Oct 20 2010
Buy Religulous DVD
What Bill Maher is doing in this film is not debating religion, not trying to convince anyone that religion is totally putrid. He does not care about the die-hard (no pun intended) religious folks. He is saying to the REST of us that it is OK to say “I do not bear 100% of what religion says.” He is telling us to cessation apologizing for thinking for ourselves. You do not have to be an atheist or even agnostic to relish this movie, you unprejudiced need to be able to watch at the fact that ANY religion will eye ridiculous when taken literally and as word-for-word fact. All you need to devour this film is an inaugurate mind. Unfortunately, that is becoming a rare commodity. He is a daring man for doing this film on many levels! I really esteem him.
I watched this movie during a very key time of growing out of my Christian upbringing. I needed this movie to be able to laugh at not only how ridiculous religious dogma is, but to laugh at MYSELF for having once believed something that brought so noteworthy peril to my life. This movie was a breath of new air and a substantial stepping stone from a Bible-based upbringing here in the, “Bible belt.” For this alone, I give the movie 5 stars. If you’re teetering on the edge of opinion and non-belief, this movie should elegant well give you the confidence to finally lean to one side or the other. Laughter and Bill Maher’s predisposition aside, these people create their very occupy beliefs gawk ridiculous.
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Highlights for me include parts like this one guy who claims he knows God because of the many, many miracles he has experienced; yet, when Bill asks him to give examples, the guy is unable to intially give any. In response, Bill questions how valuable these miracles could’ve really been if the man is unable to grasp even ONE when asked! When the man finally does advance up with an example, it’s incredibly comic and you’re left thinking, “wow, this guy should’ve kept his example to himself!” Granted, the man may have very well reach up with his example honest seconds after saying, “I don’t know,” but here again, the example he did give is preposterous.
Touching succor on something I said in the first paragraph, this film also gave me permission to laugh at myself. Like many who lose their faith when they broaden their world thought, this film was a resounding, “ahhhhh,” when I realized issues like injustice and suffering don’t fit in the equation of faith in the Judeo-Christian God for a reason.
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Without going into a diatribe about how selflessly selfish I gain many religions to be, suffice it to say, I have finally broken the divisive chains of ignorant and ill-founded faith. The ties that binded me were typical of many religious moderates; dismay of death, desire to peek loved ones beyond life, personal divine guidance and befriend through hard times, et al. I lived my life in a superstitious and indoctrinated fashion that narrowly shaped my world idea and when I dared to step out of this narrow world concept, the questions I asked were usually happy with cliche ignorance such as, “God has a understanding for everything” or, “my customary human mind cannot possibly comprehend God’s plans!” Rubbish! Now I eye this world for exactly what it is and I have been humbled 10-times beyond that of what religion ever did. But I digress…
Back to the movie, Religulous isn’t for those of you who are intellectuals well-versed in the thoughts and works of people like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. You may gather a number of chuckles but the underlying message (the one in which Bill ends the film with) is exactly that of religion being a detriment to humanity. You will more than likely wish Bill had taken the message a bit deeper, but because I saw this movie at the point I did in my shedding of religiosity, I stand as an example of person who found this to be exactly what I needed to solidify the ground beneath me during my leap from faith to rationale.
With that being said, if you identify at all with how I have portrayed a fraction of myself to have been, I *HIGHLY* recommend this film! If you’ve seen this film and you’re looking for a mighty more in-depth explanation or rationale of the message Bill ends the movie with, I recommend the following things to you:
1 - “Root of All Base? ” Documentary by Richard Dawkins: http://richarddawkins.net/store/index.php? main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=7 (One of the most moving and definitive documentaries on the ill-founded grounds of religiosity and spirituality as defined by the superstitious and dogmatic today)
2 - Sam Harris’ Lecture on Religion: http://rapidshare.com/files/175676905/Sam_Harris_-_The_View_From_The_End_Of_The_World.mp3 (This is a VERY informative and though-provoking lecture. Sam’s detached, frigid and serene disposition - with his effective employ of the English language - really drives his point home)
3 - “Jesus Camp”: http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Camp-Becky-Fischer/dp/B000KLQUV2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1? ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1233848044&sr=8-1 (If you want to peer unbiased how messed up it can derive with the Christian fundamentalists raising children, gaze this documentary)
4 - “Who Wrote the Bible? “: http://atheistmovies.blogspot.com/2009/01/who-wrote-bible.html (An kindly documentary regarding the creation of the Bible)
And with that, I will waste this review. Apologies for weaving in and out between reviewing this movie and divaricating off into other topics, but I wanted to write something relevant to the whole topic and give people who want to dig further, a plot to initiate. Thanks for reading.
-Stephen
http://eradicatereligion.blogspot.com
PS - I forgot to mention the obvious: If you’re religious, you will come by from this movie exactly what you seek information from to accumulate out of it: Being offended. If you’re religious and you’re watching this movie merely to leer a bully supposedly picking on dreadful small innocent religious people, then prepare to sprint out of the theater pissed off and having completely missed even the most certain of distinguished points made in this movie.
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