Bill Maher: The Anti-Faith Press Tour by Heather Koerner on 10/02/2008 at 3:03 PM

I was flipping channels Tuesday night and caught Bill Maher, former host of the TV show Politically Incorrect, doing a little monologue mocking Christianity on The Daily Show. I'm not a big Daily Show gal, but decided to watch the two-part interview. Evidently, Maher was on that night to plug his new movie, Religulous.

Religulous? "Yes," Maher told John Stewart, Daily's host, "it's like you're saying religion and then you go to ridiculous. It's a word we made up, much like religion itself."

Yeah, that's nice. Despite the movie's title, Maher wanted the audience to be clear that he's no atheist:

"I don't say there's no God. I'm not an atheist 'cause I find atheism to be a mirror of the certainty of religion and I don't like certainty about the next world, because we can't know. What I say is 'I don't know.'"

Well, that sounds at least a little open-minded. Maher continued:

"I'm only asking questions ... [the movie is] not judgmental, it's not pointing fingers ... it's not out to make people feel bad."

But despite Maher's claim that he dislikes the "certainty" of both religion and atheism, he himself seems to be quite certain about a couple of things: that religious belief is harmful and that it's plain unenlightened.

During the interview, Stewart asked if faith can't just be a comfort and an aid to some -- you know, like drugs. Maher replied:

"It's comfort and aid that comes at a great price. Like almost every war in history and suicide bombers and oppression of women and minorities and having sex with children."

And, later:

"When these books were written, like the Bible, it was at a time when man didn't understand where the sun went at night ... or like what made their women pregnant or what a germ or an atom was, so it was forgivable to make up myths and stories, but now it's 2008, okay? And it's not that forgivable."

Not looking so open-minded anymore. That day on The View, Maher repeated his "I'm just asking questions" mantra, then went on to proclaim:

"[America is] a religious country. Unlike every other civilized western democracy in the world, this country is still extremely religious -- because we're young and dumb."

"There are intelligent people who are religious, they've just walled off their mind."

But while Maher found Stewart to be a very receptive audience (Stewart couldn't stop giggling through Maher's monologue and fell over himself telling Maher why he liked his movie), the ladies of The View weren't quite so adoring, especially after this exchange with co-host, Sherri Shepherd:

Sherri: "Have you ever just talked to God and asked God what does He think?"
Maher: "The question is did He answer you?"
Sherri: "He answered me. He absolutely answered me."
Maher: "Then we should call Bellevue. That's just a voice in your head."

Maher seemed mildly shocked when View co-host Elizabeth Hasselback told him she did believe that faith should be questioned. "Why go blindly into something?" Hasselback asked. "Wow," Maher replied. "But I do think faith is important," she replied.

Although we shouldn't be shocked that Maher thinks our faith is foolishness, I thought it was telling that he seemed to want to paint all believers with one "simpleton" brush as though none of us have ever given serious, critical thought to the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, the Trinity or any of the events in the Bible. So, Bill, you say that Noah couldn't possibly have gotten two of every insect onto the Ark? Wow, thanks! You, wise. Me, fool.

If Maher was really interested in "just asking questions," he certainly has a large pool of theologians, apologists and great Christian thinkers from which to choose. The fact that he carefully avoided those and went for the easy meat -- like those who couldn't explain the anti-Christ -- tells me that he's not really looking for any answers he doesn't already think he has.

But, I did take something away from the interviews. At one point in the John Stewart interview, Maher stated that " ... what we found out is that religious people know so little about religion." That challenged me, because I think he may have a point. I doubt that Bill Maher would ever come to ask me his questions. But if he did, would I be ready with an answer? Am I ready to give anyone who asks the reason for the hope I have, with gentleness and respect? Are you?

Bill Maher: The Anti-Faith Press Tour by Heather Koerner on 10/02/2008 at 3:03 PM

I was flipping channels Tuesday night and caught Bill Maher, former host of the TV show Politically Incorrect, doing a little monologue mocking Christianity on The Daily Show. I'm not a big Daily Show gal, but decided to watch the two-part interview. Evidently, Maher was on that night to plug his new movie, Religulous.

Religulous? "Yes," Maher told John Stewart, Daily's host, "it's like you're saying religion and then you go to ridiculous. It's a word we made up, much like religion itself."

