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• Thursday, October 2, 2008 12:36 PM

  I think I'll see this film

  The Catholics sound like they come off the least crazy in this film, and as a Catholic I enjoy being considered the least crazy everyonce in a while.

  Of Course, this film is meant as comedy, and at best a Burlesque of social criticism. I don't think Marher has either the knowledge base or the intelectual honesty to really approach the deeper issues of Religion. Or maybe he does and the film just wouldn't be as funny that way.

  To answer what fascinates Bill the most, yes the Catholic Hierarchy is well aware that the Bible is filled with Myths, legends and allegorical stories. What Bill misses however is that much of the Catholic Proletariate are also well aware of this. I can't speak for all religions but religions with a strong history of scholoarship usually do have a welcoming intelectual discussion on the myths, legends, and allegorical stories in their sacred texts, as well as a more mythological interpretation for those not looking for a deep discussion.

  If you believe in God, and Mr. Maher is quite clear that he does not take an atheistic stance, then it is something that humans desire to communicate with this thing called God.

  The Mistake that Bill makes, and some religous people make, is they think that religion is the tool God uses to communicate with man. Quite to the contrary religion is the tool man uses to communicate with God. As such, the stories and myths are not so much the basis as the focus for the belife.

  While it's true many people will believe a historical myth despite the lack of evidence (how many myths do you believe about the founding fathers for example) and if you are never confronted with evidence contrary to argument, why shouldn't you. The story of Noah is not in and of itself based on a surface reading of the stroy not so impossible to someone with a limited understanding of the evidence against it. Likewise, if you are not zooologyst or geologist how much does it matter to you what may or may not have happend 6,000 or 100,000 years ago?

  It matters about as much as Washington's cherry tree, and if there is something you carry away from the story that helps you through your day, what does it hurt?

  And I'm sure Mr. Maher would bring up that because of people's religion they are currently making war with us, and themselves throughout the world. To that, I just shake my head. Anyone who thinks that a mass conversion to episcapalianism would solve the problems of the middle east is just foolish.

  People make war in the name of religion because it's a useful thing to make war in the name of. If that is not an option they make war for any other ideology they can think of, including freedom, democracy, and keeping Afgahnistan Communist, and preventing a domino effect that will destroy our glorious workers paradise.

  Suni and Shia don't hate one another because they are suni and shia, they hate one another because one group of people ruled over the other with an iron fist for a few decades.

  These so called "Religious" wars are ussually the byproduct of European Colonialism, and picking local governers, who in turn appointed their tribes men to positions of power and denied said power to those outside their tribe.

  Man doesn't need God to do evil, evil is the gift man gives himself, even if he does give thanks to god for it afterwards.

  —Clockwork Smurf Read Clockwork Smurf's other letters
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