Penn Jillette on Atheism and Islamaphobia | Big Think
Penn Jillette on Atheism and Islamaphobia
New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink
Join Big Think Edge for exclusive video lessons from top thinkers and doers: https://bigth.ink/Edge
———————————————————————————-
Penn Jillette just uttered the words: “I opened my heart to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit filled me.” What does it mean? Will the magician, champion of atheists, and passionate Libertarian really live the rest of his life as a Christian in service to the Lord, and abracadabra open the gates of heaven when they rightly hesitate to let him in?
———————————————————————————-
PENN JILLETTE:
Penn Jillette is a cultural phenomenon as a solo personality and as half of the world-famous Emmy Award-winning magic duo Penn & Teller. His solo exposure is enormous: from Howard Stern to Glenn Beck to the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, MTV Cribs, and Chelsea Lately and hosted the NBC game show Identity. As part of Penn & Teller, he has appeared more than twenty times on David Letterman, as well as on several other TV shows, from The Simpsons and Friends to Top Chef and The View. He co-hosts the controversial series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, which has been nominated for sixteen Emmy Awards. He is currently co host of the Discovery Channel’s Penn & Teller Tell a Lie and the author of God, No! and Presto!
———————————————————————————-
TRANSCRIPT:
Penn Jillette: About three years ago I came in to Big Think and I talked very strongly and very passionately about atheism, how I did not believe in God. And over the past three years I opened my heart to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit filled me. And all of a sudden I realized that everlasting life is possible by following in the ways of Jesus Christ our Lord. I have since then dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. I have joined the Church and I will live the rest of my life and die as a Christian in service and in joy with Jesus Christ Our Lord. I’m just fucking with you. For a minute, just for a minute did I – just for a second did I have you going? Just for a minute? Can you imagine how much money I would make if I could just convert to re – I don’t have to convert. If I just pretend to convert. Can you imagine if I just took and threw away my atheism, if I threw away my morality and said I was religious and went out and started preaching? Can you imagine the amount of money I would make. But what good if a man gained the whole world but lose his soul. No. I’m still an atheist. I’m still doing fine. I just spoke at a Young Americans for Liberty conference, you know, a lot of conservatives, a lot of people that are too young to be wearing suits were wearing suits.
I liked them. And afterwards a man came up to me probably 20 years old and he was slight in build, very dark complected and he said to me I wanted to talk about this during your lecture but I was very, very frightened that there were cameras there. And I said well there were cameras there so at least you’re not frightened by UFOs. You’re frightened by spiders, something that’s real. I can respect that. I made this kind of light of his wording there. And then he shut me up because then he said my family is from Pakistan and everybody in my community is a devout Muslim. And my mom and dad are devout Muslims. And I’m an atheist. And if I said that while you were speaking, if I raised my hand and said that with the cameras on, said that declared a statement I’m an atheist. My mom and dad would not kill me but they would disown me and they would never speak to me again. And I would be an apostate and it is not unlikely that someone in my community would kill me.
And he didn’t mean that figuratively. He didn’t mean that word kill like comedians mean it. He meant they would take his life away. Now I know Ayaan Hirsi Ali so I know he wasn’t bluffing. And then it got worse because then he said and yet with my dark skin and my straight black hair the other side considers me Muslim and wants to get me out of the country and treat me badly. And I hear Trump giving his speeches against people of my ancestry. And I realize that there’s nobody for me. Nobody. And he said I want to talk to you because – and this is him saying this – he said some stuff about me being the only one who would understand which is clearly not true. Everybody understands. Virtually everybody understands. But, you know, as an atheist Christopher Hitchins, my friend, my hero, my mentor even though he isn’t much older than me but he’s so much smarter. He used to say, you know Penn, if you dislike C…
For the full transcript, check out https://bigthink.com/videos/penn-jillette-on-muslim-refugees-and-atheists
@bigthink
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Want to get Smarter, Faster?
Subscribe for DAILY videos: https://bigth.ink/GetSmarter
@gregphelps2467
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Hahaha! You prick. You got me.
@larryd3251
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Penn. You know most people who claim to be Christian do not understand the bottom line of Christianity? Christianity says: it is because of Jesus' death for us that we rise from the dead and spend eternity with Him in His kingdom forever. Boom, Christianity. Bottom line. Drop the microphone. All that's required of us is to believe God's message. If you believe the ice cream truck is coming, you'll sit and watch for it. If not, you don't. You got my attention when you said if people believed Christianity's message of not going to live in Jesus' kingdom forever but spend an eternity in the "lake of fire" and they don't speak up, especially when Jesus told us to, their conversion is suspect. Nothing frustrates me more than for people to claim they are a Christain and not do as you said. People won't believe this simple message for many reasons. People have their own theology. I coined the phrase "Meism". Meism says, "I think this " or "I believe that". There are tons of "isms". Christians, or so they call themselves, spend so much time fighting and writing books about this or that Christianity, when the bottom line is as I described above. It is the message of eternal life from Jesus Christ that wins hearts. Some people will embrace it, others will not for whatever reason. We all start in a place of "Meism", but once hearing the good news written above, they will fall in love with Jesus because of His love for them. Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Jn.15:13. I pray one day this simplicity will grab your heart and you will join me on my walk into heaven. God bless. Oh, by the way, I love your magic.
