RELIGULOUS directed by Larry Charles (USA, 2008)
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so”. The words of the Christian hymn are as simplistic as a nursery rhyme and far from being a deep reflection on faith, yet this entertaining documentary shows that the majority cling to beliefs based on arguments that are rarely more complex than this.
The movie’s clunky title – a portmanteau word combining ‘religious’ and ‘ridiculous’ – makes it plain that it doesn’t set out to be a balanced academic analysis. Written and presented by comedian Bill Maher, whose background is half Jewish – half Catholic, it is a shamelessly opinionated piece in the Michael Moore mould.
Mayer is a smart and articulate agnostic but since the whole one hour forty minutes is centred on him, his smug, self-satisfied manner gets a little tiresome at times. He makes a lot of good points but also has a tendency to be heavy-handed. For example, when one man says that he is looking forward to the afterlife, Maher bluntly asks him what stops him from committing suicide.
Despite these flaws, Maher reveals how otherwise intelligent, rational minded individuals have a knack of reading of the bible with blinkers on, conveniently glossing over the holy book’s inconsistencies, inaccuracies and absurdities. Continue reading
