Stephen Colbert Talks Religion With Stephen Prothero (VIDEO)

On Tuesday night's (March 29) episode of The Colbert Report, special guest Stephen Prothero joined the host for a wide-ranging discussion of the world's religions aimed at answering an important, (perhaps even the most important) question: which religion is the best?

After giving up Catholicism for Lent, and then giving up Judaism because he liked it too much, Colbert invited Prothero onto his show to help him find a suitable substitute.

Always one to jump on a bandwagon, Colbert first asked for the world's fastest growing religion. When Prothero, HuffPost blogger and the author of God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run The World and Why Their Differences Matter, revealed that the answer was Islam, Colbert pointed out that the Muslim faith was facing a bit of a "P.R. nightmare."

Prothero then detailed the peaceful ways of the Quakers, a tradition that only seemed to interest Colbert because of Richard Nixon's affiliation with them.

Colbert and Prothero went on to cover Hinduism, the concepts of karma and reincarnation (including the past lives of Stephen's cat), Jainism and the Shaker tradition.

Did they ever reach an answer for which religion was the best? Did Stephen decide which faith he will try out next during Lent?

WATCH:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen's Next Religion - Stephen Prothero
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Comments

[Abesheet]

10:27 AM on 04/13/2011

I wish they didn't cut that interview so short. It was such an interesting subject.

[centercentric]

04:33 PM on 04/05/2011

Only through Christianity can you arrive at true atheism, says Slavoj Žižek -- so pick your poison but make it Christian.

[FreedToChoose]

09:52 AM on 04/02/2011

Unitarianism-Universalism where you can follow whatever path you choose in community with others who live likewise.

[Kentaro]

10:42 PM on 03/31/2011

A funny video on a serious topic. :)

[peterz]

08:36 PM on 03/31/2011

colbert, who I like and admire, has his own issues.....as a catholic, surely he realizes they have their own PR nightmare involving legions of boys and young girls as well....not to mention a sordid history of selling tickets to the afterlife.....one wonders how such a bright man can swallow that swill....

[signgrrl]

05:05 PM on 04/03/2011

denial ? and not only that, he teaches sunday school . . .

[iLdoRight]

04:32 PM on 03/31/2011

Anything but "true" Christianity, is the most common attitude I hear when the topic is up for review. However if the Holy Scriptures, know as "The Bible", first what may be called the "Old Testament" or "The Jewish Scriptures" then the "New Testament", if either or both are a message from Our Creator, (I believe they both are), then only "true Christianity" is the modern day approved by Our Creator and His Main Jewish Son, Jesus, "religion". Jesus said there would be a lot of people who would claim to be His followers but their hearts would be far off somewhere else.

[Daleri Rileda]

03:00 PM on 03/31/2011

Everyone's tithes are supposed to go to Jerusalem the eternal city.

...so I send mine to Messianic Jews.

[ninetailedfox]

11:46 AM on 03/31/2011

Talk about the world turning upside down. Stephen Colbert is deconverting (am i living in the twilight zone?)

[AZreb]

11:01 AM on 03/31/2011

Why not be an "equal-opportunity heathen"? Works well for me and there is no need to follow any organized religion (big business) model.

[Bron Taylor]

09:48 AM on 03/31/2011

Here are my own 'top ten' reasons Colbert might consider dark green nature religion for his new religion: http://goo.gl/96jsR

[DangerousTalk]

08:17 AM on 03/31/2011

Reject them all as ridiculously superstitious. Go with atheism, reason be upon you.

[ninetailedfox]

11:49 AM on 03/31/2011

I think thats too liberal for the likes of Colbert.

[signgrrl]

05:06 PM on 04/03/2011

but it is RATIONAL enough for him.

[Jokergirl]

01:53 AM on 03/31/2011

Karaokeism, a religion that includes all nocturnal creatures worshiping together in a congregation from yuppies, to bikers, to soccer moms, to college students chanting incoherently to strange beats, whilst strange colored lights flash over them in headache inducing circles. Spirits and hallucinogens may be involved in these rituals.

[Doug Sandlin]

07:03 PM on 03/31/2011

I was a karaokeist for a while, but alas, fell from grace.

Every so often, I feel drawn to return to The Mike.

In the deepest esoteric circles of Karaokeism, it is reported that while the linguistic translation of Karaoke means "empty orchestra", it's secret meaning is "too drunk to care".

And, as the First Commandement of the Songbook says:

"Never ever attempt Bohemian Rhapsody, no matter how well you think you know it."

At least Karaokeists have a Goddess; that part's pretty cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmv1VhrtYRo

[cliffhammond]

12:13 AM on 03/31/2011

Hey now! My dogs are HIGHER BEINGS. In fact, my Jack Russell Terrier, Bailey Wu Xiang, is actually my Zen Master.

[European1919]

11:53 AM on 03/31/2011

Dog backwards ...

[Machinistscott]

11:28 PM on 03/30/2011

Odin is the only god that ever answered a prayer for me. When I was about 12 years old I played Dungeons and Dragons. I was fascinated by the Norse gods. They had the best stories and art work. One day my evangelical step-dad had us helping him cut firewood. That consisted of him chainsawing the fallen trees and us hauling it to the truck. I prayed a short prayer to Odin to get us out of the log hauling detail. The chainsaw quit working after about a 1/2 hour.
True story.
Hail Odin, the all father :P

[peterz]

09:36 PM on 03/30/2011

doesn't matter.....all voodoo