Yeah, that's nice. Despite the movie's title, Maher wanted the audience to be clear that he's no atheist:

"I don't say there's no God. I'm not an atheist 'cause I find atheism to be a mirror of the certainty of religion and I don't like certainty about the next world, because we can't know. What I say is 'I don't know.'"

Well, that sounds at least a little open-minded. Maher continued:

"I'm only asking questions ... [the movie is] not judgmental, it's not pointing fingers ... it's not out to make people feel bad."

But despite Maher's claim that he dislikes the "certainty" of both religion and atheism, he himself seems to be quite certain about a couple of things: that religious belief is harmful and that it's plain unenlightened.

During the interview, Stewart asked if faith can't just be a comfort and an aid to some -- you know, like drugs. Maher replied:

"It's comfort and aid that comes at a great price. Like almost every war in history and suicide bombers and oppression of women and minorities and having sex with children."

And, later:

"When these books were written, like the Bible, it was at a time when man didn't understand where the sun went at night ... or like what made their women pregnant or what a germ or an atom was, so it was forgivable to make up myths and stories, but now it's 2008, okay? And it's not that forgivable."

Not looking so open-minded anymore. That day on The View, Maher repeated his "I'm just asking questions" mantra, then went on to proclaim:

"[America is] a religious country. Unlike every other civilized western democracy in the world, this country is still extremely religious -- because we're young and dumb."

"There are intelligent people who are religious, they've just walled off their mind."

But while Maher found Stewart to be a very receptive audience (Stewart couldn't stop giggling through Maher's monologue and fell over himself telling Maher why he liked his movie), the ladies of The View weren't quite so adoring, especially after this exchange with co-host, Sherri Shepherd:

Sherri: "Have you ever just talked to God and asked God what does He think?"
Maher: "The question is did He answer you?"
Sherri: "He answered me. He absolutely answered me."
Maher: "Then we should call Bellevue. That's just a voice in your head."

Maher seemed mildly shocked when View co-host Elizabeth Hasselback told him she did believe that faith should be questioned. "Why go blindly into something?" Hasselback asked. "Wow," Maher replied. "But I do think faith is important," she replied.

Although we shouldn't be shocked that Maher thinks our faith is foolishness, I thought it was telling that he seemed to want to paint all believers with one "simpleton" brush as though none of us have ever given serious, critical thought to the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, the Trinity or any of the events in the Bible. So, Bill, you say that Noah couldn't possibly have gotten two of every insect onto the Ark? Wow, thanks! You, wise. Me, fool.

If Maher was really interested in "just asking questions," he certainly has a large pool of theologians, apologists and great Christian thinkers from which to choose. The fact that he carefully avoided those and went for the easy meat -- like those who couldn't explain the anti-Christ -- tells me that he's not really looking for any answers he doesn't already think he has.

But, I did take something away from the interviews. At one point in the John Stewart interview, Maher stated that " ... what we found out is that religious people know so little about religion." That challenged me, because I think he may have a point. I doubt that Bill Maher would ever come to ask me his questions. But if he did, would I be ready with an answer? Am I ready to give anyone who asks the reason for the hope I have, with gentleness and respect? Are you?

Comments

[1. JaneAnn said the following at 3:21 PM on Oct 2:]

1

Hey, I saw Maher's interview on The Daily Show. I agree that it is important to think about and question faith and I also wonder how good I would be at answering his questions about "religion". I haven't heard his question though. Beyond that I will acknowledge that early on in the interview they showed a clip from his movie of him mocking Scientology. So, at least this is equal opportunity mockery.

[2. Adam said the following at 3:34 PM on Oct 2:]

2

Perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions based on an interview or two. Shouldn't we instead go see the movie and then judge it on its own merits?

Absolutely we should be prepared to give an answer to Bill Maher or anyone who asks. But will those questions truly be raised by just listening to an interview about a movie? Or would going and seeing the movie perhaps be better?

Or... let me ask it a different way. Since I've read a few reviews and seen a interview or two about Fireproof, why should I watch the movie?

An interview can bring up several good discussion topics about a movie. I am a little disappointed that the arguments here are based around 10 or 15 minutes of interview and not on the movie itself.

[3. Nate said the following at 3:50 PM on Oct 2:]

3

Maher is a coward. If he had any nerve, he'd have gone after a J.P. Moreland or a Craig Hazen. He'd have gotten shredded, but I guess that's not comedy fodder.

