 
ReligulousMPAA Rating:
 for some language and sexual material.Reviewed by: Rev. Bryan Griem Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Documentary
Length:
_____
Year of Release:
2008
USA Release:
October 3, 2008 (500 theaters)
 
Relevant Issues
 Atheism
God
How can we know there’s a God? Answer What if the cosmos is all that there is? Answer If God made everything, who made God? Answer What does God say? Answer Is Jesus Christ God? Answer Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer Bible
How do we know the Bible is true? Answer When we say that the Bible is the Word of God, does that imply that it is completely accurate, or does it contain insignificant inaccuracies in details of history and science? Answer How can the Bible be infallible if it is written by fallible humans? Answer Answers to supposed Bible “contradictions” and puzzles Is the Bible truth or tabloid? Answer INTERNAL HARMONY - Answers to a skeptic's questions about whether the Bible's internal harmony is truly evidence of its divine inspiration - Read Jesus Christ
Was Jesus Christ only a legend? Answer Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God? Answer If Jesus is God, how could he die? If Jesus died on the cross, then how can he be alive today? Answer Was Jesus Christ God, manifest in human form? Answer Is Jesus Christ really God? Answer If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? Answer Trinity - How can one God be three persons? Answer Character - Is Christ's character consistent with his high claims? Answer Has science disproved the miracles associated with Jesus Christ? Answer Archaeology - Have any burial sites been found for the people involved in Christ's life and death? Answer How do we know the Bible is true? Answer How can the Bible be infallible if it was written by fallible humans? Answer  Religion
“The truth is near.” Religious faith: reasonable or ridiculous? In the mind of Bill Maher, the title for his movie says it all, “Religulous.” To Maher, nobody really knows anything about God; so to say anything with certitude is simply to express unfounded faith in the ridiculous. He went so far as to caricaturize faith as something “that makes a virtue out of not thinking.” To his credit, there are entirely too many Christians that do not know why they believe what they believe, and those Christians were all too available for Maher’s interviews. Why do people believe in God? Answers from interviewees ranged from seemingly mild coincidences interpreted as personal miracles, to no reason at all – they just believed – because. When people have no idea why they believe in God, it would seem that their faith is without foundation, and that has never been the faith of Scripture. If Christians define faith as just something they believe blindly, then why wouldn’t the pagan who believes in magical unicorns have as much claim to the truth as we? The fact is that God has not left us without evidences, good reason, and eyewitness accounts, but Maher would hardly know that from the champions of our faith with which he had the opportunity to dialogue. The film is reminiscent of another documentary recently released titled, “EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed.” In that faith-affirming film, the host runs all over the world getting input about Intelligent Design, and splices in humorous clips from other movies to enrich points or to lighten the mood. Religulous follows this same format, and there are some very funny bits for which only the dourest among us will be able to remain untickled. Unfortunately these come with the unhappy realization that Maher is laughing at us, not with us, and that is what makes it all the worse because some of it is pathetically deserved. Have we forgotten what it was like before Christ saved any of us? How did Christians appear to us then? Perhaps this is a reminder. Bill Maher traveled the globe asking his questions, often with a smugness that left people speechless (and in several occasions, irate). He was ejected from churches and their property, and people walked out on him when they sensed they were being sucked into God-bashing sessions. Many tried to answer him with simple responses, not realizing that they were dealing with no mere seeker, but a hostile inquisitor. This was not unlike some of what occurred in the movie “Borat,” another film by “Religulous” director, Larry Charles, in which people were lulled into situations that would end with the star making fools of them. While Maher questions all religious belief, it is the Bible which irks him most of all, and that because he was raised a nominal Catholic. He recalls hating church and viewing it as boring and irrelevant. This, if anything, should be instructive to us about how important it is to positively engage kids in their Sunday school classrooms, if we ever hope to have them value and retain their faith into adulthood. Maher’s family abandoned churchgoing and spiritual things when he was very young, and as he sat and interviewed his own mother and another family member, it became obvious that that the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. The language