Susan Granger’s review of “Religulous” (Lionsgate Pictures)
“Politically Incorrect” humorist Bill Maher tackles the incendiary subject of God and religion, traveling around the world and interviewing people about their beliefs. Admittedly skeptical about a higher power, he incites incredulity and indignation.
His journey begins and ends at Megiddo, Israel, where believers say Armageddon will be waged, as Maher delves into his own childhood travails, having been raised with a Jewish mother and Catholic father, chatting with his mom, Julie, and sister, Kathy, about why his father left the Church, apparently over the issue of birth control.
Leaving his personal story behind, Maher questions a few figureheads of contemporary faith, like John Westcott of Exchange Ministries, who believes he can “convert” gay men, about why homosexuality is such a ?hot button’ issue since Jesus never mentions it in the New Testament. Maher then probes devoted truck drivers in North Carolina for ?proof’ that Jesus Christ ever lived and asks evangelical Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), “Why is faith good?”
Televangelism takes a hypocritical hit, along with a Christian amusement park in Florida that re-enacts the crucifixion several times a day. Along with Judaism, Islam and mainstream Christianity, Maher also examines the basic tenets of Mormonism and Scientology and finds a senior Vatican priest who acknowledges the absurdity of some fundamental Catholic doctrines.
Some of Maher’s statistics are amazing: like, 16% of all Americans are adamantly non-religious. He cites this group as this country’s last great, untapped minority.
Directed by Larry Charles (“Borat”), the edgy, contentious, if over-long, put-down is punctuated with movie clips, newsreel footage and flippant subtitles. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Religulous” is a spiritually irreverent, sardonic 7, as Maher, the exasperated, agnostic prankster, makes the point that organized religion has caused more harm than good.
