Religulous

[ThatRobGuy]

Okay, I know I might be a little late on this one , but I just purchased Religulous by Bill Mahar.

I remember hearing the hype about it when in first came out and how there were certain Christian organizations trying to get it banned in the theaters, etc.

I watched the movie, and while yes, he does mock about every religion, I don't see why someone would want it banned. If I were truly that offended by something, I just wouldn't watch it.

Is this just another case where "I don't like it, so you can't like it either..." ?

 

[yasic]

They were trying to get it banned before it came out. Once it did so everyone realized they were protesting for nothing and stopped.

 

[lux et lex]

I thought the movie was horrible, but that's mainly because i don't find Bill Mahar funny.

 

[Beanieboy]

I am interested in seeing it. Can you give your opinion? I heard that it was similar to the fault that Michael Moore has of preaching to the choir, and then, over-selling the point, undermining it in doing so.

Even people who believe that their religious life is very important will comment on the strange things others believe. For example, in prepping for a role in a play, we watched a documentary on Church of God Snakehandlers
YouTube - Holy Ghost People

That's pretty bizarre. For people that don't speak in tongues, have seen someone "Slain in the Spirit", that is strange enough. Add the snakes into the mix, and I'm nervous just watching.

I watched a doc in Iran where men were getting male to female gender reassignment. One trans female said that her family rejected her, and she left her religion (both of which she valued more than anything in the world.) Feeling isolated, she worked as a prostitute to earn money. Who were her customers? Muslim men. In order to not sin, she married them, had sex, and they got a divorce an hour later.

Yeah, that makes logical sense.

What I think Mahar should have done is allow people to speak for themselves, and in so, demonstrate his points.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

What I think Mahar should have done is allow people to speak for themselves, and in so, demonstrate his points.

I found that it doesn't really matter who you let do the talking, defense mechanisms are in place for every argument you might have.

They tried that with the documentary "Jesus Camp" where the people making the movie literally did no talking, everything was about the people actually running the camp. They were accused of picking the most extreme ones of the bunch to prove their point...religious moderates are often guilty of making rationalizations for their fundamentalist counterpart in efforts to still call themselves Christians without having to answer for the baggage create by the more extreme of their faith.

 

[No Swansong]

Who was trying to get it banned specifically?

 

[SiderealExalt]

Haven't seen it yet. Want to. Religion, like any other topic is subject to satire, ridicule,etc.

 

[DeathMagus]

I saw it - the points were generally pretty good, but Bill Maher isn't a very good salesman - the way in which he makes his points are not always above reproach, and thus aren't as effective as they might be. It's worth seeing, but I wouldn't buy it. Jesus Camp was much better.

 

[Penumbra]

I rented the movie. It wasn't bad, but I don't think it was that great.

(Btw when groups ignore the concept of free speech and stir up controversy by trying to get it banned, all they do is promote what they're trying to ban. Mediocre movies like Golden Compass, Davinci Code, and Angels and Demons all did far better in theaters than they should have because of controversy people stirred up about them.)

I think it's a mistake by trying to mix humor with debating religions. On one hand, Maher attempts to discredit religions. On the other hand, Maher acts funny and amusing. This adds to the public perception of atheists being arrogant people (even though Maher is not exactly an atheist).

There were some good scenes, like when he interviewed the rich televangelist in an expensive suit, and when he talked with the Jews that build elborate contraptions to use loopholes to avoid working on the sabbath, but overall, it was kinda blah. His little monologues between interviews were rather poor, in my opinion. Plus, Maher doesn't seem that knowledgeable about religion in the first place, leading him to be surprised when someone uses a rather common analogy about religion to him. For instance, the one guy used the three states of water as an analogy to the Trinity, and Maher admitted he was temporarily caught off guard.

-Lyn

 

[Steezie]

I watched it online and I have to say it ranks up in the group of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Mahar isnt that funny and the entire movie is him making fun of any religion he can. He has the opportunity to sit down with serious people and when he misses something or jumps to a conclusion he sits there the rest of the interview making fun of the person and their beliefs. He portrays religion and religious people as responsible for all the world's evils and nothing but a bunch of crazy, stupid, deluded people that the planet is better off without.

Its not that I'm offended by it, I just think its incredibly short-sighted and that Mahar himself doesnt take any real time to listen to anyone that he doesnt already agree with. He comes off as a Atheist fundie and I cant stand fundies of any breed.

 

[Jade Margery]

Funny topic timing, I just watched this last night on a lark. I gotta agree that it's just not a very good movie, not very good satire, not a good representation of either the religions or the agnostic/atheist side, and while there were some parts that were downright hilarious (the senator saying "Well, there's no I.Q. test needed to be in the Senate", and then the look on his face as what he just said sinks in) they are mainly one-liners and situational humor.

If you already have those opinions about religions, then the movie is cringe-worthily heavy handed. If you don't, it comes off as alarmist and probably insulting. He made some good points but they get lost in the nonsense

 

[Supernaut]

I saw it about 3 months ago. I found it mildly humorous. For me, it was embarrassing because the majority of the Christians were unable to defend themselves and proved their lack of biblical knowledge in their stumbling words.

 

[orre]

How funny, I just saw it about a week or two ago. I think it was kind of funny, but its one of those movies with weirdly strange interviews, deadly awkward really. I just cringe at those moments in movies, when people are embarrasing (especially in a documentary, as the the receiving persons aren't acting).

Other than that, I guess it was fun, he really found "strange" unusual versions of the mainstream religions, and I guess everyone could at some place get a mild laugh in the movie. It was a rather bad anticlimatic ending though, thumbs down for that!