Actor/activist Stephen Fry went viral last year thanks to an interview he gave where he said God would have to be an “evil, capricious, monstrous maniac.” The segment has been shortlisted for the Interview of the Year award from the Sanford St. Martin Trust, an organization that celebrates excellence in religious broadcasting.
Fry appeared on “The Meaning of Life,” an Irish show, where celebrities discuss the role of religion in their lives. He was asked by host Gay Byrne what he would say to God if he met him after death.
“I’d say, ‘bone cancer in children? What’s that about? How dare you. How dare you create a world to which there is such misery that is not our fault. It’s not right, it’s utterly, utterly evil,'” Fry said. “Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain? That’s what I would say… The God who created this universe, if it was created by God, is quite clearly a maniac, utter maniac. Totally selfish. We have to spend our life on our knees thanking him; what kind of God would do that?”
After the interview was broadcast on Ireland’s RTE network, the video of Fry’s most scathing comments on God went viral, featuring a wide range of responses and is now shortlisted for the 2016 Sanford St. Martin Trust award for Interview of the Year with six other religion-themed interviews.
Although it may seem strange that suggesting God is evil would get you nominated for a religious award, the Sanford St. Martin Trust is focused on starting a discussion on faith. The awards celebrate media portrayals of all faiths, including atheism.
Although Fry has not yet responded to the nomination, he was “astonished” by the attention his remarks generated.
Watch the video below:
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