Bill Maher's "Religulous"
 

Okay, this looks funny:



I admit it: Bill Maher makes me laugh. I've only caught his program a few times, but he always entertains me. I downloaded a podcast or two of his, and I intend to listen to more of them. And then I find out he's making a movie.

I think this looks hilarious. This is the kind of humour I like: the awkward situation. It appears to be a film of him traveling across the country and confronting members of religious communities and asking them pointed questions about their faith...and then hilarity ensues. It seems a bit mean-spirited, but it's still funny. Should I feel bad? He also asks politicians and academics about religion as well. Overall, it looks good to me.

What do you guys think of this? Anyone else looking forward to it?

I'm looking forward to it too. Not much more to say than that. I like Maher and mostly agree with him on this topic.

I just know this is going to be rated R, which means I'll be watching it without the Mormon. Sigh.

I love Maher though. Sometimes he can go over the top, but when it comes to religion he hits the nail on the head. (Pun!)

I am not religious, but this looks really mean-spirited. I wouldn't see it.

Well at least he's not using a fake accent, a furry mustache, and a thong to make fun of people. Perhaps it should've been called "Unholier than thou ".

I dunno.. Might be kinda funny but it does look a little mean spirited. I have no problems with people having a religion and worshiping whatever supernatural being they wish. I'd just like that they respect my choice not to take part in those practices.

Maher's one of my favorites. Real Time alone is worth the cost of HBO. I'll be seeing this.

Mean-spirited? I guess I'll have to see it to be able to say...but asking people why they believe what they believe and then pointing out the inconsistencies seems like a reasonable premise for a documentary to me. I'm sure Maher will throw a little sardonic humor in, and he'll take some pot shots...but talking to the Puerto Rican guy who claims to be Jesus Christ and the Anti-Christ, and then making fun of him is just fine with me. Asking a guy dressed up like Jesus (or whatever that opening scene is) when God is going to smite Satan seems reasonable. Seriously, your philosophical/theological tenants are some of the most important decisions you'll have to make in your life. You should be able to explain them in a quasi-lucid fashion. Especially if you've been exposed to the crazy-nuts propaganda that comes out from evangelical and fundamentalist institutions in the way of religious documentaries and so forth. It might be shooting fish in a barrel and/or preaching to the choir - but I don't really see a problem with it. Other than that I suspect it will be moderately boring.

I'm sure capitalist practitioners of medicine were pissed at Michael Moore and thought he was mean for Sicko. When you're the target, it can be uncomfortable.

I dunno, Will... I'm NOT the target here, in fact I'm the intended demographic, and I still think the things I saw in this trailer are pretty unfair.

Asking someone to explain their religious views is like asking them to bring a inflatable toy knife to a gunfight. Religious views exist outside explanation. I think that some religious people are easily gulled into the trap of trying to explain themselves, and end up looking like complete jackasses--because religion IS illogical and inexplicable, and the slightest application of logic makes it vaporize into a cloud of silliness. Not because it IS silly, but because faith doesn't inhabit the realm of logic and explanation.

I don't really understand the movement by contemporary Atheists to try to talk people out of their religious. Talk about tilting at windmills! They may as well be speaking Chinese, for all the good that will do.

A lot of people don't realize that religious views exist outside of explanation. A lot of people don't realize that religion is illogical and inexplicable. Some people live in the religious bubble and haven't even really been given a chance to ask "wait, why do we believe this?!"

Have you ever met a fundamentalist Christian homosexual? I have. He could have used a movie like this.

I also find Dawkins et al very tiresome and so patently twisting everything to suit their agenda. This seems to be another example of taking the worst examples and using them to stand in for the whole.

Religion seems to be one of those aspects of ourselves that doesn't translate well into words. The English language particularly does not seem nuanced enough to express something that is heavily experiential rather than logical.

I don't see any evidence of him pretending that all Muslims are suicide bombers or all Christians hate homosexuals. He just seems to be shining a light on the more extreme elements of religion while also critiquing religion based on it's merits as a whole.

If you can't convert 'em ... make fun of 'em!

or, make money off them

that's what I see it as. I've never got the feeling BM cares about anything really, just likes making a check saying stuff he knows people will laugh at. I've never herd him say anything that wasn't totally safe within his audience.

he seems like an ass to me. just a gut feeling, no logic to it.

You're entitled to your opinion naturally, but I don't think the above quote could be called safe in any 'Murican audience.

well, I do. it's a predictable thing for him to say. heh, weather it's cowardly or not is kinda subjective really.
not that I'm on one side or the other of BM's argument I just see the statment as more yanking peoples chains (who expect if from him) as a matter of entertainment rather than trying to be informative

In the case of the above quote, it's more about sharing a perspective less common in the US. Who would think using missiles is cowardly unless they've seen the effects on the receiving end?