So this hurts. George Carlin died yesterday of heart failure. Usually, I really don’t give into feeling when it comes to a celebrity death of any sort. I mean, it is always sad when someone passes away but I never really feel anything. This morning I just felt when I heard this.

Carlin was known for his against the grain, twisted, sick humor. As I got older though, his style of comedy blew me away. To me, he was an absolute genious, never again to be rivaled.

The routine that changed my life though is here.

(don’t click it if you are easily offended, but I am linkin’ this to show a point later on in this post.)

In 1992 I was 12 and heard him talk about Airline Announcements and Golf Courses for the homeless. Also talked about how the planet was fine and would just “shake us off” if things ever got too bad.

1999 brought the “You Are All Dieseased” HBO special. It was in this special that Carlin talked about Religion and how there is no God. Now for a 19 year old guy out on his own for the first time this routine spoke to me. It explained why the world was the way it was. I felt like he understood me when I asked so many questions. His points made sense, especially when I never got a straight answer from a pastor or anyone else that believed in God.

His routine taught me to question everything, no matter what.

I used this routine for over six years to base my opinion of God and what church was to me and it worked perfect. It shot down anyone from talking to me about being saved. I was able to make his words my own to let people know what I thought of corporate church environments and how ridiculous it was that churches needed money or believed in some imaginary guy up in the sky.

I will be the first to admit that my perspective has changed now that I am older. I do believe in God and think that a corporate church world is okay to belong to (within reason). Fact of the matter is, without George’s opinion, ideas, and perspective, I never would have even thought about the flipside to God.

George said things most people wouldn’t. He handed their thoughts to them on a silver platter and made people think. He made me think, consider, and identify with things that I never thought existed. He gave countless hours for me and my best friend Bill to sit and laugh at.

Atheists love this guy. They use his material to back up their own thoughts and ideas. I can see why.

 Fact of the matter is, when all is said and done the truth is out there you just have to compare and contrast.

Mr. Carlin definitely paved my way of finding a life that was more purpose driven. The man was brilliant on so many levels. A true intellectual of our times.

I am not sure where George ended up going in the end. I am sure most people have their opinions. The reality of it all is that it is not up to us.

Today, I am just thinkin’ about how one individual was able to communicate so many things over so many years to so many people. He made a lot of folks laugh. Think. Get ticked. Point is, they listened. There is something to be said for that.

Click here to read an interview from March 1 2008.