Religulous

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

But....what I am told is.....That god doesnt send me to hell, rather, I chose hell by not believing. So....I dont believe and my punisment is hell? Pretty harsh.

That is pretty harsh.

I mean 1 billion bhuddists can't be THAT wrong can they?

Logan

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by raskal66

6 minutes with one person representing Islam, 95 minutes on the others, yeah he hit them with the same skeptical, cynical eye that he goes after the others.

I dont expect proclamations of faith from the guy. His beliefs are his business and I'm cool with that. I think he's afraid. He knows a Christian won't kill him for insulting their faith. If he attacked Islam in the same cynical, sarcastic way and it got out in the Muslim world he knows he'd be a marked man. You can't even draw Mohammed in Denmark without causing a riot in Syria. I never claimed him to be stupid, but he is spineless.

That is quite presumptuous about that faith. There are wackos and sane folks following every religion.

[master_8ball]

Originally Posted by raskal66

6 minutes with one person representing Islam, 95 minutes on the others, yeah he hit them with the same skeptical, cynical eye that he goes after the others.

I dont expect proclamations of faith from the guy. His beliefs are his business and I'm cool with that. I think he's afraid. He knows a Christian won't kill him for insulting their faith. If he attacked Islam in the same cynical, sarcastic way and it got out in the Muslim world he knows he'd be a marked man. You can't even draw Mohammed in Denmark without causing a riot in Syria. I never claimed him to be stupid, but he is spineless.

I don't see it as spineless at all, you are inferring that he spends less time on Islam b/c he is afraid where the more logical reasoning would be that he made the film for a certain audience, that being North Americans who are mostly christians. If you have seen the movie I would think you would realize that its not about how "bad" one particular faith is.

Also I must have missed that history lesson that taught of atheists killing millions of people in the 20th century.... unless of course you are mixing us up with communists or don't want to believe that Hitler was a christian.

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

But....what I am told is.....That god doesnt send me to hell, rather, I chose hell by not believing. So....I dont believe and my punisment is hell? Pretty harsh.

Makes me scared too................... not !!!


Guys we are probably gonna get locked down so all in all I am a big Bill Maher fan and hope this one doesn't disappoint. Perhaps one day they will release that "House" movie on Blu, just for Bill remember Bill in "House" ??? I think that is what it is called.

Also can't wait for Real Time to come back on !!!

Don't stop, believing ..... oh wait that's a song.

Been fun guys, maybe I can be the first openly non-religious Governor then Senator one day ??? Then again now that I admitted I'm a non-believer, I will die a lonely old man, all dressed up and no where to go..........

All in fun !!! Peace !!!

[raskal66]

Originally Posted by master_8ball

I don't see it as spineless at all, you are inferring that he spends less time on Islam b/c he is afraid where the more logical reasoning would be that he made the film for a certain audience, that being North Americans who are mostly christians. If you have seen the movie I would think you would realize that its not about how "bad" one particular faith is.

It's about how all the world religions fail to make life better for its believers because of the obsession with their own individual end world stories. Hence the amusement park Jesus profiteering off Christian dogma. I get it. But if his point is pointing out the absurdity and the paradox between quality of life and dedication to faith, he hardly covers the topic of "religion" when he fails to put any kind of spotlight on the world's 2nd largest religion, Islam. He didn't touch Hinduism at all because he doesn't know anything about it. He avoids Islam because he is afraid and he largely assumes that many of his viewers will think the word "Chirstianity" when he says the word "Religion." If he was editing his movie to only be about Chritianity why is it not called Christigulous? But he doesn't. He attempts to define religion as a whole on these terms when he's afraid to even discuss world religion #2 in the world in terms of number of followers. I'll say he's afraid of Islam and ignorant of Hinduism. Ignorance and fear masquerading as enlightened satire. How many do you think bought the ruse of Bill Maher as an Intellectual Humorist because of this film? I'm willing to bet quite a few.

[raskal66]

Originally Posted by master_8ball

Also I must have missed that history lesson that taught of atheists killing millions of people in the 20th century.... unless of course you are mixing us up with communists or don't want to believe that Hitler was a christian.

China is officially atheist, even though the population is largely Buddhist. Mao killed tenss of millions in the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. Stalin was an atheist too who killed millions in his pogroms and purges of the 1930s. You might not have missed the lesson, but the teacher possibly might not have taught it.

[Crim122]

Originally Posted by raskal66

China is officially atheist, even though the population is largely Buddhist. Mao killed tenss of millions in the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. Stalin was an atheist too who killed millions in his pogroms and purges of the 1930s. You might not have missed the lesson, but the teacher possibly might not have taught it.

You dont learn about Stalin and Mao in Highschool, only Hitler...At least I didnt, and they are just as important imo

[jasontkelley1746]

you have all got me very excited to see this movie now!

[toef]

I'm staying out of the debate, except for this brief post.

But what I just want to add is that irreligious people, like Bill Maher, come across as very pretentious. They act as if they are one of the few smart people who see through the fog, and that everyone that doesn't know any better must just not be as smart. They often sound as though they are talking down to religious people, as in "I can't believe you really believe in this stuff".

Say what you want about Holy Wars and the problems religion may have caused, but looking back at history, atheists have done a lot of damage themselves.