in this movie is rough. It’s typical, worldly, conversational speech that is punctuated by profanity throughout. It’s not as though the use of such verbiage is there to deliberately shock anyone, it’s simply the way people who don’t abide any divine parameters express themselves, and Bill Maher is one of those. It would be pointless to number the times any particular offensive word was uttered since everything that could be said, was. There is also one movie clip inserted to illustrate a perverse point, and it involved a sexual situation with a topless nun. The scene is brief, but it does add an element of lewdness to the film which was probably responsible for gaining the R-rating. Other clips were included that display angry people wielding guns, but there is no real violence to speak of. If scenes of smoking bother particular viewers, then they’ll be bothered a tad more that Maher is shown smoking marijuana with some cult leader of a stoner religion in the Netherlands. This is another of the things that helps muck up the truth about God in “Religulous,” as well as in the mind that conceived it, since every cult, pagan religion, and oddball spiritist gets thrown into Maher’s supernatural blender and poured out as examples of religion’s idiocy. If Maher would focus in on biblical scholarship and seriously be open to answers regarding Christian faith, he might actually find himself believing what he now denies. How do we know the Bible is true? Answer When we say that the Bible is the Word of God, does that imply that it is completely accurate, or does it contain insignificant inaccuracies in details of history and science? Answer How can the Bible be infallible if it is written by fallible humans? Answer Of note was one eureka moment when someone explained the Trinity to him, using the single-substance water analogy of liquid, solid and vapor. Christians debate the usefulness of such poor models for God, but it had a measure of resonance for Maher, briefly, before he laughed it off as stupid. If that example provided even a drop of reasonableness to his faithless mind, imagine if more and better things could be shared with him and those of similar ilk. [Trinity - How can one God be three persons? Answer]
Maher vehemently denounced what he deems arrogance on the part of people who speak with any certainty about spiritual matters, but that causes me to ask why Maher’s certainty of everyone else’s ignorance should be preferred. He is certain that nobody else knows anything for certain, but only their certainty is arrogant? Maher has not thought all of his logic through, nor has he done enough homework to get beyond the atheistic canards of the past. He takes swipes at the life and existence of Christ, claiming the biblical account to be a mere retelling of earlier myths about resurrected Greek gods. No unbiased scholar today believes this, of course, and the evidence shows that the making of parallels between Jesus’ life and the ancient mystery religions developed after the first century, not before. In other words, the Christian story was co-opted by the cults, not the other way around. But his gripes should remind us how important it is for every generation to be prepared to revisit the old questions and to have good answers for them. Maher is also certain enough about his own position that he judges religion to be a “neurological disorder,” and he is betting his life that no hell awaits him on a non-existent judgment day. I’m betting my life that he’s wrong. The movie ends rather sadly when Maher asks his mother if there is a heaven, and she replies with little concern, “who knows?” Everyone laughs. After this, a screen inscription informs the audience that she is now dead. Christians will think, “She now knows the truth with a bit more vested interest.” My advice for thinking Christians is to see the movie. If anything, it will put your faith into high gear as you seek to answer Bill Maher’s challenges. Children cannot see the film for its rating, but they wouldn’t like it anyway, and I wouldn’t take your sainted grandmother to see it lest she go apoplectic. But for the rest of us, if we can’t countenance the language and challenge of the movie, then perhaps we aren’t engaging unbelievers very much in our Christian walk and witness. Some will disagree with me, citing Psalm 101:3 that I should “set before my eyes no vile thing” (NIV), but I think this is a different sort of vile thing. This is not a vulgar film to be enjoyed as rank entertainment, it’s the world’s playbook, opened for our understanding and subsequent response. Had God not seen our sin, Christ would not have come, but our need necessitated His action, and we are His ambassadors to engage sinners on account of the Gospel. Here’s our opportunity. Violence: None / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Positive