[4. Mallie said the following at 4:24 PM on Oct 2:]

4

There is perhaps no one who makes me more red in the face than Bill Maher. A fierce anger surges everytime I see his face. When I saw that he was making this movie, I wanted to get even angrier by getting on it's IMDB forum and reading arrogant atheists gloating.
Of course I found plenty of what I was looking for, but sadly, I also found "christians" wishing not just that the movie fail in its goal, but that terrible ills befall Mr. Maher. What's even worse, after having read so much against christianity, I felt a bit of glee rise in my heart that someone would wish such.

Conscience immediately grabbed that sinful impulse, and I repented, so ashamed that after all Christ endured, he never even said a word. I pray that God would give me the grace to respond according to Christ's example.

[5. Reid said the following at 4:58 PM on Oct 2:]

5

The "I'm not an atheist but I think all religions are incorrect" viewpoint always seems a bit hollow to me. The distance is slim between "there is no supernatural" and "the supernatural can never, ever be proven".

As Theopilus wrote in one of his columns a long while ago, whether one claims to be an atheist or not one's own behavior demonstrates what one truly thinks.

[6. Jacob said the following at 5:15 PM on Oct 2:]

6

It is encouraging to see the kinds of arguments that people like Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and now Maher, are raising against Christianity. Not because they are good arguments, but because they are so pathetic. If this is the best they can come up with by way of objections to our faith, I don't think anyone has anything to worry about.

The best way to interact with people like Maher is to (graciously) press him with questions about his worldview and gently show how it is utterly and completely deficient. For example, Maher makes a faith assumption, not only about God's existence, but also about the reliability of rationality. You cannot prove rationality is reliable without assuming the very thing you try to prove. If any secularist understands this, then they are forced to admit that there is not difference between that and assuming that there is a god.

[7. Leah said the following at 6:08 PM on Oct 2:]

7

"There are intelligent people who are religious, they've just walled off their mind."

That reminds me of something I once witnessed.

I was at an evangelistic seminar aimed at the the "intelligent" end of the market; you know, academics, that sort of thing. People who question the gospel based on logic and matters of evidence. The guest speaker was a retired high-ranking judge from another state, and he spoke very well. I was in grade 12 at the time and it was run out at the university, so I went with my parents.

At the end, there was time for questions. Most of them went over ok, but then one guy got up and veritably shot down anyone who could be so foolish to believe that sort of rubbish.

The speaker, calmly but with a hint of stubborn fire to his voice, asked the questioner why then did people of such high intelligence, like CS Lewis, think the claims of Jesus had merit?

The man replied something along the lines of "That's just it! CS Lewis, all those others, they're so intelligent and understand much more than most of us, but flick the Jesus switch and they're complete fools!"

It's as if these people- the man I mentioned here and Maher- will accept someone's intelligence until they get to the religion part. It never crosses their mind that someone with such intelligence was bound to have analysed the claims of religion (and most often in these circumstances it's Jesus) extremely critically before accepting it, and that this must then suggest the claims have a certain degree of merit.

Instead of thinking "oh, they're a Christian, of course they're going to believe it", they never think "how did they come to believe this in the first place?"

[8. Adrian said the following at 6:53 PM on Oct 2:]

8

I believe his points hold some validity.

I think our faith should not be blind, but supported with reason, for instance.

And it is a responsibility of ours to know the answers to this guy's questions, because that means knowing God's word.

Although I also see this as a blatant attack as well, especially on those "baby Christians" who have either just gained the faith, or are thinking heavily about it.

They don't have the full strength and experience to withstand such an attack, in my opinion.

[9. Matthew said the following at 6:54 PM on Oct 2:]

9

This movie doesn't seem to be very well-done. I don't think that it'll have a tremendous impact on culture, as the new popular wave of atheism/agnosticism a la Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, Maher, etc. is just angry and reactionary.

Buried somewhere deep in there, I think there's something worthwhile to say about how evangelical conservative Christians' lust for power and neo-Constantianism in recent decades has really obscured our love for the cross of Christ, but you're really only going to find the first half of that analysis (if that) in a movie like this.

[10. Chelsea Moore said the following at 7:17 PM on Oct 2:]

10

Hi, everyone. I think it's funny how simpletons accuse those of faith to be simpletons, as they know so little about our faith to challenge it in the first place. It strikes me as sophomoric, among other things (sophomoronic?).

Ah, the press...!

Chelsea

[11. Charles H. said the following at 8:01 PM on Oct 2:]

11

Deliberate, poking-a-big-segment-of-America-in-the-eye, controversy: the last resort of the lazy and untalented, when they realize they won't sell any other way.

