Ok, so everyone is blogging about this and the movie isn't even out yet. I'm speaking of Bill Maher's latest creation, the documentary, "Religilous".
I've only seen the trailer and the bits he's shared on the The Tonight Show and Conan (which I only watch because I'm too lazy to put in a movie when I can't sleep.) But I'll give him credit for one thing, he's an equal opportunity "anti-relig-ist" (for lack of a better term). He not only goes after Christians, he also confronts the beliefs of Mormons, Islamists, and Raelians (who believe a flying saucer is coming to take them away) and I don't know what else.
So I'm going to say something my Christians friends will probably smack me for, but I applaud Mr. Maher's exercising his First Amendment right. Ben Stein did the same with his documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed", which took a pro-intelligent-design stand. Will anyone see Bill Maher's movie? Probably not many, documentaries typically don't bring in the big bucks. Will I see it? Probably not. Not because I'm worried about being offended or anything like that, I just don't find Bill Maher funny.
So, go ahead and make fun of religion. I don't care. I'm always examining what I believe and I really don't see much as a challenge to my faith. So to those of you that are going to be picketing the movie theater, remember that the movie makers are just exercising the same rights that allow you to picket.
That's my opinion anyway.
Christian Priorities and the Upcoming Presidential Election
So I try hard not to let the media influence my opinions when it comes to politicians, instead going to the candidates' websites and reviewing the platform of their political party. The negative ads and slanted TV and newspaper stories don't tell me much.
I do, however, listen to some Christian radio (or to be exact, podcast versions of radio broadcasts). Now, legally, Christian radio personalities aren't supposed to be allowed to express their political opinions, but thanks to legal loopholes and sneaky double-talk, they somehow make their opinions on the issues prevalent. And annoyingly, frustratingly, there seems to be one and only one issue that matters to these radio personalities: abortion.
Sidebar: For the record, I am very pro-life. I hate abortion. No one would jump for joy more than me to have Roe v. Wade be overturned. However, I am also very pro-choice. That may seem contradictory, but let me explain. I cannot impose my morality on other people. To do so would be tyranny. I would like everyone to believe as I do that abortion is murder, but not everyone does. So, until they do, we have to give them a choice. If we don't, then they will make the choice anyway, even if it's illegal. To overturn Roe v. Wade would lead to the death and disability of many women - mostly young women - who would turn to illegal means to exercise their choice. Do you see where I'm going here? I'm pro-life, but I respect choice. I believe we need better choices, but that's where we are now.
So, to these radio personalities, the only issue that matters is whether our next president is pro-life or not. Many insinuating that they next president would have the power to end abortion and that's all that matters. (Incidentally, I heard the same thing when Bush was elected, and re-elected.) With the economy in shambles, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going on without resolution, the housing market in ruins, they still stomp their feet and insist abortion is our biggest problem.
Does anyone else see a problem here? Now I'm not going to say one candidate is better than the other (that's another post), but to have the Christian right elect our next president on the premise that he could end abortion is foolish at best, and dangerous at worst.
As I said, I would like nothing more than to end abortion, but with the world in the state it's in, that is not going to happen. If you are truly pro-life, then consider everything that's going on. Families going broke and their kids not having anything to eat, young men coming home from the Middle East in a box instead of into the arms of their loved ones, children dying from exposure because they got kicked out of their house and had to live in a box under the bridge at the city park, people suffering in their sickness because they have to choose food or gasoline over prescriptions, veterans who served their country with honor only to have their country strip their benefits and leave them jobless, sick, and forgotten.
This presidential election is arguably the most important in American history, especially when recent events are taken into consideration. I can only pray that Christians are smart enough to make decisions for themselves instead of relying on their favorite talk radio personality to decide for them. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Don't go to the polls without KNOWING what the person you are voting for stands for on ALL the issues, not just your pet cause. Especially on issues that affect your friends and family.
I do, however, listen to some Christian radio (or to be exact, podcast versions of radio broadcasts). Now, legally, Christian radio personalities aren't supposed to be allowed to express their political opinions, but thanks to legal loopholes and sneaky double-talk, they somehow make their opinions on the issues prevalent. And annoyingly, frustratingly, there seems to be one and only one issue that matters to these radio personalities: abortion.
Sidebar: For the record, I am very pro-life. I hate abortion. No one would jump for joy more than me to have Roe v. Wade be overturned. However, I am also very pro-choice. That may seem contradictory, but let me explain. I cannot impose my morality on other people. To do so would be tyranny. I would like everyone to believe as I do that abortion is murder, but not everyone does. So, until they do, we have to give them a choice. If we don't, then they will make the choice anyway, even if it's illegal. To overturn Roe v. Wade would lead to the death and disability of many women - mostly young women - who would turn to illegal means to exercise their choice. Do you see where I'm going here? I'm pro-life, but I respect choice. I believe we need better choices, but that's where we are now.
So, to these radio personalities, the only issue that matters is whether our next president is pro-life or not. Many insinuating that they next president would have the power to end abortion and that's all that matters. (Incidentally, I heard the same thing when Bush was elected, and re-elected.) With the economy in shambles, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going on without resolution, the housing market in ruins, they still stomp their feet and insist abortion is our biggest problem.
Does anyone else see a problem here? Now I'm not going to say one candidate is better than the other (that's another post), but to have the Christian right elect our next president on the premise that he could end abortion is foolish at best, and dangerous at worst.
As I said, I would like nothing more than to end abortion, but with the world in the state it's in, that is not going to happen. If you are truly pro-life, then consider everything that's going on. Families going broke and their kids not having anything to eat, young men coming home from the Middle East in a box instead of into the arms of their loved ones, children dying from exposure because they got kicked out of their house and had to live in a box under the bridge at the city park, people suffering in their sickness because they have to choose food or gasoline over prescriptions, veterans who served their country with honor only to have their country strip their benefits and leave them jobless, sick, and forgotten.
This presidential election is arguably the most important in American history, especially when recent events are taken into consideration. I can only pray that Christians are smart enough to make decisions for themselves instead of relying on their favorite talk radio personality to decide for them. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Don't go to the polls without KNOWING what the person you are voting for stands for on ALL the issues, not just your pet cause. Especially on issues that affect your friends and family.
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