Stephen Colbert Says the Sacrifice of Christ is "The Great Gift" in Powerful CNN Interview

Jacqueline Burkepile -
@CNN, Twitter

What do you make of this?

CNN’s Anderson Cooper recently interviewed Stephen Colbert about suffering, loss, and grief.

In the clip below, Cooper quotes another interview, saying, “You said you have learned ‘to love the things that I most wish hand not happened.”

Holding back tears, Cooper continues, “You went on to say, ‘What punishments of God are not gifts?’ Do you really believe that?”

“Yes. It’s a gift to exist, and with existence comes suffering. There’s no escaping that,” Colbert responds. “If you are grateful for your life…then you have to be grateful for all of it. You can’t pick and choose what you’re grateful for.

“What do you get from loss? You get awareness of other people’s loss, which allows you to connect with that other person, which allows you to love more deeply and understand what it’s like to be a human being, if it’s true that all humans suffer.

“At a young age, I suffered something, so that by the time I was in serious relationships in my life, with friends, or with my wife or my children, [I understood] that everybody is suffering.

“And however imperfectly, acknowledge their suffering to connect with them, and to love them in a deep way, that not only accepts that all of us suffer, but makes you grateful for the fact that you have suffered, so you can know that about other people.

“It’s about the fullness of your humanity,” Colbert explains. “What’s the point of being here if you can’t be the most human you can be?

“I want to be the most human I can be, and that involves acknowledging, and ultimately being grateful for the things I wish didn’t happen, because they gave me a gift.

Colbert later adds, “In my tradition, that’s the great gift of the sacrifice of Christ–is that God does it too. You’re really not alone. God does it too.”

Listen to the interview below:

 Click here if you cannot see the video above.

Colbert is often vocal about his faith. He’s expressed his take on the benefits of Catholicism versus Protestantism. He also revealed his favorite bible verse, favorite saint, confirmation name, and his favorite Catholic hymn to  America Magazine a few years ago.

Although Colbert boldly speaks about his Catholic faith, he openly supports gay marriage and the homosexual lifestyle.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are “of grave depravity” based on Sacred Scripture.

The Catholic Church teaches that people with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” but that homosexual acts constitute “grave depravity,” are “intrinsically disordered,” and that “under no circumstances can they be approved.” Instead, “homosexual persons are called to chastity.” (CCC 2357-2359)

What are your thoughts about the Colbert’s interview?

[See also: What J.R.R. Tolkien Taught Stephen Colbert About Suffering and God]

[See also: Stephen Colbert’s Funny Take on His Catholic Faith and Protestantism]
Cookie Settings