George Carlin

NEW JERSEY - June 23 - GEORGE CARLIN, acerbic and insightful social critic and comedian died Sunday at age 71. Carlin was especially famous for his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine, and his edgy style of witty commentary that made him one of the nation's funniest and most controversial performers.

But for a growing segment of the American population -- the 13% of "godless" Americans who profess no religious beliefs -- Carlin was especially heroic. George Carlin was an Atheist who often eviscerated religious dogmatism in his special, humorous style. Of religion he said:

"When it comes to bullshit, big time, major league bullshit, you have to stand in awe of the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims, religion. No contest. No contest. Religion. Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do every minute of the day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry for ever and ever 'til the end of time!" (Commondreams.org Article)