That's just Religulous!

Tonight I saw the film Religulous from Bill Maher. In this documentary, Maher uses all the subtlety of an Islamic extremist deploying a suicide bomb to tackle the Fairy Tale nature of religion.

Maher travels to the Vatican, to Jerusalem, the Morman temple in Salt Lake City, and an Orlando amusement park, among other places. Along the way, he interviews religious leaders, religious scholars, political leaders, actors portraying religious figures, and ordinary folk who are true believers. Along the way he has one simple question: "tell me why I should believe this crap?"

Maher takes great joy in pointing out the contradictions in the bible, the incongruity involved with "men of christ" building decidedly non-Christlike churches and wearing non-Christlike wardrobes (a preacher in a $2,000 suit?). He unveils the truth that many religions bear striking similarities in their mythologies, along with the convenience that most religious leaders received their marching orders in a private conversation with god.

Ironically, the most seemingly level-headed individuals in the film are a pair of Catholic priests. One states emphatically that there is no relationship between the bible and science, even though more and more religious types try to "prove" that there is a scientific basis to the stories of the bible. (Ultimately, this requires yet another leap of faith for one to believe the message.) The other stands in front of the Vatican and tells us that there is no way Jesus would have lived in a place like that, and that most of the dogma presented by the church is ridiculous.

But, more and more, violence overtakes the world in the name of religion. The government of the US is populated by lawmakers, including the current President, whose worldview is guided by their religious beliefs. However, all seemingly religious violence is denounced as "politics." Maher shows that the two are dangerously intertwined.

Maher risks having his message undermined with his sledgehammer style, as well as his openly mocking the beliefs of those he is interviewing. Further, the clever, razor-sharp editing makes the viewer wonder if the interviews are being cut to put statements in the least-favorable light. But ultimately the film prevails as carrying two important messages. First, humans will never live peacefully as long as so many faithfully follow ancient teachings claiming that those who believe in other gods are infidels who must be destroyed. It's not politics after all, it's a basic tenet for many religions. The second message pertains mostly to the US, where so many evangelical Christians populate the highest offices in Washington - when the world is run by people who believe in the End of Days and that the Rapture is imminent, then world leaders might not make decisions that take into account the long-term health of the planet and its inhabitants, human or otherwise.

This movie is not for the faint of heart or the strong of faith. The show I attended at the Eveningstar Cinema in Brunswick was attended by a small audience that seemed united in it's non-believer status. It is, however, quite poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. Brilliantly subversive filmmaking.