Religulous  

I'm not going to lie, I was looking forward to this documentary, Bill Maher is a pretty funny guy, and normally I enjoy sceptical documentaries. What I don't enjoy is cut and paste interviews, with mostly fringe elements of the religious world.

If all you want to see is Bill Maher making people look stupid than this documentary is great. If you expected any sort of intelligent debate, then seriously, go elsewhere. If he was trying to make a case to religious people, then insulting them is the wrong way to do it. If he was trying to make a case for skeptics, why not delve a little deeper into the rhetoric, and mythology, instead of wasting time with making fun of people? I'll be honest... to me this documentary was very shallow. The only people who are going to get anything out of this are the ones who have a grudge against religion. It will appeal to the people who don't believe simply because they had a bad experience or because they don't like religion period. We don't need more intellectually impoverished documentaries playing on peoples emotions, this was almost as bad as expelled. Thats pretty bad.

We need the straightforward honest truth. There are very good reasons why people are skeptics or Athiests. People need to hear these reasons in a form that is not insulting or condescending. Bill is right, religion is tearing apart our world, and is a very destructive force. However the last thing we need right now is more divisiveness, and I can't imagine how this documentary could cause harmony.

I think the harsh reality that us skeptics need to wake up to, is that we are an exception to the general rule of humanity. I really don't think its possible for everyone to see the world as we do. People don't want to think that their lives are completely up to them. It's easier believing you have a friend in high places that has a plan for your life, than to realize that unfortunate circumstances are usually in some way your own fault. Something I hear a lot from religious people is "I wouldn't want to live in a world without a God." No wonder you get such incredible denial from the religious, I have a feeling most people would fall apart if they were forced to wake up from their fantasy.

Humanity cannot be forced off religion, we will have to be weaned.