During a recent episode of Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime, the conversation heated up between Ben Shapiro and famed comedian Bill Maher. Shapiro, the well-known Orthodox Jewish commentator, faced off against Maher in a debate about the significance of the Bible in today’s moral landscape, prompting cheers and applause from a somewhat liberal crowd in Los Angeles.
Maher, recognized for his skepticism of religion in films like Religulous, had strong words for the sacred text, declaring it to be filled with “nonsense” and “wickedness.” He challenged the notion that if a divine power authored the Bible, it should be devoid of disagreements and issues. “If God wrote the book, how could there be things we don’t agree with?” he asked, drawing chuckles from his audience.
Shapiro and Maher’s exchange dove deeper as they discussed Shapiro’s new book, Lions and Scavengers. This work asserts that our societal dynamics are fueled by two opposing character types: builders (lions) and destroyers (scavengers). Inquires followed as Maher asked Shapiro if he felt akin to Friedrich Nietzsche, whose critiques of Christianity are often regarded as intense.
The Daily Wire co-founder countered that Nietzsche’s takes were misrepresentations of Judeo-Christian teachings and insisted that the Bible reinforces that acting virtuously yields the best life outcomes. To make his point, Shapiro cited Deuteronomy 30:19: “choose life, so that you and your children may live,” a pillar of Judaic belief.
When Shapiro reassured Maher that he wouldn’t try to impose his beliefs, Maher swiftly criticized religion again. However, Shapiro retorted, emphasizing that the moral principles they largely share stem from biblical roots, highlighting their similar upbringing in a society steeped in thousands of years of Scriptural history.
As Shapiro declared, “Why do you and I agree on morality like 87.5 percent?” Maher challenged his statement, but there was a palpable connection in their shared fundamental values, despite Maher’s thesis that American morality spiraled from Enlightenment thinking, which he presented as a counter to religious influence.
Despite Maher’s pushback on the rationale for continuing to trust the Bible in contemporary life, Shapiro delivered a poignant response: “cut flowers die,” warning that societies which tear themselves from their moral heritage cannot sustain their values.
