The new movie “Religulous” features comedian and ardent atheist Bill Maher arguing with believers of various denominations in order to make them look stupid and deluded. Filmed by the same director behind the outrageous mock documentary “Borat,” the movie provides some uneasy laughs—showing a Bible-exploiting, Democratic U.S.Senator who expresses gratitude that there’s no IQ requirement for election to Congress, or highlighting a Holy Land theme park in Florida which stages its own crucifixion every day. The cheap shots at organized faith, however, involve three areas of fundamental unfairness.

 First, and most obviously, Maher selects easy and vulnerable targets for his sneering assaults on God and Jesus. He never chooses to interview formidable religious intellects, like author Dinesh D’Souza, or theologian Al Mohler, or evangelist Ravi Zacarias. Instead he focuses on oddballs like the portly proprietor of a religious curios shop, or the surfer dude who plays Jesus in those theme park crucifixions, or the sleazy, pompadoured Latino evangelist who claims he’s the reincarnated Christ. On the rare occasions that the movie shows him in conversation with a serious thinker (such as Dr. Francis Collins of the Human Genome Project) the interchange is edited to avoid substance and to highlight Maher’s insulting zingers.

Second, the movie concentrates its fire on Christianity in its various forms while giving a free pass to the most dangerous elements of radical Islam. Islamic fanatics and jihadists obviously passed up the chance to talk with Bill Maher (or, perhaps Maher wisely made scant attempt to talk with them), so the only Muslims he encounters look harmless and clueless—like the pair of nerdy middle-aged guys trying to start a gay encounter group for the Islamic community in Amsterdam. Only at the end of the film does Maher make significant reference to Islamo-Nazi terror, and he does so to warn of an alleged world-ending threat from religion in general – conflating the dangers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism (Hinduism and Buddhism are all but ignored) as if each of the Abrahamic faiths counted as equally menacing. A frightening montage cuts together images of burning buildings on 9/11 and Osama bin Laden, with footage of Pope Benedict, President Bush and devout Jews in prayer.

Finally, Maher scrupulously avoids any honest examination of his own spiritual state or pursuit of happiness. At one point, he interacts with his mother and derisively recalls his Catholic upbringing, but there’s no hint as to whether his anti-religious path has led him to enlightenment and satisfaction or merely to bitter loneliness. Since Maher has established himself as a famous and rich comedian, we’re obviously meant to assume that he’s achieved some sort of happiness or fulfillment. But he never reflects on his own lack of a wife, children or family, or his comments elsewhere about his enthusiastic indulgence in drugs and hookers. A bit of honest self-examination might have helped shape a far richer, more provocative film, by undermining Maher’s pose of smug superiority in encountering religious people whose lives, by conventional standards,  count as far more “together” and rewarding than his disconnected and decadent celebrity existence.

As a politically correct documentary, “Religulous” demonstrates far more skillful editing and writing than any of Michael Moore’s over-praised screeds, and delivers moments of outrageous and even inventive humor. Even those of us strongly committed to our faith traditions will find laughter impossible to resist at many points in the film. Nevertheless, its snide tone never rises above childish or, more accurately, adolescent contempt, and Maher’s running commentary never even hints at the benefits for believers that keep religion such a potent force throughout the United States. Maher’s concluding fire-and-brimstone sermon (there is no other phrase) flatly declares that the world would find itself greatly and profoundly improved if every form of faith simply disappeared and humanity learned to live in the pure, cold, blinding sunlight of materialist reason.

To follow up on that concept, perhaps Maher’s next project could feature visits to those favored areas of the planet where religion has already vanished, thanks to the efforts of enlightened and determined leaders. North Korea or Cuba might provide ideal places to begin such a tour, and we can only wish Bill Maher luck in negotiating permission from such benevolent and religion-free governments.

"... isn’t it imperative to listen to the representative voices chiming in on key issues? Or does this dissent threaten cohesiveness of a party agenda and require censures of noncompliant individuals in a manner reminiscent of the tasks undertaken by China’s Internet police."

Because it's Friday.  The 80s hair flashback edition ...



What's your favorite Van Halen lead singer, David or Sammy? (Or that dude from Extreme)?



...And who could forget this classic 80s video?  Lots of hairspray there ...

 FRANK: "Fannie and Freddie are fundamentally sound, but they are not in danger of going under, they're not be the best investments these days from the long term standpoint coming back. I think they are in good shape going forward...they're housing market, I do that prospects going foward are very solid and in fact we are going to do some things to improve them."