Ricky Gervais Wages Twitter Battle With Christian Fundamentalists
The comedian engages with users upset over his views on evolution and religion.
Comedian Ricky Gervais is engaged in an ongoing war of the words with Christian fundamentalists offended by his views on creationism and God.
A self-proclaimed atheist, The Office creator and 2012 Golden Globes host ruffled feathers for portraying himself as Jesus Christ in his "12 Days of Rickmas" PETA campaign and explaining his religious view in an interview with Britain's New Humanist magazine. He's also under fire for other offenses such as posing like Jesus on the cross for the magazine cover and believing in evolution.
One particular Twitter user, @GodsWordIsLaw, has been verbally sparring with Gervais since last week. According to @GodsWordIsLaw's Twitter page, his name is Keith and he represents Minnesota's Christians for a Moral World.
A sampling of their Twitter posts are below:
@GodsWordIsLaw: "That picture of @RickyGervais on a fake cross hanging like Jesus with the words "Atheist" on his body...MOST OFFENSIVE THING IVE EVER SEEN"
@GodsWordIsLaw: "I forgive you @RickyGervais but will God? Quit with your bigotry and @CFAMW will leave you alone."
@GodsWordIsLaw: "Just wasted 5 minutes of my life watching the disgusting Atheist PIG @RickyGervais on youtube. He is not even funny!!! #GodWillNotBeMocked."
@RickyGervais: "I am not anti christian. I am anti bigot @GodsWordIsLaw I don't believe in ANY god. I treat all religions equally. And all good people."
@RickyGervais: "@GodsWordIsLaw @MargieJPhelps 'My religion is Kindness' Dalai Lama. You should try it. Not supernatural or random but its fu--ing magical."
@RickyGervais: I think we can save Keith. He's not as hateful as he thinks. He's obviously been hurt and sold a lie. Kindness will cure him. Thoughts?
Gervais said in his New Humanist interview that he became an atheist when he was a boy: "I used to believe in God. The Christian one, that is. Luckily I was also interested in science and nature. And reason and logic. And honesty and truth. And equality and fairness. By the age of eight I was an atheist. (That word shouldn’t even exist. It shouldn’t be needed. But it does. And it is.)"
On another industry note about @GodsWordIsLaw, he's also calling for a boycott of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: "Calling All Christians - We must boycott The Hobbit movie - it is made by an Atheist and promotes witchcraft ideals.