My Review of "Religulous"

“Join me in the final battle between intelligence and stupidity that will decide the future of humanity. Coming soon to a house of false idols near you.” –Bill Maher

Need there be any more to say? "Religulous" may not be a real word (but neither is "strategery"). But both describe the current state of the world at this time. Our political and social systems are based on both, but, over time, the ideas of religion and strategy have morphed into a pastiche version of the original ideas. Just in name and look is religion still a part of our fabric, not the substance.

"Religulous" tackles the hypocrisy of the established religions with the certain wit that only Bill Maher can communicate. In a time in the United States where all we hear about is how Christians (and, in turn, Republicans) will save us all, Bill Maher shows how Western Religion (for you Christians out there, that is the one and only you) has done more to destroy our civilizations and planet than any other power or group on Earth. And before you say, "He just has a problem with Christians," pick up a history book and read.

Not that Christians are the only subject of ridicule in "Religulous": all are welcome to the absurdity of anything other than EVOLUTION, BILLIONS OF YEARS, ADAPTATION, and THERE IS NOT A MAGICAL MAN IN THE SKY WATCHING OVER US ALL AND WHEN WE DIE WE GO TO A HAPPY PLACE WHERE ALL OUR DEAD RELATIVES WILL BE WAITING TO GREET YOU WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY OR GO TO A FIRERY PIT WHERE YOU WILL BE TORTURED AND SUBJECTED TO HARSH INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES FOR EVER AND EVER.

Maher starts his movie off standing in the valley floor of Meggidol where God is supposedly going to return to Earth to start off "End Times". From there he goes to America to see how the Right's views work. He visits a "Christian" Theme Park, where he pisses off Jesus. From there, he's off to tractor trailer rest stop church, where Bill confronts a group of truckers who cannot listen to reason. These truckers demonstrate the stupidity of the Christians in America. These "religious" truckers show their ignorance about what is in the Bible, and this sets the tone for the rest of the film.

The other major religions he tackles is Islam. He doesn't go straight for the jugular by going after Muhammed, he does talk to several Islamic Leaders and grills them on their beliefs. I guess he didn't want a fatwa against him and will be treated like Salman Rushdie by Islam.

Maher doesn’t leave other religions out, as he finds time to explore and skewer Hasidic scholars, Mormons, Jews for Jesus, Satanists, and Scientologists. He lets the viewer see the "truth" beyond the religulous ideas of the people he interviews by Maher's concerns himself, but by displaying subtitles with things called "facts" that the subject of Maher's questioning fails to mention (a la The Colbert Report).

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%. If you want unbiased reporting on religion, then you will not find it here (actually, you won't find it anywhere). What you will find is the conclusive argument that religion is a dangerous idea and which can no longer be tolerated in our enlightened time. You will also see the ignorance of the religious people, in Government positions sometimes, interviewed who reveal a poor understanding that many believers have in their own religion.

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.