[Jeff Kleist]

China is officially atheist, even though the population is largely Buddhist. Mao killed tenss of millions in the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. Stalin was an atheist too who killed millions in his pogroms and purges of the 1930s. You might not have missed the lesson, but the teacher possibly might not have taught it.

This is a common myth

Communist regimes, and most dictatorships like them DO stomp religion, not because they are atheists but because they are competition. The state/dictator is the god they want you to worship, and they don't want the distractions of a 'free market". Kim Jong Il is an excellent example of this in practice today; the north korean people worship him, and his father before him like a deity.

There has never been an atheistic country in the pure sense, in the history of the world,mostly because defining atheism makes herding cats look easy. There are no central rules, no guidebook, nothing to base anything around, and non-belief in a deity has never proven to be a unifying principle of a people.

[surfdude12]

obviously he attacks religion (which is arguably a religion itself), but attacking god itself is an entirely different matter.

"why blame the moon because of those who are pointing at it?"

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by raskal66

I loved how Bill Maher was too afraid to mock Islam in the same insulting way that he did Christianity, Judaism, and Scientology. I found his spinelessness and to be the most entertaining. Cowardice in loudmouth know-it-alls always has me in hysterics.

Bill (as far as I know) did not attack Pastafarians either. Does that make him more of a coward?

I'm looking forward to checking this (Religulous) out... But I'll also say as much as I would be interested in seeing Jesus Camp, I'm afraid of the visceral response it would surely start.

[plowmanjoe]

the documentary was not good because it was a poorly made documentary. not because of the subject matter. at the end, he uses scare tactics to make people see his way. the end of the earth is coming in the form of religion.

it's like he's in his very own religion that's he's trying to convince us to follow. pretty soon him and his followers are going to meet every sunday. why believe them, they're stupid. believe me, i'm way smarter.

religion is based on faith, which can't be proven logically or factually. so why try to disprove it so strongly. it's like atheists have a very strong faith that god doesn't exist. it seems very hypocritical.

jesus camp and hell house are both great documentaries. a lot less preachy.

[reallyagi]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

obviously he attacks religion (which is arguably a religion itself), but attacking god itself is an entirely different matter.

"why blame the moon because of those who are pointing at it?"

If someone doesn't believe in god, why will they attack him? They attack PEOPLE who created religion who created god. If someone doesn't believe in santa, they wont direct their opinion toward santa, right? COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!!

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

defining atheism makes herding cats look easy.

(Nice one...)

...

Non-belief in a deity has never proven to be a unifying principle of a people.

That's because at the roots, a deity is the WAY to unify people. For purposes of instruction or control. I think Maher's way of exposing the method of control, and the absurdity of the stories that support the authority or tradition of control is one of the boldest moves in recent memory. Those that call Maher a coward for not 'picking on Islam enough' forget that it's always easiest to fight those that don't fight back. But (to use a phrase) it's stupid to piss off a cannibal. Groups that may have radical followers are not the best groups to poke the most fun at. I've rarely heard of Militant Non-Theists, Pastafarians, Rastafarians, Mormons, Amish, Quakers, Shakers, Jehova's Witnesses or 'Lost' Viewers. You pick your battles carefully, and maybe Maher doesn't feel the need to attack Islam too much (radical fundamentalist, or otherwise) in a post-911 America. We've seen the ridiculousness of it first hand

[toef]

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

I'm looking forward to checking this (Religulous) out... But I'll also say as much as I would be interested in seeing Jesus Camp, I'm afraid of the visceral response it would surely start.

Originally Posted by plowmanjoe

jesus camp and hell house are both great documentaries. a lot less preachy.

I put off seeing Jesus Camp for a while, because I thought it was going to be a Christianity-bashing documentary. I ended up seeing it over the summer, and thought it was quite good. The movie makes it pretty clear that some of these people are crazy, but in no way implies they are representative of the religion as a whole.

Never heard of Hell House. Might have to check it out.

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

That is quite presumptuous about that faith. There are wackos and sane folks following every religion.

Oh, I disagree... There is absolutely nothing wrong with ANYONE that worships ME...

[plowmanjoe]

hell house has no commentary if i remember right. that's what i like about that movie. it's hard to tell what the movie makers are trying to say at first. it's just an observation.

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by toefer

Say what you want about Holy Wars and the problems religion may have caused, but looking back at history, atheists have done a lot of damage themselves.

Bullseye! And thus, the Great Question: Does the measure of stability - via control and organization - that religion brings outweigh the control and organization that religion enforces. Are we better off being free of a bearded man in the sky or better believing that if we do certain things, we'll suffer for eternity? What if NOBODY believed in a god? I would love to hear Maher defend the position that atheism would not in some measure result in anarchy.

The control issue is (here it comes) a HUGE part of the story of the Matrix and I've always found the movies to be a thinly veil story about the benefit of controls in/on society and religion is one of those methods of control. So as much as I like the idea of maher trying to address some of the sillier aspects of the Greatest Stories Ever Told... You have to wonder what the alternatives would be. I'd love to know what BM thinks...

[Col. Zombie]

Originally Posted by ZackL

It's too bad that religious films can have a serious or lighthearted discussion without people like me coming in and telling you that you are living in a fairytale, .

You are a jaded fool if you believe that.

Just open up the Passion thread and read some of the "sweet" comments people have posted there.

EDIT: It looks like one of the mods cleaned it up since the last time I was there. But just the other day it contained some really "sweet" anti-Christian comments.