Ricky Gervais gets fired up in debate about God

British comedian Ricky Gervais has gone where no polite guest is ever meant to go: the subject of religion.

Ricky was appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when the host, who is a devote Catholic, asked him about his views on God.

In the past, Ricky has made no secret of his atheist beliefs and he certainly wasn’t backing down last night digging his heels in to try to convince Stephen that science trumps faith.

When asked by Stephen why he believed in science over God, Ricky said he understands the need for people to put their faith in something bigger than what we can see, but since no one can prove God exists, he doesn’t want a bar of it.

The crux of his argument came down to this: if we destroyed every copy of the Bible, the stories in it would not reappear thousands of years later in the same form. However, if we destroyed every piece of scientific evidence we have, it could still be proven with the same results in a thousand years time.

Sounds like a good reason, right? However, once the video was uploaded online it quickly went viral with people siding for or against him and madly typing their own retorts.

“Gervais’s point is actually wrong… any study of myths and religion shows that the same themes are picked up over and over again,” one commenter wrote. “The embellishments and aesthetics may vary, but the foundational truths trying to find expression don’t. What atheists who tout science as the bane of religion don’t realise is that the two occupy completely different realms. They may both try to explain the world, but they do with differing goals. Science will never quantify dignity, regard, history, sacrifice or pertinence.”

Over the past couple of decades, religion seems to have become less important to the new generations coming through. A lot of baby boomers also say they have lost their faith over time.

So how do you feel about this? Check out Ricky’s argument and tell us if he convinced you!

Do you believe in God or something else beyond our world? Is religion a part of your life?