Timo July 04, 2011 at 7:58 am

Peace Marc.  I really enjoyed this episode.  I’m someone who came to reject his religious upbringing for all sorts of reasons but also came to have mixed feelings about that rejection.  Still, I remained an active member of my church for quite some time because I believed (and still believe) in the mission of the church both at home and abroad.  Nick Thune really reminds me of a lot of that enthusiasm that I had.  Even if you can’t quite agree with everything that’s being said, the message that someone is loved or that you should love someone by virtue of the fact of your shared humanity is a powerful one.  Thank you for reminding me of the more beautiful parts of the faith I once called my own.  Peace.

Annie July 04, 2011 at 10:27 am

Hi Marc,  just listened to your interview with Nick Thune and really enjoyed it. I am not a religious person but respect the kind of guy Nick is. We could all learn something from him about how to be a better person.
After listening to the podcast, I looked him up and found this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7smrlwVc_z4 Made me giggle; I actually like that he plays guitar.
I always enjoy your show, and love that it’s different everyday.  Thanks;)

Fred Newandyke July 04, 2011 at 1:25 pm

Wow, great interview!

I have listened to the bulk of Marc’s podcast catalog and I think this is one of the most challenging ones for me. I would really like to get the final word from Marc as to what he thinks of Nick.

Throughout the interview he seems to be riding a fine line. At times he is genuinely interested in Nicks life and beliefs and at times he comes off as showing disdain for Nick or discounting him because of his age, experience, and faith.

I have no exposure to Nick at all, so I have no opinions of him myself.

Marc you there, any comments. Great interview.

Rudy July 04, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Hi Fred,

I agree that Marc was riding that fine line, but I think by the end of the show both he and Nick were approaching agreement, even if they disagreed about the metaphysics of existence.  Though I probably share a bit of Marc’s distrust of attractive people in comedy. It’s like when I first started going to punk shows as an outsider and then the “cool kids” started taking on the affectations of the ne’erdowells even though they lived in mansions and were given Lexus SUVs on their 16th birthdays; without the trauma of life, I just don’t know how meaningful it can be. That’s why I really was interested in learning about Nick’s past issues with alcoholism and family dynamics, though I wish they would have talked a bit more about personal struggles.

Justin July 04, 2011 at 5:43 pm

A ‘snapshot’ in time somewhere between the nice kid from the church in Seattle to another antichristian ranting stand-up comic?
A healthy Christian who has realized the weakness in the evangelical-charismatic ‘accountability partner’ churches?
Is it possible Marc is on our convert radar?

I’m not sure what I think about those questions but one thing I do know - how effing refreshing it was to listen to an honest conversation. I mean it. That was so refreshing to hear a real, genuine, honest no-BS conversation between two American comedians and what we might (not accurately) call two ‘opposites’.
      Really appreciated this! I really did! Thanks to both of you today.

Joe Tily July 05, 2011 at 7:29 am

I was brought up in a non-religious household too - my parents were never Atheists - they just didn’t care one way or the other. Usually when the G or the J words are mentioned in a show i stop listening and turn to something else immediately - it’s a tribute to how good Marc’s interview skills are that i listened to the entirety of this episode . . . . . . .

Leah July 05, 2011 at 10:20 am

I just had my WTF moment for this week. I was listening to the podcast when I sneezed, and right afterward I heard Marc say “God Bless You” and then he told Nick to say God bless you. I think it was a sign.

James Morris July 05, 2011 at 11:59 am

I felt my heart breaking for Nick, cause he seems like such a sweet and nice person, but I definitley identify more with comedians who have vitriol, and honestly, if Marc was a sweetheart like NIck, I don’t think he would be appealing to me. I think, in the end, Nick isn’t my type of comedian, but I really loved hearing him talk and everything he said was very interesting.

Jim July 11, 2011 at 7:44 pm

I took a course in college called “Philosophy of Religion.” The instructor made it a point to never share with his students what his own personal beliefs were regarding religion or any of the specific arguments that have been made by philosophers over the years in regards to whether or not God exists. At times, I would get the feeling that I had nonetheless figured out where he likely stood on things, based on how he would approach a certain topic or appear to give credence to a particular argument. Then he would throw in a counter-argument or another series of general statements that would convince me to the contrary.

In the end, it was frustrating and fascinating to me, because I’m generally able to read between the lines pretty well and figure people out. He remained a purposeful mystery, and to this day, I have no idea what his personal beliefs are. To this day, that class also remains at the top of the list of my personal favorite courses that I have taken.

This episode reminded me quite a bit of that class. About the time I thought you or Nick were about to zig, one or both of you would zag. The thing is, you even give the listeners a fair amount of insight into what your own thoughts are on this type of thing—and yet I still feel I have no concrete understanding of where those beliefs lie.

This is not necessarily a bad thing at all, however. Perhaps it is simply representative of your own ongoing questions about such things, and perhaps it’s also a testament to how you interview people in a way that is fluid but purposefully not concrete. You identify with them and allow them to identify with you, but then also give them plenty of room to disagree or state their own personal truths.

In closing, I have a new personal truth of my own. I love this podcast. It’s entertaining and it makes me think. Who could ask for more?

Ric July 18, 2011 at 9:06 pm

Marc, at the beginning of the interview I thought it sounded like you have a history of being awfully tough on this guy. By the end of the interview I thought you were going too easy on him. I felt like I heard you consciously consider and then decide not to make the phrase “bring the Good News” this episode’s version of “steal your essence.” Thanks for the show.

Eric September 26, 2011 at 1:31 pm

I just listened to this episode. I’m not really a fan of Thune’s comedy (not that I dislike him) and I agree with Marc about the guitar thing—I just don’t get it. It seems like such a crutch and a tool to show off some irrelevant side talent. I remember Maria Bamford talking about how she used to bring her violin onstage, thinking, “If they don’t like the comedy at least they might like my violin playing.” The difference is that she dropped it when she grew as a comic.

I also got creeped out by all the missionary stuff. I agree with a previous poster that spreading messages of love is powerful, but attaching it to a sales pitch for Jesus just makes the whole thing seem insincere and manipulative. Shouldn’t you address and try to fix all the shit things the church is doing before you start recruiting for it? Taking advantage of psychologically immature, emotionally damaged children to score points for the God team is really gross to me.

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