Politics
I was reluctant at first to dedicate a page to politics because, quite honestly, I can't stand politics anymore.
Bill O'Reilly: Icon of Common Sense?
I think not. While his political savvy and straight-talk is nothing to scoff at, his universalist, shallow morals leave something to be desired. But first, the truth: I used to love the guy. He's a clever, sensible, American patriot. I realized, however, that Bill O'Reilly is not popular because he expounds truth. He is popular because he is precisely the argumentative, arrogant loudmouth that people want to watch. One day, people will grow tired him, and FOX News will replace him with some other cash cow.
His 2003 off-the-wall calendar contains some interesting insight.
"The Religion Factor"
If you live your life subject of Judeo-Christian tradition (or Buddhist, Islamic, or another religious tradition), then you will do more good than harm on this earth. You will love your neighbor and help other people out. You will not do things that hurt others or yourself. So, if everyone was religious, wouldn't the world be a much better place in which to live? Of course it would. And if there is no God at the end of it all, what does it matter? You're in the ground or scattered to the winds. If the deity is a fraud, you won't possibly care. You're gone.
O'Reilly combines Pascal's wager with universalism, proving that even he lacks common sense. To O'Reilly, religions are nothing more than traditions, therefore coincidable, and the only purpose of religion is to make the world a happier place. Christianity is effectively stripped of any meaning, since believers live for the eternal and not for the temporal.
Also, what if your deity is a fraud and another one was real? You're not simply gone, your in for an eternity of misery.
Further Discussion: FF7Masamune and razzendahcuben, Does O'Reilly demean religion? Does he use Pascal's Wager?
"The Friendship Factor"
Do I hold a grudge [against my enemies]? Yeah. That's the other side of staying true to your commitments, I think. I don't wish my enemies ill, but unless they sincerely apologize, I don't forget their transgressions, either.
What a selfish little child. He really thinks he is The Truth. What religious tradition is he following, a moderate form of Satanism?
"The Success Factor"
Here's something that really surprises me: The more stuff I have, the more stuff I want. And so I looked around and saw that everyone else was the same way. It was not until I had a few things that I noticed how this works. The material stuff is addicting!
I'm not sure which is sadder, his apparent ignorance of the simple fact that material wealth is addicting, or him bragging about it.
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