In an interview with the New York Daily News to promote his show "Derek," comedian Ricky Gervais spoke out about his own atheism.
"Listen I loved Jesus growing up. He was a kind man who cared about the poor and stuck up for them, all that. It's just the supernatural thing I don't buy. He's a great role model," Gervais said.
"I think people think 'atheist' means you're this angry militant who runs into churches and says, 'All of you are going to die, stop this!'" he continued. "I like Christmas, I like carols. I just don't believe there's a God. That's all there is to it."
He also spoke about his belief in the right to die with dignity, and how that right relates to freedom of religion.
"I think if someone's just had enough, there's no hope and they're in pain.. I don't know how anyone could oppose someone's choice and right over whether they continue living or not," he said. "There's so many misunderstandings about it and I don't understand the anger that people don't understand that this is beautiful and merciful and right."
"I retweeted this awful thing, this religious thing: 'If you euthanize someone in terrible agony, it's deprived them of the privilege of the grace of God to suffer.' And I just think what a twisted, evil thought process that is. To impose your beliefs on another human being in terrible pain and suffering and agony and trauma, and you're telling them that it's cowardly not to live through that hopelessness and fear and pain-- it disgusts me."
In 2012, Gervais famously tweeted, "Everyone has the right to believe anything they want. And everyone else has the right to find it fucking ridiculous."
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