@mytmouse57
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
He feels about Christianity and Islam similarly how I feel about atheism. Atheism itself, while it likes to think it’s the smartest kid in the room, is ultimately blindingly stupid. Most “brilliant” atheist arguments are just telling me things I already know, that I already figured out out long ago.
But I don’t regard most atheists as stupid.
In fact, most atheists are unusually smart. I just find atheism itself to be little more than a smart person’s stupid idea.
@elliottnavy
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Every religion is wrong
@Dyoumanslps
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Sounds like preaching to me. You basically preach the golden rule. And that comes from way down deep inside you, much more than just blood and bones. Keep up the good work!
@roadtoreason3368
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Islamophobia is a misnomer because, as I understand it, a "phobia" is an IRRATIONAL fear of something. Islam SHOULD be feared. It's a malevolent cancer bent on consuming the entire world, and its doctrine is wholly authoritarian and anti-democratic. Where Islam rules absolutely, freedom dies. That's not hyperbole. It's historically demonstrated fact.
@scottaitch1285
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Islam is a very intolerant religion designed to conquer the world. Our duty to tolerate the intolerant is very limited.
@Juancarlos2016
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
annoying talk
@DentArthurDent68
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Great video, thanks!
@DentArthurDent68
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Christopher Hitchens put it best.
Religion poisons everything.
@slprogressive1929
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
It breaks my heart that so called "human progress" doesn't include disavowing hatred, superstition, and embracing rational thinking.
@kristdodaro7926
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Jesus Christ that was funny!!!
@neonsashimidream1075
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
8 years late to this but wow. It's refreshing to hear him point out that Islamophobia is the "wrong word" and I would agree for any of these "phobia" words meant to refer to bigotry. Some people will get upset if you point that out or even accuse you of being a hidden racist or something for it, which is just madness. We can't just create words based on established etymology and eons of usage and then bestow our own definition on to it. Anyone with knowledge about language and etymology knows what I mean. Words have to be chosen carefully because we don't control their meaning and how they affect people's worldview. It's hard to remember that we first pick up words by hearing others using them and understand their meaning purely based on the context we heard it in, often confusing other aspects of the context with how it was meant. Not everyone was raised with the habit of researching a new word before using it. Eggcorns are the perfect evidence of how that works. If you're going to create a new compound word for a purpose as important and, likewise precarious, as this, it's critical to consider the etymology and maybe even consult a linguist. It's not trivial! It can be the difference between life and death, freedom and fascism or empathy and hatred.
@neonsashimidream1075
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Penn Jillette born again?? Whaat?? Unfortunately, all I had time for today was 60 seconds of video and 20 seconds of comment writing so… wow, Penn Jillette a born again Christian! I'll put that in my pocket
@removechan10298
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
now do it again but tell people you became a muslim and accepted allah and that muhammad is his final messenger, then say "hhahahahahahah just joking"
you fkfkfnfknfknf clown
@removechan10298
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
you are absolutely evil you self righteous sob
@duncanfisher2986
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Actually, embracing Muslims (some of whom might be terrorists) strikes me as the safe way, not the dangerous way. Maybe in the face of generosity there would be a terrorist or two less inclined toward terrorism.
@jonsaboe2019
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
I knew he was joking when he said '…everlasting life is possible by following in the ways of Jesus Christ…" If he truly had become a Christian, he would have said, '…everlasting life is a free gift provided by Jesus Christ.' Eternal life is not a reward for good following. Also, one does not become a Christian just by adopting a philosophy.
@Brian-bw3uu
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
"Big Think" should be able to spell Islamophobia
@bobbob465
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
This is how rhetorically skilled you become when you do all the public talking for TWO people for decades.
@Leebo13
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
I'm a creationist, I firmly believe that man created god.
@madamecurious
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
“Religion can make good people do bad things.”
Indoctrination is powerful. That is the problem.
@madamecurious
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Jehovah’s Witnesses practice SHUNNING as well. Families are torn apart and all JW-friends turn away from an “apostate” – a baptized member who disassociates from the religion (cult). I experienced this too. It made me physically ill 😞
@stevenerkman3230
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Pfew, got me scared there the first minute! I was almost about to stop the video ^_^
@joelstein4657
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
This young man faces the same problem my father did. His father was a Russian jew and his mother was an Irish catholic. Neither people wanted anything to do with him. He practiced Judaism but the congregation didn't want him. I never knew any of this til after he died and my mother told me. There are good things in both religions but as long as humans are involved there will be discrimination and hatred by their very nature. That's why I am a confirmed anti-theist or athiest for short.
@hermes8258
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Very good
@aiya5777
September 19, 2025 at 6:34 pm
ideas don't go to prison
people do
ideas are just tools, tools don't go to prison
people do
you don't hate tools
you hate people
pencil won't go to prison, pencil won't be hated when John wick uses pencil to kill people
John wick will go to prison, he's the one will be hated
Comments are closed.