I like Bill Maher, and very much enjoyed watching his 'Real Time' late-night chat show on HBO while I was living in the U.S. A strident agnostic who is highly critical of organized religion, Maher has been busy at work crafting his latest documentary, 'Religulous', which entered limited release in the U.S. on 1 October 2008.
I'm looking forward to seeing it at some stage, as I predict Maher will bring his trademark provocative and razor-sharp wit to bear on a plethora of targets, doubtless inducing many chuckles along the way.
But I'm equally confident of predicting another thing: that the film will likely eschew the opportunity to address many troubling questions that arise from engaging with such a topic, however overtly humorous Maher's intentions may be.
Such questions would include exploring where the basis of Maher's own moral compass lies, and why or how any binding obligation could exist to follow such precepts. Or on whether the existence of a divine consciousness is, as an 'inference to the best explanation', a superior hypothesis for accounting for the robust formational physical, chemical and biological laws which appear so decidedly fine-tuned to support life in our universe. Or on why such a curiously high proportion of religious experiences are observed to occur within specific theistic contexts.
Whilst it is indeed humorous to bamboozle a theme-park Jesus, I would much prefer see Maher engage with one of the learned scientists or theologians featured in another upcoming film, "Test of Faith", produced by the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.
I submit that the genuinely neutral seeker would be well advised to watch both films, and then make an informed appraisal of the situation.
I'm looking forward to seeing it at some stage, as I predict Maher will bring his trademark provocative and razor-sharp wit to bear on a plethora of targets, doubtless inducing many chuckles along the way.
But I'm equally confident of predicting another thing: that the film will likely eschew the opportunity to address many troubling questions that arise from engaging with such a topic, however overtly humorous Maher's intentions may be.
Such questions would include exploring where the basis of Maher's own moral compass lies, and why or how any binding obligation could exist to follow such precepts. Or on whether the existence of a divine consciousness is, as an 'inference to the best explanation', a superior hypothesis for accounting for the robust formational physical, chemical and biological laws which appear so decidedly fine-tuned to support life in our universe. Or on why such a curiously high proportion of religious experiences are observed to occur within specific theistic contexts.
Whilst it is indeed humorous to bamboozle a theme-park Jesus, I would much prefer see Maher engage with one of the learned scientists or theologians featured in another upcoming film, "Test of Faith", produced by the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.
I submit that the genuinely neutral seeker would be well advised to watch both films, and then make an informed appraisal of the situation.
Religulous - Trailer
Test of Faith - Trailer
2 comments:
These films look interesting. I'll look out for both of them. This synopsis for Religulous sounds inflammatory though.
http://www.lookforward.com.au/Pages/Event.aspx?eid=5200b177-44e0-4754-b8c3-bb7b0791ab5a
Here's a review of Religulous from Christianity Today:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/religulous.html
Post a Comment