It worked for shock rockers, it worked for trash TV, and apparently it works once in awhile for books too.

[12. Ken said the following at 6:30 AM on Oct 3:]

12

In regards to Maher, takes one to no one in terms of foolishness.

A lot of this is just a ridiculous ploy to make a name for oneself and make money.

All Maher is doing is masking his mockery of faith under the flag of "dialogue".

Rubbish...

[13. Matt from DC said the following at 8:02 AM on Oct 3:]

13

Yes

[14. Nicole said the following at 9:00 AM on Oct 3:]

14

I also saw the Maher's interview on the Daily Show and plan to see the movie soon. Although I was initially offended by Maher's non-creative mocking of Christianity and Stewart's glee at the punches, by the end of the interview I felt deeply sorry for Maher.

Hasselbeck is correct in saying that faith should be questioned and all Christians should be able to defend their faith, but Maher goes beyond questioning. He is or claims to want to be in a perpetual state of questioning. What a discouraging and depressing worldview! It pains me to see someone who is obviously going through life with no absolutes and is also stuck at "GO" because he must question and not accept anything as fact. I personally would rather be a Christian who can't describe the Anti-Christ to theological perfection than be a "questioner" who dies still questioning everything around me without accepting or disregarding facts.

[15. Joshua said the following at 1:09 PM on Oct 3:]

15

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

[16. Charles H. said the following at 6:44 PM on Oct 3:]

16

Regarding those writers who mention that they plan to see the movie on the grounds that they want to know what the controversy is about... please keep in mind that this is why anti-Christian movies are promoted so vigorously. By supporting this movie with your money, you're encouraging this to happen.

[17. Carrie (the original) said the following at 1:01 AM on Oct 4:]

17

Thanks Joshua (#15) for the reminder!

I think we Christians get in a tizzy about things like this because we still have a (sinful) need to be validated. People like Bill Maher are sad, but we should be taking comfort in the future promise that "one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confes that Jesus Christ is Lord." They will find out the truth one day. Sadly, it will be too late. At least they can't say that they weren't warned.

[18. allison said the following at 7:27 AM on Oct 4:]

18

I'm gonna send Maher a picture book on Noah and the ark. Seriously though, I think it's cool the way he's asking questions, he's obviously touched by the injustice he's seen in the world, and also he's seems very sad and looking for something. In certain chrisian books it means God is at work. He's asking questions I'd asked before I can to faith. I think we should start a group called Praying for Bill mAher. Somebody should send him a book from CS.LEWIS. no one is unsavable. Besides the way Christians are making us look today, I'd probably had the same issues, maybe not his, but some, Jesus doesn't act the way we do, and He certainly wasn't ill prepared for these type of attacks. He knows who His father is. I'm gonna write Bill Maher and pray for his soul.

[19. Spot said the following at 12:13 PM on Oct 4:]

19

Go see the movie. It is absolutely hilarious. It is an equal opportunity hazing of all religions.

[20. Heather Koerner said the following at 10:05 AM on Oct 6:]

20

#19: Thanks, I'll pass. The Word tells me not to sit in the seat of mockers. I'm thinking that might include movie seats.

[21. IMO said the following at 11:11 AM on Oct 6:]

21

#19

Blasphemy is a dangerous thing...

You think "hazing" Jesus Christ is funny? ...as long as they are also "hazing" Islam?

If you think it's hilarious, then can I dare make the suggestion that you check your heart?

[22. Lucie said the following at 1:41 PM on Oct 6:]

22

I have not seen the movie, nor do I wish to, but I have followed the story. Perhaps I've missed something, but I'm still not exactly sure what Mr. Maher intended to accomplish with this movie. If it is true that, as one source claimed, 98% of the world's population believes in some kind of divine entity, does he really think he can sway them with his brand of persuasion? And if he should actually think he can convert someone, is mockery of a person's beliefs ever a good way to go about it?

This movie reminded me of one that came out years ago, which I unfortunately don't recall the name of right now, but which starred Steve Martin and was reportedly based on Benny Hinn, as well as possibly others. Of course, this movie also received its share of controversy. But I was a member of Pastor Hinn's church at the time and recall him saying that he felt Martin was a questioner rather than strictly a mocker. I can't help wondering sometimes if Maher is also, at heart, a questioner. I thought he was an atheist, but was interested to find out that he is more of an agnostic.

