Catholic Stephen Colbert Invites Atheist Bill Maher Back to the Faith

Catholic Stephen Colbert and atheist Bill Maher recently bantered with each other on Colbert’s “The Late Show” over their views on religion.

The Christian Post reports that Colbert, who has given an extensive interview in which he discusses his faith, invited Maher to “come on back” to the Catholic faith in which he was raised.

Maher began the discussion by stating that he and Colbert hold views which are “very opposite” when it comes to religion.

Colbert sardonically asked what Maher meant by saying the two of them held differing views regarding religion. 

Maher responded that Colbert was married and religious, while he himself is an atheist.

Colbert affirmed this to be true, but clarified that, although he “gives religion a shot,” he does not always live up to what a Christian should be. “I suck as a Catholic,” he said, half-jokingly.

When Maher admitted that he was raised Catholic, Colbert responded, “Come on back, Bill. The door is always open! Golden ticket! Right before you! All you have to do is humble yourself before the presence of the Lord, admit there are things greater than you in the universe that you do not understand, and salvation awaits you."

The two comedians then sparred over whether religion was true or just a collection of what Maher called “silly stories” or “intellectually embarrassing myths from the Bronze Age.”

Colbert did not directly contradict Maher, but instead said that these kind of critiques of his faith teach him humility. 

Publication date: November 19, 2015