in the USA
William Stroud
Saturday May 18th, 2024 at 12:36 AMThank you Maureen and blessings to you and yours. Maureen was my aunts name.
William Stroud
Saturday May 18th, 2024 at 12:40 AMThis guy is a socialist. Socialism has kille more people than all religious conflicts combined…probably. Scotlan is a bastion of progressive liberalism so his view is not surprising.
William Stroud
Saturday June 15th, 2024 at 12:16 AMI read this again and thought forst that this person is in league with the devil and so what ever he says is not surprising and it matters exactky zero. And second he blames religion for “…all kinds of horror”. Human beings, not religion per se have caused the world many horrors. Religion is defined in the Bible in James 1:27 and it says there “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to keep himself unspotted from the world and to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction “. Oh the horror of helping those in need. The terms “fatherless” and “widows” has a spiritual meaning also. Evidently this actor fellow is Fatherless and could use an introduction to Jesus.
William Stroud
Saturday June 15th, 2024 at 12:18 AMI think television shows, like his, movies and much of todays media have created “…all kinds of horror”. I’m sure he would never admit it.