I agree that people should pray for him.

[23. Joseph said the following at 2:26 PM on Oct 6:]

23

I some strange way I see this as possibly a good thing, moreso to stir the masses of proclaiming Christians who in reality have little to do with Christ.
I agree there are thousands of learned individuals scholarly or layman who could offer strong defense for our faith, it is up to Maher to be willing to consider our defenses. His stance as an possible agnostic is interesting considering how he takes a rather New Age Atheisim approach to people's claims of faith. Somehow I sense he was influenced by Sam Harris's writings.

[24. Kevin said the following at 3:10 PM on Oct 6:]

24

Lucie #22. I don't think he's trying to persuade or convert people. I think he's trying to get religious people to really think about their beliefs. Not only what they believe, but why they believe it. I think the mockery and humor is more to appeal to non-religious people as entertainment.

I don't think the mockery is necessary or good, but I think it's good for people to ask questions and think about why they believe what they believe. And when I say that I don't mean, "oh, because God commands us in the Bible to believe." No, I mean more to answer questions like, "what makes you believe that the New Testament is valid while the Quran and the Book of Mormon are not."

I think Maher is trying to point out that the great majority of religious people out there believe so firmly and so surely in something so blindly without substantial proof that the things they do and the claims they make, when looked at as a whole, make them look ridiculous. He approaches people and asks them questions about what they believe to get you to see that many religious folks believe in some outrageous things, and they themselves don't really even know why.

I don't mock people, but I ask the same kinds of questions Maher does. Why do you believe that the NT is God's word, but not the Quran? Other than the Bible, what proof do you have that the Bible is the word of God? What convinces you so surely that the Council of Trent picked the right books for the Canon? And if possible, I try to get people to answer these questions both with and without Biblical references, because as Jesus Himself states in John 5:31, "If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true." Likewise, just because the Bible, or any other 'holy' book bears witness about itself, it doesn't make it true.

The Bible itself teaches to test all things to see if they really are the truth (1 John 4:1, 1 Thess. 5:21). That goes for all things, books, people, etc that claim to be the word of God. The Bible is no exception.

[25. Leah said the following at 7:04 PM on Oct 6:]

25

Carrie said- I think we Christians get in a tizzy about things like this because we still have a (sinful) need to be validated.

If I could take that point and run with it: I was at a youth leadership training day recently when the trainer said: "You are performing for an audience of one".

The point was that we do not need to justify ourselves to the people around us: the only person whose opinion matters is God.

If we make a decision as part of our leadership role, by all means, explain the decision to the church and to kids' parents. But we don't need to justify it to them. We shouldn't be thinking "Oh, but what will Pastor so-and-so say" or "What will Mr and Mrs so-and-so say if we change this"; we should be thinking "What would God say if we did this?"

We are running a race not before a stadium filled with pastors, fellow worshippers and friends. We are running a race before one observer: God.

We are performing for an audience of one.

[26. CLS said the following at 3:10 PM on Oct 8:]

26

Charles H and Heather. You are both right on. I hope others glean from your wisdom here!

[27. JF said the following at 9:32 AM on Oct 10:]

27

CRAIG HAZEN reviews Religulous.

[28. Damian said the following at 8:55 PM on Oct 11:]

28

What I find interesting is Maher never seems to question his own beliefs. This is a very common theme. The war thing and the oppression of women, makes me wonder if he has ever cracked open a history book.
But look. Here is a soul and this soul is lost like millions of others in this world. I myself will be praying that this movie will act as a springboard for witness. If someone tells a Christian they saw the movie I would hope the Christian will ask them what they thought, then with gentleness and respect share the truth and reality of Jesus Christ.
(as it says in the word.Gen 50:20
"You meant it for evil but God used it for good.")

[1. JaneAnn said the following at 3:21 PM on Oct 2:]

1

Hey, I saw Maher's interview on The Daily Show. I agree that it is important to think about and question faith and I also wonder how good I would be at answering his questions about "religion". I haven't heard his question though. Beyond that I will acknowledge that early on in the interview they showed a clip from his movie of him mocking Scientology. So, at least this is equal opportunity mockery.

[2. Adam said the following at 3:34 PM on Oct 2:]

2

Perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions based on an interview or two. Shouldn't we instead go see the movie and then judge it on its own merits?

Absolutely we should be prepared to give an answer to Bill Maher or anyone who asks. But will those questions truly be raised by just listening to an interview about a movie? Or would going and seeing the movie perhaps be better?

