Two weeks ago, or so, I watched this documentary-movie called Religulous, if you haven’t guessed it already, it is a combination of the two words Religious and Ridiculous.
So Religious + Ridiculous = Religulous
It was documented by a guy of Catholic and Jewish descent, named Bill Maher.
In the documentary, he traveled to various countries to interview religious people, getting their opinion on mostly controversial and sensitive matters. Somehow I feel that Bill tends to turn the argument in such a way that it will portray the ‘religious’ figures as lunatics. To begin with, I feel that he was rather selective in his choice of interviewees.
From what I recall, he interviewed a group of Christians who role-played Christ’s supposed crucifixion, and you can just imagine the kind of lunacy he threw at them. Also made fun of the concept of Salvation by the Blood.
He also interviewed Neturei Karta, perhaps in a way that, to those who do not know NK, will get people thinking that NK is really a lunatic.
He also visited a Jewish research facility, where the people there invent ingenious inventions that are allowed to be used on the Sabbath, a day during which working is not allowed. So he went asking, Fire not Okay? But Air Pressure Ok?
He also interviewed Gay Muslims in USA. I think it is not fair to get their views on religious matters, because they, from what is apparent, are not religious. Habibi Ana was one of their names. And Bill went on saying that Islam does not prohibit homosexuality so much as an emotion, rather it focuses down to a specific act, which is strictly forbidden, so he conjured that in a gay relationship, if we take that act out, we are only left with a (you know what).
Then he interviewed a Dutch Muslim regarding the assassination of Theo Van Gough who made a hate-documentary regarding Islam and muslims. Straits Times recently ran an article that the West’s walkout from Iran’s speech is reaffirming on their part that hate speech is not free speech. In a way, it was like them tasting their own medicine. Either that or they run a risk of being labeled ‘Double-Standard’.
In answering Bill, the muslim politician said that these terrorists misquote the Quran and took passages out of context and even incompletely quote verses. Bill said that that isn’t the case, people who believe in the books do not go around saying “this verse was taken out of context”, rather they say “it is from the Book of God”, thereby adding weight to what they are campaigning for.
We really need to know Asbabun Nuzul and Nasikh Wal Mansukh to tackle this. As muslims we know that certain Quranic verses are applicable only under certain circumstances. This one answers Bill.
I don’t find myself hating Bill because of this, he has a good sense of humour and in all probability, he is just outspoken in asking, and definitely not afraid of throwing questions about others’ faiths. He is an argumentative kind, very rationalistic. I find such a person intriguing, I have a feeling that they are not bound by dogma and demagogy, and that an irrefutable rational proof of God’s existence will surely whack the tauhid into them, because the first stage of belief is in negation, La ilaha, There is no God, what we need is to add in illa Allah, save Allah. Don’t be surprised; God the Muqallibal Qulub, the Turner of Hearts, can turn disbelief into firm belief.
The last 8 mins or so:
The irony of religion is that, because of its power to divert Man to destructive courses, the world actually could come to an end. One thing I hate about Prophecy is (referring to Armageddon) self-fulfilled ones.
If the world can end any day now, does it not drain one’s motivation to improve life on earth while we are here?
Prophet saw said: Live life as if you are going to live for a thousand years, worship as if you are going to die tomorrow.
The plain fact is, religion must die for Mankind to live. The hour is getting very late, to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people, by irrationalists, by those who would steer the ship of state, not by a compass but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken.
Faith, means making a virtue out of not thinking; it is nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it, are intellectual slave holders; keeping Mankind in a bondage, to fantasy and non-sense, that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it is wonderful when someone says “I am willing Lord, I will do whatever you want me to do,” except that there are no gods that are actually talking to us. That void is filled in by people, with their own corruptions, and limitations and agendas. And anyone who tells you they know, they just know what happens when you die, I promise you, you don’t. How can I be so sure, because I don’t know and you do not possess mental powers that I do not.
The only appropriate attitude for Man to have about the big questions, is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but Doubt, because Doubt is humble, and that what’s Man needs to be.
Shaykh Nazim says, Doubt comes from Pride, you Doubt only when you are not humble enough to believe/accept.
And as always, we need to distinguish the actions of men who claim to affiliate themselves to a particular religion, from that religion. We are not to judge a religion by the actions of its people. This is only fair and logical.
