What?!?! I will admit that when I saw him speak about religion on Rogan's show it seemed interesting at the time, and I find him interesting on most other topics. But I've watched every video I could find with him on religion, and he has backtracked from some earlier statements which were positive about Atheism, and is now extremely evasive to the point of being practically meaningless on the subject of religion. Here is one example of many:

@Rossy92 I don't know, exactly, why Peterson is so dopey in that particular video. I saw it back a while ago before the kid added the smart-alecky remarks over it, and added my own smart-alecky remarks of a similar nature. . I'm guessing he has found an audience of young, conservative males who are lost and perhaps on the verge of becoming shooters, and Peterson doesn't want to alienate them by admitting outright that he is an atheist, before trying to influence them for the better. They are also dumping tons of pocket change into his Patreon account, so there's that. We're all hoomahn I guess.

It's pretty clear to me that Peterson doesn't believe in a literal god, but what's more important is that he does understand the importance of, and inevitability of, the metaphorical god, and is trying, against all odds, to stitch back together the rip in our social fabric caused by literalism and fundamentalism. His lecture series called "Biblical Series I: Introduction to the Idea of God"

@skado I think you have very insightfully nailed it. He is probably well meaning, if frustratingly dishonest, and understandably has apprehensions about all of society chucking the invisible babysitter/policeman. Stefan Molyneux takes a similar stance, but is a bit more transparent about it, asserting that it might be dangerous if the less intelligent and less moral among us abandoned God. That doesn't bode well for openly Atheist politicians being elected, and is one more compelling reason to perhaps not openly identify with the "A" word in favor of Humanist or Agnostic etc., though personally I have stopped identifying with the latter term. What is truly unfortunate is that the creators of the Bible couldn't have got it a little less wrong. If only Deuteronomy, Exodus, Leviticus, etc, could have been excised from the canon...

Yes, good insights there, @Rossy92 . I think we see it similarly. Your last sentence reminds me of the sailboat name I picked out if I am ever so fortunate to own another one... "Loose Canon" We may just have to learn to live under a loose canon.

No No please don't hold back. Tell me how you really feel! Comments duly noted.

@patchoullijulie Oh dear, were my meds wearing off?

@Gareth Its cool......all thoughts were requested. I seem to have received a pretty broad spectrum of opinions on the man.

Manipulation might be the key word with him. He really does use clarification quite well and often. I think that I too may be impressed in a bad way.

What TheInterlooper said.

@TheInterlooper I've been doing more reading about him since I first replied to the original post.
I've definitely refined my opinion on him, and in a negative way.
He's just another manipulator. He's an extremely intelligent manipulator, but a manipulator nonetheless.

He originally came across my radar as someone who upholds the right wing's idea's so I dismissed him on that basis but I was curious enough about him to explore him further and I agree I think he has a lot of really interesting options on how to look and live life.

@patchoullijulie Same here. I was leery of him at first, and I had a friend whom I trust a lot whose own interest in him kept me listening, and yeah, there isn’t nothing there to what he says and his reputation, I’ll say that.

He actually responded to a comment of mine one time because I accused him of appealing to morality with his views on truth. He told me to read Maps of Meaning and then accuse him of that. I told him I would...I still haven’t. I’ve listened to parts, but I do hope to give that book a shot one day. Still seems like it to me though.

@Honestape While listening to him talk about gender equality, he mentioned hierarchies and I found myself wishing that I could have an actual conversation with him so that I could question/challenge him on one of his points. I am a little jealous that you were able to communicate with him. I havn't heard of the Maps of Meaning..I will check it out.