Or... let me ask it a different way. Since I've read a few reviews and seen a interview or two about Fireproof, why should I watch the movie?

An interview can bring up several good discussion topics about a movie. I am a little disappointed that the arguments here are based around 10 or 15 minutes of interview and not on the movie itself.

[3. Nate said the following at 3:50 PM on Oct 2:]

3

Maher is a coward. If he had any nerve, he'd have gone after a J.P. Moreland or a Craig Hazen. He'd have gotten shredded, but I guess that's not comedy fodder.

[4. Mallie said the following at 4:24 PM on Oct 2:]

4

There is perhaps no one who makes me more red in the face than Bill Maher. A fierce anger surges everytime I see his face. When I saw that he was making this movie, I wanted to get even angrier by getting on it's IMDB forum and reading arrogant atheists gloating.
Of course I found plenty of what I was looking for, but sadly, I also found "christians" wishing not just that the movie fail in its goal, but that terrible ills befall Mr. Maher. What's even worse, after having read so much against christianity, I felt a bit of glee rise in my heart that someone would wish such.

Conscience immediately grabbed that sinful impulse, and I repented, so ashamed that after all Christ endured, he never even said a word. I pray that God would give me the grace to respond according to Christ's example.

[5. Reid said the following at 4:58 PM on Oct 2:]

5

The "I'm not an atheist but I think all religions are incorrect" viewpoint always seems a bit hollow to me. The distance is slim between "there is no supernatural" and "the supernatural can never, ever be proven".

As Theopilus wrote in one of his columns a long while ago, whether one claims to be an atheist or not one's own behavior demonstrates what one truly thinks.

[6. Jacob said the following at 5:15 PM on Oct 2:]

6

It is encouraging to see the kinds of arguments that people like Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, and now Maher, are raising against Christianity. Not because they are good arguments, but because they are so pathetic. If this is the best they can come up with by way of objections to our faith, I don't think anyone has anything to worry about.

The best way to interact with people like Maher is to (graciously) press him with questions about his worldview and gently show how it is utterly and completely deficient. For example, Maher makes a faith assumption, not only about God's existence, but also about the reliability of rationality. You cannot prove rationality is reliable without assuming the very thing you try to prove. If any secularist understands this, then they are forced to admit that there is not difference between that and assuming that there is a god.

[7. Leah said the following at 6:08 PM on Oct 2:]

7

"There are intelligent people who are religious, they've just walled off their mind."

That reminds me of something I once witnessed.

I was at an evangelistic seminar aimed at the the "intelligent" end of the market; you know, academics, that sort of thing. People who question the gospel based on logic and matters of evidence. The guest speaker was a retired high-ranking judge from another state, and he spoke very well. I was in grade 12 at the time and it was run out at the university, so I went with my parents.

At the end, there was time for questions. Most of them went over ok, but then one guy got up and veritably shot down anyone who could be so foolish to believe that sort of rubbish.

The speaker, calmly but with a hint of stubborn fire to his voice, asked the questioner why then did people of such high intelligence, like CS Lewis, think the claims of Jesus had merit?

The man replied something along the lines of "That's just it! CS Lewis, all those others, they're so intelligent and understand much more than most of us, but flick the Jesus switch and they're complete fools!"

It's as if these people- the man I mentioned here and Maher- will accept someone's intelligence until they get to the religion part. It never crosses their mind that someone with such intelligence was bound to have analysed the claims of religion (and most often in these circumstances it's Jesus) extremely critically before accepting it, and that this must then suggest the claims have a certain degree of merit.

Instead of thinking "oh, they're a Christian, of course they're going to believe it", they never think "how did they come to believe this in the first place?"

[8. Adrian said the following at 6:53 PM on Oct 2:]

8

I believe his points hold some validity.

I think our faith should not be blind, but supported with reason, for instance.

And it is a responsibility of ours to know the answers to this guy's questions, because that means knowing God's word.

Although I also see this as a blatant attack as well, especially on those "baby Christians" who have either just gained the faith, or are thinking heavily about it.

They don't have the full strength and experience to withstand such an attack, in my opinion.

[9. Matthew said the following at 6:54 PM on Oct 2:]

9

This movie doesn't seem to be very well-done. I don't think that it'll have a tremendous impact on culture, as the new popular wave of atheism/agnosticism a la Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, Maher, etc. is just angry and reactionary.

