A "Religulous" Look At Religions
There are certain things about religion that rest at the back of people's minds. "Religulous" is a documentary following humorist Bill Maher as he explores religions of the world. If out-of-place contradictions, or perhaps the mere sound of a name or belief, make someone uneasy, rest assured that Maher brings it up in this film.
Maher voyages around the globe, trying to understand just why people will believe in something so logically irrational. Standing on the place where Christianity predicts the world will end, he merely notes how peaceful it seems at the moment. His interviews prompt reactions as varied as praying for God to give him the answers he seeks, to the frantic whacking of a religious marijuana-user's head in search of flames.
Maher's on-point analysis and comedic timing drive home his arguments and make this movie thoroughly enjoyable to watch. The question becomes not whether religion is insanity, but how easy it is to confuse the two, depending of how we define insanity itself.
Leaving no stone unturned, nor religion untouched, Maher questions everything about faith, from talking snakes, to the Sabbath, evolution to bogus prophets, violence and various “holy” locations around the world. Even religious people with rational minds will find many moments of this film to be at least thought provoking and at most touching, introspective, and hilarious.
Witty, irreverent, and astonishingly thought-provoking, the way Maher weaves his themes of rationality versus faith are nothing short of brilliant, without truly crossing the line to becoming vicious or condescending. Nonetheless, fair warning to those of strong faith: you may be offended by some of its content.
"Religulous" is a controversial movie, but it brings out aspects of beliefs that have not been adressed before in this blunt manner. If anyone is open to a look at religion through an admittedly biased narrator's journey, I highly suggest it.
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