The Skeptics Guide Gang Rips Bill Maher A New One..

[dudalb]

On the Sep 23rd podcast they tear into Maher over his Anti Medical Science rant on his TV show last week. They have been mentioning his crackpot views on Medicine in the past, but now they finally went after him big time.
They also rip into the slack that Maher is being cut by some skeptics because the said skeptics like his views on religon,and therefore they dismiss his views on Medicine as "eccentric'.
IMHO it's overdue in both cases. Somebody who states that Western Medicine has nothing to help cure Cancer for the past 50 years, and that modern medicine is a giant scam that treats the symptoms not the illness( the classic battle cry of the quack) should in no way be held up as some kind of hero to the skeptical community. I think when the Skeptic Guide guys stated the Maher oppostion to religon seems based on some personal dislike or ideology rather then rational thinking they are dead on.
What makes this bad is that Maher is pushing the most dangerous form of woo of all:Medical Woo. That shoud put him sort of beyond the pale.

[Beanbag]

Meh. Find a copy of Cannibal Women in the Avacado Jungle of Death and slam his acting abilities.

Beanbag

[alfaniner]

What would it take to get Steve Novella as a guest on Maher's show? Or Maher as an inteviewee on SGU? I'd prefer the latter, as the rogues could then guide the interview rather than have to split it up among several other guests and topics on Maher's show.

[pipelineaudio]

About time, Maher and Moore have been treated with kids gloves by the religious left for far too long. Obama next please

[Kahalachan]

I also don't like his PETA-ness.

I don't go soft on Mayer cause he's harsh on religion and 911 truthers. I don't buy into the "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" line of thinking.

[portlandatheist]

He's the winner of the Richard Dawkins Award, to be handed out this weekend.
Link

Quote:

The Richard Dawkins Award will be given every year to honor an outstanding atheist whose contributions raise public awareness of the nontheist life stance; who through writings, media, the arts, film, and/or the stage advocates increased scientific knowledge; who through work or by example teaches acceptance of the nontheist philosophy; and whose public posture mirrors the uncompromising nontheist life stance of Dr. Richard Dawkins

It is terribly misguided for Maher to receive this award. I got a feeling it is going to get ugly at the AAI conference.

[mhaze]

Originally Posted by portlandatheist

He's the winner of the Richard Dawkins Award, to be handed out this weekend.
Link

It is terribly misguided for Maher to receive this award. I got a feeling it is going to get ugly at the AAI conference.

He's an atheist? No Way....he's a believer in the godness of his own bs.

[halfempty]

I like Maher in general but yeah, I agree his anti-western medicine stance is dumb. He should stick to being a political satirist jerk.

[portlandatheist]

More to read on the matter:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/20...estions_fo.php
A few questions to ask Bill Maher:

Quote:

# Have you ever seen Professor Dawkins' documentary series The Enemies of Reason?
# Mr. Maher, you're on record numerous times saying that flu vaccines don't work, that they "compromise" the immune system, that healthy eating and getting rid of the "toxins" will protect you from the flu, yet you have also been very much in favor of HPV vaccination (i.e., Gardasil). Both are vaccinations. How do you reconcile your belief that the flu vaccine is harmful and compromises the immune system with your advocacy of HPV vaccination? Why is it that the flu vaccine "compromises the immune system" and apparently the HPV vaccine does not?
# Could you please name some of these "numerous" American people with cancer who were given a "death sentence" by their conventional doctors but went to clinics in Mexico or other countries for "alternative" medicine and beat their cancers?
# On September 18, 2009 on Overtime With Bill Maher, you said in response to a question about whether Laetrile works against cancer that "I do know that the **** we've tried for the last 50 years doesn't [work]. I know they've made no progress as far as cancer in this country." Yet, according to the SEER database, the five year survival rate for all cancers combined was 50.2% in 1975 and rose to 68.2% by 2001. The 10-year survival has increased from 44.5% in 1975 to 60% in 1996. Many tumors that were virtual death sentences in 1960 are now highly treatable today. In light of that information, would you like to reconsider your assertion that "Western medicine" hasn't made any progress against cancer in the last 50 years?
# Do you really believe that Louis Pasteur recanted germ theory on his deathbed, as you claimed in 2005? If so, why do you think that this invalidates all of the evidence supporting germ theory?

There are questions posed for Richard Dawkins and the AAI as well. This is like awarding Arafat a peace prize, the AAI should be ashamed of themselves and they deserve the heat they are receiving.