Buried somewhere deep in there, I think there's something worthwhile to say about how evangelical conservative Christians' lust for power and neo-Constantianism in recent decades has really obscured our love for the cross of Christ, but you're really only going to find the first half of that analysis (if that) in a movie like this.

[10. Chelsea Moore said the following at 7:17 PM on Oct 2:]

10

Hi, everyone. I think it's funny how simpletons accuse those of faith to be simpletons, as they know so little about our faith to challenge it in the first place. It strikes me as sophomoric, among other things (sophomoronic?).

Ah, the press...!

Chelsea

[11. Charles H. said the following at 8:01 PM on Oct 2:]

11

Deliberate, poking-a-big-segment-of-America-in-the-eye, controversy: the last resort of the lazy and untalented, when they realize they won't sell any other way.

It worked for shock rockers, it worked for trash TV, and apparently it works once in awhile for books too.

[12. Ken said the following at 6:30 AM on Oct 3:]

12

In regards to Maher, takes one to no one in terms of foolishness.

A lot of this is just a ridiculous ploy to make a name for oneself and make money.

All Maher is doing is masking his mockery of faith under the flag of "dialogue".

Rubbish...

[13. Matt from DC said the following at 8:02 AM on Oct 3:]

13

Yes

[14. Nicole said the following at 9:00 AM on Oct 3:]

14

I also saw the Maher's interview on the Daily Show and plan to see the movie soon. Although I was initially offended by Maher's non-creative mocking of Christianity and Stewart's glee at the punches, by the end of the interview I felt deeply sorry for Maher.

Hasselbeck is correct in saying that faith should be questioned and all Christians should be able to defend their faith, but Maher goes beyond questioning. He is or claims to want to be in a perpetual state of questioning. What a discouraging and depressing worldview! It pains me to see someone who is obviously going through life with no absolutes and is also stuck at "GO" because he must question and not accept anything as fact. I personally would rather be a Christian who can't describe the Anti-Christ to theological perfection than be a "questioner" who dies still questioning everything around me without accepting or disregarding facts.

[15. Joshua said the following at 1:09 PM on Oct 3:]

15

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

[16. Charles H. said the following at 6:44 PM on Oct 3:]

16

Regarding those writers who mention that they plan to see the movie on the grounds that they want to know what the controversy is about... please keep in mind that this is why anti-Christian movies are promoted so vigorously. By supporting this movie with your money, you're encouraging this to happen.

[17. Carrie (the original) said the following at 1:01 AM on Oct 4:]

17

Thanks Joshua (#15) for the reminder!

I think we Christians get in a tizzy about things like this because we still have a (sinful) need to be validated. People like Bill Maher are sad, but we should be taking comfort in the future promise that "one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confes that Jesus Christ is Lord." They will find out the truth one day. Sadly, it will be too late. At least they can't say that they weren't warned.

[18. allison said the following at 7:27 AM on Oct 4:]

18

I'm gonna send Maher a picture book on Noah and the ark. Seriously though, I think it's cool the way he's asking questions, he's obviously touched by the injustice he's seen in the world, and also he's seems very sad and looking for something. In certain chrisian books it means God is at work. He's asking questions I'd asked before I can to faith. I think we should start a group called Praying for Bill mAher. Somebody should send him a book from CS.LEWIS. no one is unsavable. Besides the way Christians are making us look today, I'd probably had the same issues, maybe not his, but some, Jesus doesn't act the way we do, and He certainly wasn't ill prepared for these type of attacks. He knows who His father is. I'm gonna write Bill Maher and pray for his soul.

[19. Spot said the following at 12:13 PM on Oct 4:]

19

Go see the movie. It is absolutely hilarious. It is an equal opportunity hazing of all religions.

[20. Heather Koerner said the following at 10:05 AM on Oct 6:]

20

#19: Thanks, I'll pass. The Word tells me not to sit in the seat of mockers. I'm thinking that might include movie seats.

[21. IMO said the following at 11:11 AM on Oct 6:]

21

#19

Blasphemy is a dangerous thing...

You think "hazing" Jesus Christ is funny? ...as long as they are also "hazing" Islam?

If you think it's hilarious, then can I dare make the suggestion that you check your heart?

[22. Lucie said the following at 1:41 PM on Oct 6:]

22

I have not seen the movie, nor do I wish to, but I have followed the story. Perhaps I've missed something, but I'm still not exactly sure what Mr. Maher intended to accomplish with this movie. If it is true that, as one source claimed, 98% of the world's population believes in some kind of divine entity, does he really think he can sway them with his brand of persuasion? And if he should actually think he can convert someone, is mockery of a person's beliefs ever a good way to go about it?

