Ben Affleck 's appearance on Bill Maher 's `` Real Time '' on Friday turned into a somewhat heated discussion when Maher and author Sam Harris voiced their opinions on Islam . `` Gone Girl '' star Affleck took umbrage at the pair 's contention that Islam is , in Harris ' words , a `` mother lode of bad ideas '' and that liberals are squeamish about criticizing Islam for stances on women and LGBT issues because people `` have been sold this meme of Islamophobia , where every criticism gets confused with bigotry toward Muslims as people . '' Affleck said Harris -- a neuroscientist known for works criticizing religion -- and Maher were guilty of using a broad brush themselves . `` It 's gross . It 's racist , '' Affleck said . `` It 's like saying 'shifty Jew . ' `` Affleck added , `` How about more than a billion people who are not fanatical , who do n't punish women , who just want to go to school , have some sandwiches . ... It 's stereotyping . '' Maher disagreed , questioning Affleck on his stance : `` You 're saying that the idea that someone should be killed if they leave the Islamic religion is just a few bad apples ? '' `` That 's horrible , '' Affleck replied . `` ( But ) the people who would actually believe in an act that you murder someone if you leave Islam is not the majority of Muslims at all . '' After some crosstalk , Harris chimed in with his view that `` we 're misled to think that the fundamentalists ( in Islam ) are the fringe , '' as Maher added that moderate Muslims are afraid to speak out . Affleck responded that a better idea would be to criticize the Muslims who hold such views , not the whole religion . `` What is your solution ? To condemn Islam ? '' Affleck asked . The actor , who also directed the Oscar-winning film `` Argo , '' set in Iran and shot partially in Turkey , has received some positive response from viewers who appreciated his perspective . `` Did anyone enjoy watching an impassioned @ BenAffleck on Bill Maher as much as I did ? '' tweeted actress Jada Pinkett-Smith . `` Real Time with Bill Maher '' airs on HBO , which -- like CNN -- is a division of Time Warner .
Ben Affleck says Bill Maher 's criticism of Islam is ` ` gross , '' ` ` racist '' Maher and journalist Sam Harris also point that Christians are afraid to discuss Islam . Affleck : He and Harris are not fundamentalists with majority .