Larry King, in his Politicking interview with Bill Mayer, introduces him with these words: “He’s opiniated, outspoken and ready to take a stand on today’s red-hot issues… Get ready.” Towards the end of the interview, King asked him whether he believed in life after death? Maher replied maybe, but this other thing that God had a son, that’s nonsense. For Mayer, the program Cosmos has got it right. Just imagine, he said, (not exactly in these words) the whole universe exploded into being 13.5 billion years ago from a being no bigger than a marble. When I think of it, continues Mayer, I want to say “Gimme the Jesus thing. But I know that the Big Bang is right.” But see the interview for yourself.
Larry King: “Get ready”
Go figure, but what are you going to use to do so? Your marbles? Mad people lose theirs; sane people throw theirs away – in a hurry (Hebrew: maher).
Maher-shalal-hash-baz – מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז “He has made haste to plunder” (Isaiah 8:3).
The Jesus thing is not silly, it’s shocking, for two reasons: 1. The Son takes on flesh to be cursed and slaughtered 2. in the place of sinners.
Related: Something from nothing: a beautiful idea.