by Doris E Rufli

Created on: October 30, 2008

The synopsis stating Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion' is rather misleading. The disassembled title Religion / Ridiculous is much more on the spot, hitting the nail right on the head, really. Essentially, Bill Maher's quest around the world to talk to a variety of religious people pretty much turns into a farce of him ridiculing those people some of which do not even seem to realise what he is doing and that is really the worrying part of it all.

Religulous opens with Bill Maher introducing us to the site where everything is supposed to be coming to an end or was that the beginning? It is also the place where he ends his journaling documentary, summing up his experiences and encounters along the way. Mind you, he does not even stop from interviewing his own mother and sister a family somewhat torn by religion at least from an outsider's point of view. A catholic man marrying a Jewish woman did not seem to affect the couple itself as such although the children were initially brought up in the catholic way and dutifully went to church every Sunday until the parents' using contraception apparently seemed to put a stop to that. From there on they never went or even looked back.

Bill Maher's journey takes him to a trucker stop church where the faithful worship as and when they pass through. The interviewer's poignant questions though only seem to scare off one of the truckers, the remainder stay behind and talk and answer albeit they will not stray from their faith and even end up including Bill in their final prayer.

Bill also meets with members of the Muslim faith including a rapper in London/UK and two gay Muslims in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam he catches up with a potsmoking religious man wondering whether he is preaching a belief or just getting high. He even makes it to the Vatican though the only interview he documents is that of a priest in the square outside the impressive home of the Pope.

Closer to home Bill catches up with two exMormons after being chased off the property of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City as well as a now straight but former homosexual involved in curing' the wrong mindset' of gay people, seeing same sex relationships as sinful and unnatural. Finally, Bill also catches up to the $400 (or was that $4,000?) suit wearing Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, claiming to be the new Messiah. A religious park complete with Jesus Christ is also visited by the documentary team and a senator interviewed along the way an essentially hilarious farce that should also make you think and wonder at the same time. Basically, you will have to decide for yourself whether you want to mindlessly believe and follow those you enrich with your hardearned cash or whether you truly believe in your faith and allow yourself a mind of your own ie think for yourself, no matter what your religious background. Blessed Be!

Learn more about this author, Doris E Rufli.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.