As USA Today says, "Bill Maher's intent in his documentary is to shift that pressure onto the faithful as he grills them on the basic tenets of their beliefs. The results are funny, revealing, provocative and even scary. And to a goodly sum, probably, offensive."
The fascinating part of this is how religions are man-made, and each wants their followers to adhere to a different set of beliefs that can not only give hope and be a refuge for people, but also cause division, hatred, intolerance, wars and death. Maher interviewed a Vatican priest who admitted that no one knew when Jesus was born (he mentioned it could be July 3rd for all they know), and said that a number of traditions and beliefs were created long after Christ. Interesting.
Maher finds some really interesting characters (below from USA today story):
"1) From Mormon underwear to gizmos to assist Orthodox Jews to circumvent Sabbath rules, Maher finds plenty of humor in the holy. However, he goes out of his way to avoid bullying tactics: "There is a difference between not respecting a person and not respecting their beliefs."
2) When Maher goes after a Hispanic minister in Florida named Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, who claims he is the reincarnation of Jesus, he quips, "Not just because you share the name Jesus?"
3) The Rev. Jeremiah Cummings, ex-member of the singing group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, has a weakness for snappy, and expensive, suits. "The people want you to live well," he says. Maher zings: "That's what pimps say about their women."
"We want people to be enlightened of things they aren't aware of," Maher says. That includes that the recent finding by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life that 16% of Americans aren't affiliated with any religion, a bigger minority than blacks or Jews.
Here's one thing in the film that we both DID know: News that the Founding Fathers weren't high on organized worship might come as a shocker, too. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, "Lighthouses are more useful than churches." (So did Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, etc.) - What's interesting is the "religious right" wants to run the country, and that's totally opposite of what this country was founded on. Food for thought.
FULL STORY:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-10-05-religulous-commandments_N.htm?csp=DailyBriefing
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