Positive - there is a reason the snake tempted Adam and eve to eat the fruit of knowledge in this myth.knowledge and thought are the enemy of faith.nothing is more dangerous to religion than a fully functioning mind.hence this story begins the very foundation necessary to achieve control of believers.the fear of knowledge.whenever reality conflicts with with theology one is admonished not to question the will of god.to even doubt the words as interpreted by the spiritual leader are said to be an affront to god and thus a betrayal on a par with Adam and eve. Positive - As a former Christian, Preacher, Missionary I found Religulous one of the best movies I have ever seen. I believed in Jesus as my Savior at the age of 21. I had no meaning or purpose in my life and was considering suicide. My Grandmother died and I went to the funeral knowing I was also planning my demise. I saw a faith in my grandfather that I wanted and a month later I asked a co-worker about Jesus. He took me through the bible in a four week study and in week four I accepted Jesus as my Savior. My life totally changed. For the first time in my life I felt like i was loved and accepted and I perceived my life was whole. I later surrendered to preach and went to bible college. When I graduated I became a youth minister and one night a missionary to asia came to my church. Positive - The difference between 'Religulous' and 'Expelled' is that the former quotes scientific facts while the latter quotes religious opinion masquerading as fact. Positive - Wow, I get to be the first commenter. I thought that this film was very good. I gave it a 4 out of 5 for technical merit because it had a few too many close-ups of Bill Maher in his car pontificating or making pointlessly crude comments. The film stands up as being great on it's own, without his nasty comedian remarks. He goes around the world, to the very places talked about in all three of the major Abrahamic beliefs. I doubt that few people who read this website will even come close to watching this movie, especially if they already know Bill Mahr's religious leanings (none). However, as a fellow Atheist, yes, I'm one of them too, who converted at the age of 30 after being a hardcore Southern Baptist Christian Believer, I certainly agree with his quest and with this movie's points and arguments. I also agree with this website movie critic wholeheartedly that you should see this movie, and challenge yourself and your beliefs in order to answer the typical critical questions that the so called 'rational nonbeliever' folks ask. If you are really a knowledgeable, good Chirstian or Muslim or Jew who has faith, and are dead certain that your faith is the correct one and you know why, other than that's how you were raised or because it's just written down in your religious book, then you should have no problem defending your reasons to the unwashed. The danger you face in watching this film is that you may find that the questions posed do not have answers, and your faith may be shaken. Positive - Came across this review expecting a vitriolic response and was delighted to find a well reasoned judgment of it. The religious extremists and pay-per-view 'merchants in the temple' come in for the most ridicule and I suspect they deserve it. If I have an issue with the film it was Bill Maher's desire to 'preach' at the end, my brand of religious apathy dictates that I feel no group has the right to shake it's fist and preach at me one way or the other. Positive - the movie is very good and show all the religious manipualtion Positive - Religulous is the kind of film which few will see, and the kind of film about which many of these non-viewers will complain. I will make the claim that Maher takes his opinions to a too extreme degree (proclaiming all religion shoud die out for the world to live). However, if the only examples of religion are the types willing to talk to Maher, I would say he makes a good point. The people portrayed- Christians, Jewish people, and Muslims-appear as ignorant, irrational fundamentalists at best and dangerous con-artists who spout hate speech at worst. I would say if you take the stance that religious extremism (of any persuasion) should die out, and that anyone with religious persuasions should develop better rationales for their faith than 'because' then I would support that stance. Beyond that, I found the film very funny, the kind of humor in which you wince as you laugh, and I fould Maher very smart and intelligent. Neutral
Neutral - I am very impressed by the wisdom of this review. So many Christians would want to respond to this sort of movie with the same mockery towards Maher that he exhibits towards Christians. But I just feel so sad for Maher. I hope to see the movie when it is released on video for the very reason the reviewer gave...we must be ready to defend our faith intelligently and gently, with love, hoping that 'God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth' (2 Tim 2:24-26) Negative
