Religulous

[goldisheavy]

I thought this was a great movie and I enjoyed it.

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3791007322683758535#

[That Guy]

I thought it was pretty funny

[goldisheavy]

I thought it was pretty funny

 

I agree. I was also surprised by one priest at the Vatican... he seemed so level-headed and chilled out. He was laughing and having a good time and he was killing all the sacred cows left and right too, which was cool and unexpected. I do get the impression that religious people, for the most part, are somewhat crazy.

[Marblehead]

I have watched portions of it. Never wanted to watch the whole thing because I thought Bill was just a little too course with the people he spoke with.

 

But I do pretty much agree with most of his philosophy concerning the subject.

 

Peace & Love!

[goldisheavy]

I have watched portions of it. Never wanted to watch the whole thing because I thought Bill was just a little too course with the people he spoke with.

 

But I do pretty much agree with most of his philosophy concerning the subject.

 

Peace & Love!

 

I think Bill sometimes tried to get a little under some people's skin, but not all the time. Most of the time he just asked good and honest questions and let people speak for themselves. He asked some questions that I am sure a lot of people want to ask too, but just can't work up the courage to ask.

Edited July 19, 2010 by goldisheavy

[Marblehead]

I think Bill sometimes tried to get a little under some people's skin, but not all the time. Most of the time he just asked good and honest questions and let people speak for themselves. He asked some questions that I am sure a lot of people want to ask too, but just can't work up the courage to ask.

 

Yeah, I am sure one day I will end up watching the whole thing. It has rerun a few times already on the channels I get on cable.

 

Peace & Love!

[Ryan T.]

I actually found Maher's views to be just as extreme as many of those he was interviewing/skewering. He came at the whole project with his worldview absolutely set in place and nowhere does he open himself up seeing another view. In fact I found most of the people interviewed were so extreme so as to only perpetuate his thesis about religion.

 

"I certainly believe, honestly, religion is detrimental to the progress of humanity. You know, it's just selling an invisible product...it's too easy."

 

He went out to prove his ideas and chose those that would give his ideas the most credence.

[goldisheavy]

I actually found Maher's views to be just as extreme as many of those he was interviewing/skewering. He came at the whole project with his worldview absolutely set in place and nowhere does he open himself up seeing another view. In fact I found most of the people interviewed were so extreme so as to only perpetuate his thesis about religion.

 

"I certainly believe, honestly, religion is detrimental to the progress of humanity. You know, it's just selling an invisible product...it's too easy."

 

He went out to prove his ideas and chose those that would give his ideas the most credence.

 

That's not exactly true. Like I said, that one laughing priest in Vatican is certainly not something Bill was planning on and he certainly doesn't "help" Bill in any way.

 

He has a point though -- religion has a lot of stuff in it that we normally wouldn't believe if it wasn't called "religion." So for example, we don't believe in Jack and the Beanstalk account; we "know" it's a fairy tale. But more or less the same thing in the Bible, and suddenly a lot of us are willing to believe that. That's crazy because we're not applying the same standard of judgment across the board here when we do stuff like that.

 

He also brought up another great point that a lot of things people claim to be special and unique about their religion are copies/plagiarism from the previous ones: like the virgin birth, the 25th of December birth, baptism in the river, and so on. So if a virgin birth is a common claim for a religious leader to make, suddenly you realize that your own leader is not as special as you might have thought otherwise.

 

What about the tendency of religious people to believe that they will go to heaven, and everyone from other religions will go to hell? That's not something extremist. That's a very common belief. It's also a poisonous belief that tears at the fabric of society. Imagine going through your life believing your coworkers and people that you constantly interact with will all go to hell? It certainly colors your interactions.

 

Another thing is, imagine believing that this world is less important than the world to come. Do you think that kind of belief has no implication in day to day life? It sure does. And that too was Bill's point.

 

I think you really need to watch the move again, and carefully this time.

Edited July 19, 2010 by goldisheavy

[Ryan T.]

I think you really need to watch the move again, and carefully this time.

