After the debacle that was my journalism class' interview articles, I watched Religulous with glee. Bill Maher knows how to interview! He was prepared with background information, quotes from scripture, a sense of when to ask open ended and closed ended sentences, skepticism, and patience. It was glorious.If you haven't seen the movie you should put on your snow boots (or flip flops if you are lucky enough to live in a southern climate) and head on out to your nearest RedBox. For $1.00 you will have laughs to last a lifetime, or a few hours at least.
Maher talks to Rabbis, ex-Jews for Jesus, gay Muslim activists, ex-Mormons, a Senator, Christian truckers, Evangelicals, and even a Hispanic man who believes he is the second coming of Christ. He leaves no religion unturned.
It's amazing how hard it is for people of faith to answer simple questions about their beliefs. For people who just believe, scientific fact and rational thought have nothing to do with their faith. They believe because they do -- and nothing Maher or you or I can say will sway true believers. No matter how much data, how many charts, how many ways you interpret scripture, they won't budge. And that's fine for them. But I wonder if that's the biggest problem we have in the world today. Blind faith.
There was one part in the documentary where a group of protesters were holding up signs and banners saying that God hates homosexuals. One woman said "oh I don't hate homosexuals, but God does." What a waste.
Religion pontificates that it brings people together. Maybe it does in small communities. But in the grand scheme of things -- it's tearing the world apart.
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