Movie Review: Bill Maher's "Religulous"

I found Religulous to be funny and entertaining for what it is: an audio-visual package explaining Bill Maher’s views and opinions about the absurd and dangerous aspects of religion in general, giving a special focus on a handful of religious sects such as Christianity (specifically Western Christianity), Mormonism, Islam, Judaism and Scientology. During the course of the film, he also explores Egyptian folklore, Mesopotamian mythology, Creationism and interesting parallels between many of history’s mythological and historical figures. The film provides on-screen scripture references and attributions for the various experts with whom he engages (which is very helpful for follow-up and fact-checking).

I thought it was interesting though, that with a few choice exceptions, Maher tends to overlook the more moderate and mainline expressions of popular belief systems and spends most of his time examining and interrogating those who hold more radical (dare to even say “extremist”) religious views. In a way, many of his interactions seemed like Jay Leno’s “man on the street” interviews with people (who, but for a few exceptions, embarrassed themselves). With his sharp wit and comedic talent, Maher is successful in exposing some of the clumsy ways that educated and less-educated people rationalize their particular religious views and explain away inconsistencies.

However, one should maintain a high level of skepticism knowing that the filmmakers and editors can also manipulate footage (with the tools of dramatic music, sudden splices, and abrupt cutaways) to distort the exchanges between Maher and his subjects so that Maher appears to be the victor (Note: I also noticed that the makers of Expelled, a recent documentary starring Ben Stein that advocated for the cause of Intelligent Design, employed many- if not all- of the same techniques- i.e., subjects not being fully aware of the kind of film being made, including sudden splices of provocative images over the opponents explanations, dramatic or satirical music choices being played beneath the opponents words, etc.).

No doubt, some folks made their ignorance obvious and didn’t need “Hollywood magic” to make them look bad, but I do think there were some examples where Maher was clearly unfair in presenting the other points of view. The medium of film can convey a point, but due to such techniques, it’s hard to convert those who aren’t already convinced. I also found Maher to be somewhat deceptive in assuming the role of a doubtful and humble agnostic in the beginning of the film and then inserting his bold, unquestioning sermonettes and assertions about what he believes about reality towards the end.

But, despite his presentation (which often comes off as abrasive and antagonistic), I admire Maher’s courage and believe that he brings up some serious issues for believers and non-believers to take to heart- and I hope that many would accept that challenge. Maher challenges people- especially believers who are willing and able to look past Maher’s offensive presentation- to ask themselves: What are the moral, political and ethical implications of our belief systems? What defenses and rationalizations no longer make sense? What do our doctrines say about the “God” we claim to worship? In what ways do we apply double standards to our own belief systems? What elements do we critique/ridicule in other belief systems that we seem to accept in our own? What aspects of our faith merit significant reappraisal?

These, I think, are the enduring questions that should not be avoided.

While I think a public forum or a panel would have had more potential to display more integrity and provide a more fruitful discussion, there is still something to be said for the power of film. I think Religulous is a film that is worth seeing and discussing all in the hopes that such discussion will help us to prune outdated and hollow rationalizations from our most cherished beliefs and to look closely at our own ideas and consider how ridiculous they may sound to others who do not share them. In an odd way, such films challenge both the skeptic and the believer.

When Humor Meets Holiness

A fellow seminary student (whom I consider a friend and whose opinion I hold in high regard) and I shared an e-mail correspondence today about religion and humor. Recently, his blog introduced me to Mr. Deity, a series of short comedy sketches that address a plethora of controversial issues and burning questions regarding Christianity- all within a four minute time span. I just watched the episodes “The Evil,” "The Messages", “The Book” and "The Really Big Favor" (which is my personal favorite). There are ten in all and I plan to finish watching the entire series this weekend. I find the series to be hilarious and witty, smart and engaging. Imagine a cross between the movie Bruce Almighty, the comedy of George Carlin and the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Personally, I think the series has tapped into a highly effective way to spark discussion and stimulate critical thought and I am glad the creators had the courage to make it.

My friend observed that people respond in interesting ways when the holy is mixed with the humorous. Some would call such attempts blasphemous. But he suggested that we need to laugh at ourselves more. I'd like to think that Jesus had a sense of humor even though we hardly ever see images of him smiling or laughing. I can imagine Jesus telling some of his stories (parables) with a stand-up comedian-like delivery saying, "Hey, did you hear the one about the..."

Our culture has seared into our imagination an indelible image of a morbid and morose Jesus. We have been raised to follow a Jesus that is always contemplative, always brooding and always dead serious. But the Gospel accounts of the New Testament reveal Jesus of Nazareth to be an expert storyteller who weaved together poetry, shock value, irony and humor. I find it hard to believe that the masses that came to hear him would have paid him any attention if he wasn’t somewhat of an engaging speaker or performer.

I also can't imagine that the people of Ancient Palestine would have ever invited the depressing fellow that our culture portrays as Jesus to one of their dinner parties (The life-draining SNL character Debbie Downer comes to mind here). The fact is, the Gospels don’t record a lot of dialogue from those dinner parties. Did Jesus and the disciples have any jokes that they shared? What did they laugh at? Did they laugh at each other? Even the most serious, sincere, and mission-minded individuals I know also happen to be some of the funniest and spontaneous practical jokesters. They have made it easy for me to believe that holiness and humor don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Personally, I glean a lot of wisdom from modern-day comedians and socio-political satirists. Some of my personal favorites are Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and the Weekend Update crew on SNL. In many cases, I find them far easier to trust than a lot of popularity-driven politicians who come to interviews, press conferences and debates armed with nebulous messages and politically-correct responses to the sincere and controversial questions of the people (and religious leaders can often fall into this trap). Even though many of these comedians can come off as obscene at times, I think they often speak with far more honesty and clarity than most of us would dare to muster. I recall a line from contemporary performance poet Jamie Kilstein’s poem “FCC” which says “Truth can only be legally broadcast if it's hidden between set-ups and punch lines.” I find this to be true. Give me a brutally honest comedy sketch instead of a bland and over-promising "State of the Union" address any day.

While I acknowledge that many of these comedians also have personal biases and blind spots, I greatly appreciate their talent for pointing out those glaring contradictions and hypocrisies that the casual observer might miss. In my years of watching and studying comedy I have come to realize just how ingenious many of these humorists are. And I would dare say that we have a lot to learn from them.