Some called him crazy yet others glorified him. Regardless of what folks think about Evel Knievel, there can be no doubt that he was one incredible daredevil. Jumping buses astride a heavy and cumbersome Harley was simply unbelievable - and still is.

Evel reflected on his health and life (just before his death) and offered some interesting perspectives one of which is that leaders of organized religion should be in the federal penitentiary. Couldn't agree more - they make their followers promises they can't possibly fulfill and then bleed them for cash.

The clip below is very interesting but if you want skip to what Evel says about organized religion go to 23:08.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2FhaX1b08I

Very good advice he gives. I especially like the part where He says Benny Hinn should be in prison and it's shameful that George Bush lets him get away with stealing people's money.

He believes in God just not organized religion.

Not all religion is constitutionally protected racketeering. Mormonism is.

Saw him jump in the Astrodome, 1971. Awesome. However, the bike he jumped with was not the kind of Harley you're thinking of. Back then, Harley Davidson bikes dominated flat track and speedway races. Totally different from the Electra Glide and Hogs you're referencing.

He was right about religious scammers.

There are at least a couple of mainline Protestant denominations of which the leaders are not, at least as far as is commonly known, guilty of making promises and bleeding the respective memberships of cash. Just because the late Evel was unaware of them doesn't means such denominations don't exist. Evel's expertise at daredevil stunts didn't necessarily give him any expertise concerning religion, though he was entitled to hold whatever opinions he chose.

He obviously understood and loved the entertainment business, so he would have despised anyone who used charisma to screw people. Probably wouldn’t have liked Joe much.

Can you name a few of those religions? Fan of the late Evel are you, what was your favorite jump?

Man you people don't go to sleep. Holy ****!

I'll name one: United Church of Christ

He was no-nonsense, except for that Snake River jump.

I remember that an Air Force Safety magazine ran an interview with him in the late 60's, probably in connection with motorcycle safety. I hadn't heard of him before that, but IIRC he came off as a personable, articulate interviewee--and, believe it or not, a good advocate for motorcycle safety. Later I saw the semi-biographical movie starring George Hamilton (1971), which still shows up on cable occasionally. It had an extended clip of his famous wipe-out at the Caesars Palace fountains, followed by an operating room scene where the orthopedist is saying, "look at that pin I put in four years ago--it hasn't moved at all." or words to that effect.

I didn't know he was also a religious philosopher, but I'll give him a qualified thumbs-up there, too. And another religious group he might have mentioned is the now-dispersed Worldwide Church of God, of Herbert W. Armstrong and Joseph W. TKatch.

Evel Knievel--a true Renaissance Man for our times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evel_Knievel
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067069/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_88

Religious endorsement by celebrity is as worthless as actors weighing in on politics, foreign policy, and the environment.

caffiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Religious endorsement by celebrity is as worthless
> as actors weighing in on politics, foreign policy,
> and the environment.

I understand where you are coming from on this--I certainly have known (or been briefly "acquainted" with, as in me interviewing them) my share of air-headed celebrities during my lifetime--but your generalizing (as to this particular career segment) is untrue.

Celebrities come in all "flavors" of the intelligence, intellectual, and creative spectrums, and being a celebrity doesn't reduce any particular person's IQ, their intellectual drive, or their creativity.

On the contrary, air-headed celebrities tend to burn out fairly rapidly: they often have briefer careers, while their contemporaries on the other end of the intellectual/creative spectrum tend to have longer careers, which often, typically, span multiple "occupations": composer, director, producer, writer, inventor (etc.).

There are many celebrities (Hedy Lamarr as the historical best example--she was the inventor of frequency hopping technology, which was initially used, during her lifetime, in advanced military technologies, and is still used to this day in contemporary technology/engineering....Ron Howard....Jill St. John....Adrienne Barbeau (actress and author), Jodie Foster, etc.), plus: there are a great many celebrity writers and directors who are obviously in the top percentiles of both intelligence and learning who have proven themselves outstanding in their creative contributions.

It isn't rational to generalize "celebrities" as being, typically, nitwits (some are; some are not)--any more than it is to generalize on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, etc.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2019 03:11PM by Tevai.

I acknowledge my (brief) remark, above, is a generalization, but I stand by it. Allow me to include sports stars. Should we pay heed to a mediocre quarterback because he tilts one direction, as opposed to a NASCAR driver who leans the other ?

Many people who manage to succeed in sports and entertainment were deeply absorbed in their skill or art from a very early age. I think of grade-school Roger Clemens spending long hours pitching at a tire, and children whose early years are spent going to rehearsals, special music and dance classes, and tryouts and auditions. Preparation for success does conflicts with a broad-based ("liberal") education.

Yes, I'm generalizing, and there are exceptions, but I find a stifling group-think, spiked with elitism, in the entertainment industry.