So Religious + Ridiculous = Religulous
It was documented by a guy of Catholic and Jewish descent, named Bill Maher.
In the documentary, he traveled to various countries to interview religious people, getting their opinion on mostly controversial and sensitive matters. Somehow I feel that Bill tends to turn the argument in such a way that it will portray the ‘religious’ figures as lunatics. To begin with, I feel that he was rather selective in his choice of interviewees.
From what I recall, he interviewed a group of Christians who role-played Christ’s supposed crucifixion, and you can just imagine the kind of lunacy he threw at them. Also made fun of the concept of Salvation by the Blood.
He also interviewed Neturei Karta, perhaps in a way that, to those who do not know NK, will get people thinking that NK is really a lunatic.
He also visited a Jewish research facility, where the people there invent ingenious inventions that are allowed to be used on the Sabbath, a day during which working is not allowed. So he went asking, Fire not Okay? But Air Pressure Ok?
He also interviewed Gay Muslims in USA. I think it is not fair to get their views on religious matters, because they, from what is apparent, are not religious. Habibi Ana was one of their names. And Bill went on saying that Islam does not prohibit homosexuality so much as an emotion, rather it focuses down to a specific act, which is strictly forbidden, so he conjured that in a gay relationship, if we take that act out, we are only left with a (you know what).
Then he interviewed a Dutch Muslim regarding the assassination of Theo Van Gough who made a hate-documentary regarding Islam and muslims. Straits Times recently ran an article that the West’s walkout from Iran’s speech is reaffirming on their part that hate speech is not free speech. In a way, it was like them tasting their own medicine. Either that or they run a risk of being labeled ‘Double-Standard’.
In answering Bill, the muslim politician said that these terrorists misquote the Quran and took passages out of context and even incompletely quote verses. Bill said that that isn’t the case, people who believe in the books do not go around saying “this verse was taken out of context”, rather they say “it is from the Book of God”, thereby adding weight to what they are campaigning for.
We really need to know Asbabun Nuzul and Nasikh Wal Mansukh to tackle this. As muslims we know that certain Quranic verses are applicable only under certain circumstances. This one answers Bill.
I don’t find myself hating Bill because of this, he has a good sense of humour and in all probability, he is just outspoken in asking, and definitely not afraid of throwing questions about others’ faiths. He is an argumentative kind, very rationalistic. I find such a person intriguing, I have a feeling that they are not bound by dogma and demagogy, and that an irrefutable rational proof of God’s existence will surely whack the tauhid into them, because the first stage of belief is in negation, La ilaha, There is no God, what we need is to add in illa Allah, save Allah. Don’t be surprised; God the Muqallibal Qulub, the Turner of Hearts, can turn disbelief into firm belief.
The last 8 mins or so:
The irony of religion is that, because of its power to divert Man to destructive courses, the world actually could come to an end. One thing I hate about Prophecy is (referring to Armageddon) self-fulfilled ones.
If the world can end any day now, does it not drain one’s motivation to improve life on earth while we are here?
Prophet saw said: Live life as if you are going to live for a thousand years, worship as if you are going to die tomorrow.
The plain fact is, religion must die for Mankind to live. The hour is getting very late, to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people, by irrationalists, by those who would steer the ship of state, not by a compass but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken.
Faith, means making a virtue out of not thinking; it is nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it, are intellectual slave holders; keeping Mankind in a bondage, to fantasy and non-sense, that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it is wonderful when someone says “I am willing Lord, I will do whatever you want me to do,” except that there are no gods that are actually talking to us. That void is filled in by people, with their own corruptions, and limitations and agendas. And anyone who tells you they know, they just know what happens when you die, I promise you, you don’t. How can I be so sure, because I don’t know and you do not possess mental powers that I do not.
The only appropriate attitude for Man to have about the big questions, is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but Doubt, because Doubt is humble, and that what’s Man needs to be.
Shaykh Nazim says, Doubt comes from Pride, you Doubt only when you are not humble enough to believe/accept.
And as always, we need to distinguish the actions of men who claim to affiliate themselves to a particular religion, from that religion. We are not to judge a religion by the actions of its people. This is only fair and logical.
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