This movie reminded me of one that came out years ago, which I unfortunately don't recall the name of right now, but which starred Steve Martin and was reportedly based on Benny Hinn, as well as possibly others. Of course, this movie also received its share of controversy. But I was a member of Pastor Hinn's church at the time and recall him saying that he felt Martin was a questioner rather than strictly a mocker. I can't help wondering sometimes if Maher is also, at heart, a questioner. I thought he was an atheist, but was interested to find out that he is more of an agnostic.

I agree that people should pray for him.

[23. Joseph said the following at 2:26 PM on Oct 6:]

23

I some strange way I see this as possibly a good thing, moreso to stir the masses of proclaiming Christians who in reality have little to do with Christ.
I agree there are thousands of learned individuals scholarly or layman who could offer strong defense for our faith, it is up to Maher to be willing to consider our defenses. His stance as an possible agnostic is interesting considering how he takes a rather New Age Atheisim approach to people's claims of faith. Somehow I sense he was influenced by Sam Harris's writings.

[24. Kevin said the following at 3:10 PM on Oct 6:]

24

Lucie #22. I don't think he's trying to persuade or convert people. I think he's trying to get religious people to really think about their beliefs. Not only what they believe, but why they believe it. I think the mockery and humor is more to appeal to non-religious people as entertainment.

I don't think the mockery is necessary or good, but I think it's good for people to ask questions and think about why they believe what they believe. And when I say that I don't mean, "oh, because God commands us in the Bible to believe." No, I mean more to answer questions like, "what makes you believe that the New Testament is valid while the Quran and the Book of Mormon are not."

I think Maher is trying to point out that the great majority of religious people out there believe so firmly and so surely in something so blindly without substantial proof that the things they do and the claims they make, when looked at as a whole, make them look ridiculous. He approaches people and asks them questions about what they believe to get you to see that many religious folks believe in some outrageous things, and they themselves don't really even know why.

I don't mock people, but I ask the same kinds of questions Maher does. Why do you believe that the NT is God's word, but not the Quran? Other than the Bible, what proof do you have that the Bible is the word of God? What convinces you so surely that the Council of Trent picked the right books for the Canon? And if possible, I try to get people to answer these questions both with and without Biblical references, because as Jesus Himself states in John 5:31, "If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true." Likewise, just because the Bible, or any other 'holy' book bears witness about itself, it doesn't make it true.

The Bible itself teaches to test all things to see if they really are the truth (1 John 4:1, 1 Thess. 5:21). That goes for all things, books, people, etc that claim to be the word of God. The Bible is no exception.

[25. Leah said the following at 7:04 PM on Oct 6:]

25

Carrie said- I think we Christians get in a tizzy about things like this because we still have a (sinful) need to be validated.

If I could take that point and run with it: I was at a youth leadership training day recently when the trainer said: "You are performing for an audience of one".

The point was that we do not need to justify ourselves to the people around us: the only person whose opinion matters is God.

If we make a decision as part of our leadership role, by all means, explain the decision to the church and to kids' parents. But we don't need to justify it to them. We shouldn't be thinking "Oh, but what will Pastor so-and-so say" or "What will Mr and Mrs so-and-so say if we change this"; we should be thinking "What would God say if we did this?"

We are running a race not before a stadium filled with pastors, fellow worshippers and friends. We are running a race before one observer: God.

We are performing for an audience of one.

[26. CLS said the following at 3:10 PM on Oct 8:]

26

Charles H and Heather. You are both right on. I hope others glean from your wisdom here!

[27. JF said the following at 9:32 AM on Oct 10:]

27

CRAIG HAZEN reviews Religulous.

[28. Damian said the following at 8:55 PM on Oct 11:]

28

What I find interesting is Maher never seems to question his own beliefs. This is a very common theme. The war thing and the oppression of women, makes me wonder if he has ever cracked open a history book.
But look. Here is a soul and this soul is lost like millions of others in this world. I myself will be praying that this movie will act as a springboard for witness. If someone tells a Christian they saw the movie I would hope the Christian will ask them what they thought, then with gentleness and respect share the truth and reality of Jesus Christ.
(as it says in the word.Gen 50:20
"You meant it for evil but God used it for good.")