Stephen Colbert on Returning to Catholicism; Explaining God with Broccoli

Stephen Colbert on Returning to Catholicism; Explaining God with Broccoli
David Shankbone [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Host of The Late Show goes into great detail regarding his decision to embrace religion once again.

Stephen Colbert, the host of The Late Show, is never shy about expressing his opinions regarding his faith. During a recent interview, Colbert said he became “convicted of [his] atheism,” before deciding to adopt Catholicism.[/tweetit]

Stephen Colbert on Returning to Catholicism; Explaining God with Broccoli[/tweetthis]

Most of the time, when Stephen Colbert has talked about God, he tends to raise objections, while adding a comedic touch to his answers. However, when Colbert talked to Father James Martin on Faith in Focus, there was a significant change in how the comedian answered questions. Colbert does something which a large number of Americans fail to do, which is to talk about their understanding of God.

Father James Martin, who appeared on The Colbert Report, is one of the few priests in pop culture. He is popularly known for speaking out for LGBT Catholics.

Colbert expressed that he was embarrassed, due to the presence of several limitations, while talking about God. In the show, he stated that he stopped believing in the divine being during a particular phase of his life. Colbert continued that the loss in faith was due to large volumes of grief in his life. He believed that he had been learning things which weren’t true.

However, in 1986, at the age of 22, Colbert started perceiving God differently, after an incredible experience in Chicago. While he was walking on the street, a random individual gave him the New Testament Proverbs and Psalms.

After opening the book, he came across several verses which help people deal with anxiety. According to Colbert, he felt a burden lift off his shoulders after reading a passage from Matthew Chapter 5.

Colbert goes in great depth, explaining his understanding of God. The comedian believes that this divine being is mystical because God resides in a supernatural realm. Every time Colbert thinks about God, he imagines Jesus Christ, but attempts to dissolve the image, as this divine being is much more than that. His imagination makes him think of God as pure energy, just like some of the creatures from Star Trek.

He also uses a trick, which allows him to think about life from different perspectives. He uses broccoli as an example, thinking about how this vegetable would react after he drops it. He believes that if he can think along different lines, it will help him look at God differently.

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