Religulous
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Movie Reviews of Religulous
Movie Review: Great Documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
Now for a documentary movie, this has to be one of the most entertaining of its kind and there's no doubting it's because of Bill Maher. In this he sets out around the world to question those who believe in religion on a literal basis. Those who believe in Jesus (literally), those who believe in the garden of eden (literally) and also believe in the stories of Jesus (literally) despite no evidence and huge inconsistencies.
Bill appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to advertise this movie a couple of months ago. He cleared up the fact that he's not saying people are stupid for believing in God, he's just questioning those who believe in religious stories on a literal basis despite no proof. He goes around the country and indeed the the world to question important figures in the religious world.
What he does is he manages to expose those who hold beliefs that they simply can't back up. Predictably some of the lower level figures and believers react badly to Bills probing questions and decide not to continue the interview. Quite surprisingly a lot of higher up figures keep to the interview, acknowledge the probing questions and even a vatican priest states a lot of the Bibles stories and threats are nonsense.
Although this film is meant to be a comic film, it actually exposes a lot of serious flaws in religion and exposes the heights of desperation that people have when seeking out something to believe in. Some people may just see it as a film that pokes fun at religion, and those people would be the religious nuts who blindly believe. However, those with legitimate thoughts will see that it's a film that, yes pokes fun at religion, but in an open minded way and just seeks to question those who don't like being questioned.
A highly enjoyable documentary which I would recommend that anyone buy on DVD upon its release.
Movie Review: Excellent and Thought Provoking - Thank You, Bill
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is timely and poignant. One reviewer commented about how religion should not be taken literally and it looks silly when people do that - and he is right. Not only is it silly, it is dangerous. Another reviewer thought Maher was just being mean and making fun of religion. Hardly.
The premise of the movie is that literal religion is very dangerous when mankind has the power to wipe itself out through war or inaction on environmental issues. Maher talks with people who lead and influence others and asks them about the end times. They welcome the end times because they will get to be with their god. And these people are preachers, a senator, various officials in churches, etc.
Maher holds up all major religions and exposes them equally.
But the real issue is if all these people look so forward to dying so they can be with their god, get their planet, get their virgins, ride white horses, or whatever, they are less likely to address the things that threaten survival on this earth. They will set off nuclear weapons, they see no need to counter global warming, or it just makes sense to annihilate all the others that don't believe in the same god or religion as they do.
And Maher also asks if that is the attitude a god would really want in his/her/its followers.
This is an excellent film and very much worth seeing. It isn't an attack on religion as much as it is an attack on people taking things so literally that they are willing to kill and die in the name of their god. One especially interesting bit is how people would not want to be a part of any social club that held many of the same ideas as religions do, that persecutes people, treats women so poorly, is so intolerant of others, etc.
Actually, any public entity that behaved like a number of religions do would be illegal.
Movie Review: The Man Makes Sense
Summary: 5 Stars
Archie Bunker once said: "Faith is believing in something that nobody in their right mind would believe." Bill Maher drives that point home graphically in this movie.
Although he is a comedian and tries here to take the warring factions of mankind's divergent yet common "beliefs" in a comic light, the discord, hatreds, and utter nonsensical magical thinking they foster is no laughing matter, and the belief systems' insistence that one sect's invisible anthropomorphism will destroy another sect's invisible anthropomorphism is deadly serious and will result in the doom of us all.
For the scientist, rational thinking is a must to pursue research. Yet religions discourage critical thinking, as Bill graphically shows in this film. He compares the space alien Xenu beliefs of Scientologists to the Elohim/Kolob beliefs of Mormons, and the Vatican bureaucracy of the Catholics. He shows that in Jerusalem and Mecca that there are people who bow to, of all things, a rock! Isn't it odd that in Jerusalem, the different religions fight like tigers over the ownership of the old Salomon's Temple lot. About the only thing that Catholics, Moslems and Jews agree on is their disgust about letting Gays in Jerusalem celebrate with a Gay Pride Parade! As if they can put aside their individual hatred for each other to focus on a group of human beings whom they all hate! George Orwell, where are you when we need you?!
Dare to be skeptical. Dare to question authority. Dare to watch this film! Dare to be wrong! If you use common sense and scientific logic, you just may discover, as Bill Maher has, that all of mankind's inherited fairy tales are just that, and you may walk away saying: "Wait a minute! Organized Religion is the stupidest thing I ever heard!"
This movie is the perfect companion to the book: "Welcome To Jesusland."
Movie Review: A probing look into religious culture
Summary: 5 Stars
I just saw this movie as a pay-per-view release. Let me say up front that I am a fan of Bill Maher and am definitely quite liberal. In terms of my own religious beliefs, I'm not necessarily a non-believer, I'm just not sure (like Maher, I was raised Catholic). I had planned to see this movie in the theater, but I was dissuaded by the lukewarm reviews which billed it as disorganized and simply not funny.
Well, I must have seen a different movie, because I found Religulous to be exactly the funny, insightful, intelligent look at religion that I was hoping for. Maher isn't at all disrespectful; he simply forces people to take a hard look at their beliefs. He doesn't let them off the hook, questioning even the most ridiculous-sounding tenants of their faith. Although there are a few times in the movie that this causes conflict, most of the time, he is able to connect with the people that he is interviewing, as they recognize that Maher may be making jokes, but he is also genuinely seeking out information. Sure, there are times when the movie editing itself is a bit over-the-top in style, as various images and footage are spliced in throughout. But it is unbelievable to me that the same people who find Borat hilariously funny would find THIS to be offensive.
If you are someone who is steadfastly religious, you probably are not going to like this movie, but then again, I don't think that you are Maher's intended audience. But if you have a bit more of an open mind and are willing to question not just the various religions of the world but also the beliefs that make up these faiths, you are likely to readily relate to Maher's probing questions. As he says repeatedly in this movie, HE doesn't have the answers; he just doesn't believe that anyone else does either.
Movie Review: Maher strikes gold...
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever wonder and question religion? Question the New Testament and its many conflicts and holes? Shake your head at the ludicrous comments and statements from the religious? How about question the actions of muslims, catholics, mormons, etc? Even if you never have you should still watch Maher's documentary. Maher touches on all the subjects I have wondered about, the debates I've had with other religious people. Maher talks about them and so much more.
Among some of the highlights are the comparisons between Jesus with Mithra and Horus and so on, showing the copycat nature of religions through the ages in order to gain credence and acceptance, gain a wider following. Virgin Birth? Nothing new there. Resurrection three days after execution? Already taken. The documentary is checkered with these comparisons and they are well executed and supported.
What really made this documentary humorous was the little comments by the religious men. Such as the muslim in a mosque talking about respect for women and their equality with men. His point? Look at the respect we have, we have a little corner over there where women can come and pray. Or the hispanic man who claims to be the second coming of Jesus. Not christ take two, according to him, but a descendant of Jesus. Who, by the way, says that he is the first christian.
Additionally, most of the interviews are of people who have strong beliefs, and incidentally sound crazy. But Maher has a fantastic interview with a Vatican Priest and a Vatican Astronomer, who were very insightful and how religion should be, rather than what it is. Acceptance that the Bible is not fact but a moral guide. Definitely recommend to everyone.
5 stars.