Posted on 09/25/2008 7:58:38 AM PDT by Sybeck1
Bill Maher's Anti-Religion Movie “Religion is detrimental to the progress of society.” That’s my favorite quote from Bill Maher’s often brilliant, but often unfocused “documentary,” called “Religulous.” It opens in early October right after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival. The articulate, quick-witted comedian sets out in this film — which was supposed to have been released last Easter — to prove that line is true. Directed by Larry Charles, the man who put "Borat" together so skillfully, "Religulous" is blatant about Maher’s feelings: religion is bad. All religions are bad. They are ruining everything. If you go for that, then "Religulous" is for you. Unlike Michael Moore, whose controversial films at least allow stories to be told, Maher is not interested in other viewpoints. Rather, "Religulous" is a long Maher spiel that pauses only to underscore his own points. At first the film is very funny as Maher gently mocks one organized religion after another. He questions just about everything in Catholicism, even though he was raised Catholic. (His mother is Jewish, but threw it all over for the father.) Everything from the Immaculate Conception to crucifixion re-enactments are covered. By the time “Religulous” is over, the faith-seekers in the audience will have scratched Catholic off their possibilities. Not that the other major religious groups don’t come in for razzing, either. Maher is brutal to Orthodox Jews and just as nasty to Muslims. (He interviews gay Muslims in Amsterdam, a city where he also smokes a lot of pot and finds many easy laughs.) Mormons get it, and so do Scientologists, whom Maher mocks in London’s Hyde Park. Maher sends up everything outrageous and unusual in religion, cherry-picking the fringe elements wherever he can find them.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The articulate, quick-witted comedian sets out in this film.
Stopped reading right there.
Maher?? Haha ha ha ha!
Who’s Bill Maher? Is he supposed to be somebody relevant? Why should I care what an atheist who laughs at his own jokes thinks about religion?
Yawn. I question the intelligence of anyone who finds Bill Maher even the least bit funny. The man is a strident bigot with a bad haircut.
“Anybody seen the commercials for this tripe? I must have saw three in one hour on the History Channel last night. “
Yup, I did. This arrogant self-inflated jerk is in for a big surprise come Judgement Day.
Being a complete and utter coward, I bet he doesn’t mock Islam. Why? Because they will kill him.
He doesn’t get it. The peaceful religions will turn the other check. So he picks on them.
Bully.
Plus, its easy to be mean spirited and rip everything to shreds.
Big man.
Maher is pathetic. I wonder what happened to him and people like him in their lives to cause them to be so bitter and cynical.....
I predict this will get about as far as that stupid film with the polar bear that I can’t remember the name of to save my life. The author said he was going to kill off God or some such nonsense. Oh! Wait! “The Golden Compass”
I'm not joking.
I, of course, haven’t seen the movie, but I seriously doubt the movie is what the review describes as “often brilliant.” It seems just more blasphemous trash.
I pretend Bill Maher does not exist.
The review says he does mock Islam.
Prediction: this movie will soon be “history”.
“”Religulous” is blatant about Maher’s feelings: religion is bad. All religions are bad. “
Bill - how can you be absolutely sure this statement is true without making a claim that there is such a thing as absolute truth?
...just bash the Christians.
I actually feel sorry for old Bill. He has this Saul of Tarsus way about him and is truly lost, angry and searching for answers. But only the Holy Spirit can change hearts and as long as Bill wants to hold on his anger and pride there is nothing anyone can do for him. I do think Bill’s behavior is coming dangerously to blaspheming the Holy Spirit and that is an unforgivable sin. His active and constant rejecting of God’s grace and his hostility and proselytizing for atheism I am afraid is making him unreachable. Bill M wants your hate and hostility , it validates him and fuels his reason to getup everyday. I for one think it’s sad to see someone so lost floundering around in the “Don’t know what he doesn’t know” mindset.
Maher’s a classy guy:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1111041coco1.html
Read the article. He does bash Muslims. It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be on that side.
Some folks believe the the sun in fact rises in the west and sets in the east. They cannot be convinced by either emotion or logic that they are in fact, wrong.
I guess this guy is one of those types.
I think Ronald Reagan had it right when he said something along the lines that “liberals/democrats believe so much that just isn't true”.
One day he will not wake up and meet someone who will set him straight, just not likely this side of eternity....
God Bless Molon Labe!
Bill Maher is BORING!....
One can be a Christian and say that all religions are bad. They are man-made entities. But an atheist, like Maher, isn't just attacking religions, he is attacking anyone who believes in a Supreme Being.
Maybe an imum will finally proclaim a fatwa I can support.
I've stopped right there. He's never heard of communism, global warming fanatics or democrats?
Does this open against “An American Tale”?
I will never forget how Charlton Heston totally humbled Maher.
Maher invited Heston to be on his show, along with a group of unimportant liberals. For the duration of the show, Heston just sat there as the liberals talked over each other, saying nothing of importance and puffing their little egos.
Finally, Maher intervened in the last few minutes, just so Heston could say something, and asked Heston if he would say something about guns. Then, after a pause, half-sneeringly, “as Moses would say it.”
Ooo-boy.
Heston, who had been so subdued, stood up, and suddenly looked a lot taller and larger than his 6’3” muscular frame. His eyes took on a gleam, and he did what Maher had asked.
He gave a short NRA speech about the right to guns, and he did it like he *was* Moses, with the same riveting command presence that you see in “The Ten Commandments”. The same booming voice. The same righteous strength. Riveting. Overwhelming.
When he had finished, the audience was utterly silent. The liberal jabber-jaws were silent. Awestruck. Amazed. For perhaps ten seconds, absolute silence. Finally Maher blurted out something to try and break the spell, but he got out just a few mumbled words.
The show was over. There was nothing else to say. In one short speech, Heston proved himself more than Maher had done, or can possibly do, in the rest of his petty life.
religion is bad. All religions are bad
And there is no absolute morality and so they can do any disgusting perverted thing they feel like doing because they feel like doing it.
Exactly. I've personally seen how people can be driven away from belief by judgement by fervent Christians. One can also be an athiest, I think, and show some respect for the 97% who believe in a Supreme Being. Maher doesn't do that. I suspect he had an especially bad experience as a Catholic in his younger years.
Well, that's certainly a matter of opinion.
Does anyone else find it ironic that Maher incoherently calls religions "bad" as if he had an absolute good/bad standard of morality to measure them against? There can be no "progress" towards good or reduction of "evil" if there is no absolute divine moral standard.
Otherwise it's just Maher trying to shove his personal opinion of what's right down everyones' throat. But he could wake up on the other side of the bed tomorrow and reverse his ideas of good/bad, and in an atheistic universe either personal standard would be just as valid. "Good" and "evil" are bunk in a naturalistic universe - the meaningless products of meaningless collisions of particles in a meaningless universe.
Maher an IDIOT
Maher is pathetic. Other than the psychiatrist’s couch, I don’t see him enjoying his own life unless he knocks others down. His is an empty life.
Either that, or he's been a jerk ALL his life.
I hate to point this out but atheism is a religion, too, and has done infinitely more damage to humanity thatn all the others combined
“He does bash Muslims. It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be on that side.”
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We might know the answer to that on October 7: http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/
“That’s a man, Baby!”
Yeah, I suppose so...:-) Whatever caused it, it IS the central thing in his life. He's especially fervent about religion.
Besides, Maher is nothing but a George Carlin starter kit.
“”Religulous” is blatant about Maher’s feelings: religion is bad. All religions are bad.“
Actually there is one religion that he advocates. Atheism. Utterly supremacist in his view that all other religions (other than his own) are bad.
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