Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Review: Religulous – Bill Maher's intellectual war on religion
Share:
by Jason Sanders | October 1, 2008 at 01:57 pm
1750 views | 6 Recommendations | 14 comments
Photos
The documentary sets its sights on two big ones: Christianity and Islam with Christians the more closely scrutinized of the two. Maher doesn’t leave other religions out, as he finds time to explore and skewer Hasidic scholars, Mormons, Jews for Jesus, Satanists, and Scientologists.
Bill begins his globe trotting expedition with a group of Christian truckers in America, and asks a few questions about Christianity. While the truckers (except one) are patient with Bill and offer honest answers, their ignorance about what is in the Bible sets the tone for the rest of the film.
The funniest segments paired the interviewee with some honest subtitles which would contradict their subjects – similar to The Colbert Report’s “The Word” – by voicing concerns about the logic employed, or offering quick “facts” that the interviewees forgot to mention.
The camera work looked quick and dirty, and many times during the documentary you can see the other camera man hovering around the subjects to get a better shot. This was obviously done for stylistic reasons but I found it to be distracting when trying to focus on the conversation.
This documentary is a love letter to the 16% of Americans who consider themselves atheists, and a declaration of intellectual war with the other 84%. While much of the film is played for laughs and is unapologetic in its bias – interviewees are taunted with quick edits, subtitles, and sound effects – make no mistake, the film’s final five minutes are very different from the previous 135. It's such a departure that the ending seems to be a last minute change.
Religulous makes it clear that religion is a dangerous idea and which can no longer be tolerated in our enlightened time. While the ignorance of the interviewees reveals a poor understanding that many believers have in their own religion, I have to disagree with the serious summary and conclusion. The idea that stamping out religion will prevent war and hate is absurd – we’ll figure out different ways of killing each other.
Despite the harsh ending, I enjoyed the film and the intellectual stimulation it provided and would recommend the documentary to both atheists and religious people. It offers an interesting way of looking at 2000 year-old religions, what we’ve done to change them over the years, and the dangers of ignorance.
4/5
If you enjoyed this review, please Digg. Thanks!
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
Archman8
West Sand Lake, New York, United States
sooner_bred1
Cincinnati, Ohio, United Statesjohndoukas
Orange, California, United Statesglenn.cabo
Mexicohorsepj
Bloomington, Indiana, United Statesiabramson
CanadaSarah711
United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
at 14:38 on October 1st, 2008
Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Yup, Bill is always right on and not afraid to tell it like it is.
at 15:23 on October 1st, 2008
Thanks for the GS master jim! He definitely doesn't pull any punches.
at 18:39 on October 1st, 2008
I think Bill Meyer's obsession with Christianity bashing is disturbing and makes me wonder what happened in childhood. This bashomania is a religion in itself but the Meyerites just haven't realized it yet. Just ask your self why specifically Christians and easy on Islam and others.
Persecution of Christians worldwide is greater now than ever in history. Churches are being burned not mosques.
at 22:55 on October 1st, 2008
Bill Maher's movie is just another attempt to push his opinion on other people. The thing is, I believe he is too intelligent not to believe in God. bill Maher is a not-funny comedian who's biased, unfair and has a demonic drive to destroy Christanity. Judaeism and Catholism are not safe either from his empty remarks aimed at their demise. He has his freedom of speech, he should respect our freedoms as well, including the right to worship as we please.
The danger comes in, not from attackingeducated men of God as myself, but sailing on the young, the feeble minded or merely some people who have no knowledge of God's Word and are gullible because of their ignorance. In his unfair platform of Atheism show on HBO, he usually has 1 Christian pitted against 4 or 5 Hollywood left loons. He is well prepared as he consantly rides the Christian and drives his agenda.
Bill, unknowingly has a religion. It is atheism and can become such a part of someone that it overcomes them. The sad thing is he has a cause that is baseless. No one has ever proved any thing from the bible wrong. Evolution has mostly been proved wrong, just in the last 30 years. Science theories are just that, theories. Like Bill's opinion that God soesn't exist, it's just his opinion; while he says that religion is just opinion. I'm afraid that Bill maher will have to pay dearly for mocking God and his people. Bill's lost cause and sorry excuse for a movie are just frail attempts to confuse people who amy choose to serve the Lord our God.
For all the wannabe atheists; have a gander at a calendar or your watch in the morning. It will remind you that this is 2008, the year of our Lord. Look around, look at your money. God is evident, Even if Bill Maher turned around and believed, he would not divulge it, for his braed and butter. It is a pitiful situation,more than most of ours. What a pity and what a pitiful man.
