Regarding Jen’s post on Intelligent Design and onto the bigger issue of holding the Bible up to criticism as you would any other historical record or scientific theory, I came across a gem of a show for the skeptic in all of us (who is also at least a year behind the times). Breaking news from 2004! It’s the Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, in which the magician duo put their sharp, caustic wit to use exposing popular and enduring misconceptions.
What caught my attention was their episode on The Bible. In it, the historical validity of topics like Genesis, Noah’s Ark, Exodus and Jesus’s life are examined to see just how accurate a historical document (and consistent a story) The Bible is. Turns out that when retelling events centuries after they occurred (if they occurred at all), details start to get a bit sketchy. But if they simply left it at nitpicking minor inconsistencies in narrative, Penn & Teller would miss the bigger (and more important) picture presented by the good book: the example God sets for his followers with His harsh methods of enforcing his will — punishing those who break his law is a rather heartless way to deal with people you ‘love’.
Their critique isn’t meant to diminish the spiritual impact of The Bible, because that’s what The Bible and religion are for, instead they ask the viewer to consider the problems that arise when people take The Bible too damn literally. The Bible is after all an article of faith, not of science or law, so when people use it as the basis for the rule of law or use it to explain scientific phenomena, the homilies of The Bible start to crumble under their own weight.
As for Penn & Teller themselves, they may not hold up to their own scrutiny 100% of the time, for the show is conducted — openly — with all the scientific rigor you would expect from two Las Vegas magicians (which they happen to be). But as experts in the field of tricking people, Penn & Teller’s professional experience should count for something, especially when considering Teller’s motivations behind Bullshit!:
Magic is the art of creating false (but funny or beautiful) cause-and-effect relationships. That’s our area of expertise. When we do it on a stage, the audience is fooled, but only for the moment, only in the theater. … When we see scam artists peddling false cause-and-effect as reality; when we see the tools of theater and poetry used to victimize the vulnerable; when we sick people submitting to “medical procedures” that belong in a Three Stooges movie; all this enrages us.
One of their guests, Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine best described the crux of the show: “Smart people are very good at rationalizing things they came to believe for non-smart reasons.” So while it may seem like Penn & Teller are unleashing a senseless attack on religion, all they’re trying to do is cut through the bullshit.
Some of the topics debunked on Bullshit! include: 12 step programs, talking to the dead, safety, Big Brother, circumcision, recycling and of course, The Bible.
You can watch Penn & Teller call ‘Bullshit!’ on a host of sacred cows on Showtime, on DVD or via your favorite P2P client.
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