Negative - I would encourage others if they want to view this film to do so without sponsoring Bill Maher, purely because you are encouraging hate towards Christian faith by putting money in his pocket. I suggest a free movie rental coupon or lending it from the library or buying it second hand when it is released to DVD (and then reselling it). Negative - I am conflicted about this film. It is the same conflict I felt when The DaVinci Code was written. I think it is important for Christians to be informed about the nonsense that permeates our society, but I also do not think it is right for Christians to use their money to support this nonsense. I don't think any Christian should pay to see this film. I think it is clear to most people what Bill Maher stands for and what he is trying to prove with this movie. Why use our money to reinforce his influence? Negative - I wanted to take a moment to show my sincere gratitude to the author of this review. While this movie showcases everything that is wrong with blind and thoughtless faith in all its forms, the reviewer reacts so intelligently and wonderfully to the challenge that I find myself filled with hope. Negative - As a bondservant of Christ, i would just like to say that the God of the bible is just and soverign. People ask me all the time... how do u know that there is a God and how do u know that there is a heaven and a hell? The first thing we must understand is what seperates believers from non-believers. Did Jesus Christ rise in 3 days? Well, let's check some stuff out... 1st- Prophecies were fullfilled when Jesus walked the earth. Jesus fullfilled over 300 prophecies or predictions from the Old Testament that was written hundreds of years before He walked the earth. It was prophecied about 800 years before that Jesus would be crucified and crucifixtion wasn't even a form of death at that time so someone is predicting something that no one has ever heard of ... but He was crucified. It was prophecied that he would be born in Bethlehem... not Africa, not modern day New York City... no Bethlehem. and he was. It was prophecied that He would be betrayed by and friend... Judas... and that He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, which He was. Isaiah 53 says that He would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, which He was. Prophecy has come true through Jesus Christ like it said it would but going back to the BIG question... Did Jesus rise in 3 days? Is He still alive? Now let's think about this... Jesus would be a liar if He said He would rise in 3 days and didn't... so how do we know He did? Just because the bible says He did? well yes but let's get a little deeper into this... how can we truly know He did. Let's look at some of the facts. The bible says that there were witnesses but are witnesses enough proof... not always but let me give you hard evidence that Jesus did in fact rise in 3 days. Let's look at the apostles. The apostles walked with Jesus, talked to Jesus, saw His miracles... ok great but how can we know that he rose? --- Because after Jesus was sent back to heaven, ALL the apostles went to death for Jesus' name. They were given the chance to denounce Jesus. They were given the chance to spare their lives. Some were crucified, some were beheaded, but they all went to death for Him. Why?? Because they saw Jesus walk again after they saw Him die on the cross and if the apostles revived Him like so many people say... Oh, did they check his pulse????... then they wouldn't have gone to death for Jesus. The romans sadly did MANY MANY crucifixtions and they knew what they were doing but if the apostles HAD to revive Jesus, then they would have gone to death for a lie and they would have known that He was in fact a liar. Read the Book of Martyrs. All those people were given the chance. 'Deny Jesus Christ, deny that He was the Son of God and you will keep your lives' ... and what did they say? They said NO. Why? because they knew it was true and they WOULD NOT have gone to death for a lie. So now, if Jesus wasn't lying about rising in 3 days, then He wasn't lying about where He said He came from... Heaven... and that the bible is in fact true to every word it says. I can go on and on but i won't. I really hope that when someone reads this, they will search out the God of the bible and the bible only for themselves. I truly want to see everyone in heaven and whether God reveals Himself through the stars, which i've actually read in a book, or whether its through creation, which HAS to have a creator, or through missionaries, or whatever... God will get to every person. And everyone is born with a conscience that you cannot deny and thats the Law that God wrote on your heart. Even if you've never read the bible, you know its wrong to steal, or wrong to kill or lie... which are some of the 10 commandments... so please check it out for yourself because if every christian is wrong, then nothing happens to us but if non-believers are wrong, then they are going to be in a place where God does not want them to go. It says that God's will is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance, which means turning from sin and hating every sin because its evil in God's eyes and living a life where Jesus is our ultimate example. Thank you for reading and i really hope to see everyone who reads this in heaven and i pray that this comment can help just one person. If Jesus said that heaven is paradise, then He wasn't lying cuz He is God and He doesn't lie. Take care everyone and God bless Comments from young people
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