Alan Davies and Stephen Fry in “Unfinished Business”

Alan Davies

Why do people believe all this stuff, Stephen?

Stephen Fry

Well, it’s whether you agree with it or not—

Alan Davies

Never mind televisions ruined Bhutan, this stuff is responsible for some serious aggravation in the world. And people believe it all, for God’s sake! They do believe it all! Bronze age mythology, they believe it all.

Stephen Fry

People believing in manna doesn’t really upset me or anybody sensible as much as, say, than believing—

Alan Davies

I don’t eat meat, right? I don’t eat meat, and someone actually said to me, someone who should remain nameless, really angrily: “Animals were put on earth for us to eat.” What does he mean by that? Put by whom?

Stephen Fry

That’s silly. Off course that’s silly.

Alan Davies

I said: “You can eat one if you want, but don’t shout at me about them being put there like it’s some big toy farmyard.” You are really clever, why do they believe it all? Can’t they just go: “Bwooh, that was mad, I thought that was true for a minute.” Why do people believe it?!

Stephen Fry

Because they are foolish and ignorant and scared.

Alan Davies

They need to believe it? Do they need to believe it?

Stephen Fry

There is a distinction to be drawn between those who claim to have access to revealed truth and therefore claim to know what happens to us after we’re dead on the basis of a text, whether it’s a Quran or a Holy Bible.

Alan Davies

But why do people believe them?

Stephen Fry

Which is nonsensical. And if they want to believe it, they’re fine, but they mustn’t push it down our throats and they mustn’t tell me whom I’m allowed to go to bed with and whom I’m not allowed to go to bed with. It’s not acceptable. Anybody who tells me what happens after I’m dead is either a liar or a fool, because they don’t know.

Alan Davies

That is what I mean! I don’t mind—

Stephen Fry

The myth of the Jewish people having manna dropped on their heads, that doesn’t actually matter. That’s no more different — that’s like Greek myth or any other myth, that’s fine. It’s when it gets to telling people how to behave is where we do draw the line.