'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
'Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God'.
'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.'
'
at 09:50 on October 3rd, 2008
Capn Ricahrd , you have your freedom to do whatever you want.... who is stopping you? Let bill have his freedom to entertain and education those who want to hear. Its a free country right? You have your view he has his. What do you want to do... silence him becasue you and your "brothers" do not agree with him or feel threatened with bill's movie.
at 12:02 on October 3rd, 2008
I would like to point out Bills cowardice. I have read people write that he is courageous ("has guts"), but alas, he is not. He is a coward for taking it so lightly on Islam. Theo van Gogh was courageous, but Bill picks a soft target (Christianity), and gets praised by his adoring flock of disbelievers. I challenge Bill Maher to make the same type of film featuring Muhammad! This will never happen. Hear me, this will NEVER happen! The fact that you are still breathing Bill is a good indication that some religions are peaceful and not bent on killing his fellow man. If this film had been made, targeting Islam, Bill, you would no longer be alive. Bill, you coward. Tell us your real religion! I'll give you a hint "There is no God but Al Gore, and Obama is his prophet!"
at 21:28 on October 4th, 2008
This is one the best movies I ever saw, 10/10!
Maher clearly demonstrates that religion is preventing people from thinking freely and expressing doubt which is fundamental for evolution and progression. Religious leaders are showns as they really are: imposters and profiteers who pray on weak and desperate people.
I adore the conclusion: The 16 % of Americans that are Atheists/Agnostics need to speak up and demand the separation of church and state as advocated by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, among others. The 84 % left need to take a good look in the mirror and realize that by not stepping up and continuing to believe in fairy tales, they are leading, just like fundamentalist Muslims (which are about 95% of Muslims anyway) to the destruction of this planet...it was about time that someone renders them accountable. Bravo Bill Maher!
at 15:01 on October 5th, 2008
Bill maher is so right. "destroy religion before it destroys us"
the karan says judgement day will not come till the muslims fight the jews...
the bible and all religion sets an expiration date.. so either we reach that. or say f*ck that, and stop being free to be crazy brainwashed believers. Take out the crap, and it's a fairytail book of morals. which are good. but the "if your son comes home and says he wants to convert to another religion; kill him" is not the right book people should base their life off of!
End religion.
at 15:18 on October 6th, 2008
COMMENT TO WHO EVER SAID CHURCH AND STATE SHOULD BE SEPARATED...YOU HAVE A POINT. THOUGH IF ANYONE ON THIS SITE WAS MORE WISE WE SHOULD REALIZE THAT IT IS LIKE NOW, IT HAS BEEN SO FOR MANY YEARS. ITS THE UNITY OF CHURCH AND STATE THAT WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT, THIS WILL BE THE ONE THING THAT WILL BRING ONE RELIGION AND ONE GOVERNMENT FOR ALL TO RESPECT AND OBEY. BOTH RICH & POOR, FREE & BOUND. YOU ASK HOW WILL THIS EVER HAPPEN? LOOK AT EVERYTHING THATS GOING ON IN THE WORLD NOT JUST KILLINGS, THE NATURAL DISASTERS, THE ECONOMY, THOSE WHO WANT THIS COUNTRY TO GO DOWN IN SHAME ARE PART OF THE PAPACY AND MASIONIC MOVEMENT AND OUR PRESIDENT IS IN ON IT...
at 13:37 on October 10th, 2008
http://www.christchan.org/
Oh you silly troll.
When you say no one has ever proved any thing from the bible wrong, it just proves that you arent being serious at all. Jesus told us that slavery is OK as long as we keep the tortured slave alive. The existance of the mentally retarded is proof that evolution has mostly been proved correct.
at 13:40 on October 10th, 2008
Saying that atheism is a religion is like saying that non-smoking is a kind of smoking.
at 15:19 on October 14th, 2008
Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE OF YOUR REVIEWS, THANKS.
at 12:09 on October 16th, 2008
Thanks WaterRabbit! I'll try and write some more :)
at 10:58 on October 15th, 2008
The problem with the movie is that most of the supposed 'shocking' truths about Christianity, such as 'Horus is the source of the Jesus Christ myth' just are not true. If you study ancient Egyptian religion at all, you will find that Horus was not what Maher says he was. The massive intellectual dishonesty he utilizes to make his point invalidates his whole point.