Should I Be Offended?
I had a different post written out for this. It was full of jokes about thinking Bill Maher was Dennis Miller and sarcasm about the people that Bill Maher found not being the “right” people to talk to. I’ve taken all that out and written this because I think my original post was making light of the questions he asks and the points that he makes.
I’m going to try my best not to make assumptions about Bill Maher. I’m analyzing his method of interviewing and what that infers about him and his beliefs.
There are a few times in the movie, that he says that he’s “preaching ‘I don’t know’” and then goes on to know exactly what he thinks is wrong with everything.
I’m not saying that it’s a wrong stance to take. Sure, many people out there “don’t know”, but he does know. He knows what he believes and what he doesn’t. He isn’t “preaching ‘I don’t know’”, he’s preaching anti-religion. He believes that religion is the cause of just about every war, and that if there wasn’t any religion, we could live in, at least, a semblance of peace. He even says, in his last line that people need to “grow up” and stop believing. This is not a stance of “I don’t know”, but a stance of “I know it’s wrong”. And those are very different.
I think some of his questions are valid questions that even I’ve had at times, and quite a few friends have had too. The way he asks his questions is always with an air of arrogance. “You don’t really believe there was a talking snake, do you?”
Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I’m honestly not sure. In Velvet Elvis Rob Bell says that “the most important part about the story of Adam and Eve isn’t that it happened but that it happens” (emphasis by me).
The problem is that when you’re being questioned like that by anyone not just a fairly famous comedian with a camera crew, you’re bound to sound like an idiot, because that’s the way he’s asking. He wants their ideas to sound stupid. That’s his point.
HOWEVER! I say all of the above with a caveat that some of the people he interviewed, like Jeremiah Cummings who claimed that Jesus wore “fine linens” and refuted Maher’s (rightful, and accurate) claims that Jesus spoke out against being wealthy, and this other guy named Jesus that claimed he was the second coming of Christ whose bloodline went to Puerto Rico somehow and ended up in Miami and stated, “even if I was Satan, I would do my job well”, are not preaching the faith that Jesus taught.
In the very beginning, he goes to this little (literally) church and those men actually do a fairly good job, doing the best they can. Even Maher remarks, “Thank you for being Christ-like, not just Christians.”
They don’t answer all his questions to his satisfaction (and most likely, no one ever will), but they are good to him. And hopefully, someone can say that to all of us someday because that’s what it’s supposed to be about. Not religion.
yeah, those truckers were the most convincing people in the whole thing. i think they were the only ones that really got the point of what they believe.
the guy that played jesus in the theme park was pretty hilarious, i thought. you could kind of tell that he didn't really care a whole lot about the message of jesus and just like all the people looking at him.
I agree. The only trucker that even stood out was the one that didn't even want to interview, but whatever. I'd rather have him just leave versus just making a sham of what he believed like some of the people did.
The Jesus guy (which I live and work very close to the Holy Land Experience… hmm…) did seem like he was all about the acting. Speaking of which, I'm a Christian, and it seemed INCREDIBLY weird for people to be applauding Christ being whipped because they weren't mocking him… it was weird. I've never been there. I kind of want to go, but it's run by people that I really don't agree with (TBN).
I do believe there was a talking snake, but not that I am required to believe that. I am required to believe that God created the World, we sinned collectively and personally, and because God loves us He sent Jesus to die for those sins, and that Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and Him and the Father sent the Holy Spirit who is with us now. I suppose I should have just typed out the whole Nicene Creed, but you get my drift. I believe that Adam and Eve were real, but that they aren't worth arguing with people about if they haven't yet accepted the important stuff.
I still don't think I am going to watch Bill Maher's movie. My blood pressure soared just to see him interviewed and showing clips of the movie.
The movie definitely isn't for everyone. It's got language and nudity (honestly a bit of a shock), and Bill Maher can be a complete jerk at some moments. Some people deserve it, others don't. Either way, I thought it was enlightening.
I honestly hope I can be like the guys at the beginning… and less like the people in the rest of the movie.
You've peaked my interest in the movie. Although I gotta tell you, that guy just annoys the crap outta me.