 

In the middle of my third viewing as I type. I do find the film quite amusing on many levels. Actually it's damn funny!

 

I am definitely trying to be more analytical this viewing. As of yet, and nowhere in the film do I remember, Bill Maher really opening himself up to a spiritual experience which is the foundation that believe in religion. He says over and over that he doesn't know. But all he seems to do is try to dispute other's beliefs and find faults in them, which I grant you are many.

 

I just don't feel he really shows any level of openness. He says he just doesn't know but that's not really what he believes. He knows what he believes, he just says he doesn't because he wouldn't have gotten nearly as far if he had just said what he really believes. He is an atheist and anyone who believes is an idiot.

[goldisheavy]

In the middle of my third viewing as I type. I do find the film quite amusing on many levels. Actually it's damn funny!

 

I am definitely trying to be more analytical this viewing. As of yet, and nowhere in the film do I remember, Bill Maher really opening himself up to a spiritual experience which is the foundation that believe in religion. He says over and over that he doesn't know. But all he seems to do is try to dispute other's beliefs and find faults in them, which I grant you are many.

 

I think spirituality is quite distinct from religion. Having a spiritual experience is not the basis for religion. It's the basis for spirituality. The basis for religion is always a religious doctrine and a certain degree of mindlessness, because if you are mindful and are able to think critically, there is no way you would fail to discern many logical holes in pretty much any doctrine.

 

I just don't feel he really shows any level of openness. He says he just doesn't know but that's not really what he believes.

 

I see. So you know what Bill believes and you're not taking him at his word.

[Ryan T.]

I think spirituality is quite distinct from religion. Having a spiritual experience is not the basis for religion. It's the basis for spirituality. The basis for religion is always a religious doctrine and a certain degree of mindlessness, because if you are mindful and are able to think critically, there is no way you would fail to discern many logical holes in pretty much any doctrine.

 

I do find them to be quite distinct. My experience is that spiritual experiences are the basis for people's religious beliefs. Not always but very often. I do not agree, as you write, that the basis for religion is a religious doctrine. For many it is but for many that is not the case. Has organized religion led to vast and numerous problems in the world? Absolutely. Are they all wrong? I do not believe so.

 

 

 

I see. So you know what Bill believes and you're not taking him at his word.

 

Just basing my statements on what I see in the movie. It's not like you really know any better than me on that particular issue. Unless perhaps you are a close friend of Mr. Maher, that is.

 

Show me one point in the film where Bill Maher shows any level of openness.

[That Guy]

Concerning openness, you have to realize that to Bill being open to religion being true is like asking him to be open to the Marvel Comic universe or similar being real.

 

I watched the movie a while back, so I'm not sure, but he did go to church as a child right? and many atheists went to church as children.

So they gave religion a chance, but then as they grew up and started thinking for themselves more they just went "wait a second, this makes no real sense, why do people actually believe this?" which is why many atheist consider the religious stupid, all these years and they still believe and live their life by these beliefs without questioning them.

 

If God would come down and said "yo wats up, yeah the bible man, only way to heaven" then showed some pictures of heaven with all the people who made it there, then some pictures of hell, showed off some of his supreme power etc Then there would be some real reason behind following a religion, but as it stands theres nothing really other than some comfort in "knowing" what life/death is about.

 

Some religions may offer some good guidelines and some good exercises for people, along with a lot of baggage.

[Tao99]

just want to say thanks for posting this. watched it all from your link, and for the first time.

 

I found it very timely and interesting.

 

per above posts, Bill went to some sort of religious school. He even said as late as age 40 he made a promise to God to heal some illness he had, and he would stop smoking if He did.So he was religious at one time.

 

No mention of Buddhism in it because religion here is referring to the big 3 (mostly).

 

I thought he could have been a lot harder on them, and so in this regard he was open to listening to their explanations. All he was doing is asking questions about the logic of it all. I see no problem in that.

 

And he does wrap it up with a very important point for the age in which we live.

 

have a good one!!

Edited July 19, 2010 by Tao99