What does Bill Maher know about Religion?

I finally got around to watching Bill Maher’s 2008 film, "Religuous"  last night. Sometimes I find Bill Maher funny—not last night. Bill’s church would look something like this picture I have posted. He took almost the lowest common denominator in every religious group for his standard of attack. He interviewed one preacher who wore $2,000 suits. (Wonder what Bill pays for his wardrobe?) In forty years I don’t think I have ever met anybody that wore that pricey of a suit. Of course he had to show clips of the Anti-Gay Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas that has, by the way, about 32 members. Most of those who attend, I understand are family members. He had shots of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

The person that made the most sense out of the whole thing was some priest—not a Vatican official. Bill couldn’t resist talking about the whale swallowing Jonah and how dumb it was for people to believe that. He took a tour of the Holy Land replica in Florida and sneered as people wiped away tears in the crucifixion scene there. In fact he sneered at just about everyone who believed anything. He didn’t particularly picking on Christians—he included Jews and Muslims in his tirade. I guess you might call that politically correct.

Where was the Metropolitan Community Church that provides love and support for gay folk all in the name of Jesus? Or—the Bishop of the Episcopal Church who resides in California who has taken a great many attacks for her support of gay priests. And she is a woman. Not a single reputable Biblical scholar was interviewed. They could certainly set the record straight by telling him the Bible is made up of history, myth, parables, poetry and doctrine. Maher kept talking about Adam and Eve as if all of us swallowed that story as literally as he assumes we do the Jonah story.

There was no mention of Mother Theresa and the countless missionaries who have poured their lives into making the world better. Dorothy Day, Catholic regenade who kept her Church honest about what mattered was not mentioned. Cetainly the Catholic Church has handled this sexual abuse of children by priests terribly. And yet—the 6,000 nuns who courageously stood up for Health Care for the poor lately—saying loud and clear that abortion is not the issue: people are.

If we took away all the schools and hospitals and nursing homes and caring that the ever-so-human church has sponsored—it would be a pretty destitute society. And the mystery, not everything can be computed or reasoned out. Who wants to live in a world without stained glass windows and great art and music that was written specifically for the church?

I grow weary of all those who throw rocks at the church lately. Quite a few have gotten on the bandwagon. There are two kinds of knowledge: head and heart. Sometimes the church errs on one or the other—but often, very often we can find intellect and feeling on the same page. We do have the treasure in earthen vessels. This will always be the case—but don’t forget the last part of that part: The treasure comes in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. After those words Paul says “we are afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed…” (II Cor. 4.7-10) I’ve seen those folk march for civil rights and women’s rights and gay rights and care of the earth. Not all, of course—but enough to make me proud to be a member of this club.

Carlyle Marney, a great Baptist preacher once said that when he received his doctor’s degree in theology, his major professor W.O. Carver told him: “I am glad that you have achieved this great honor. It is well deserved. But do not ever forget all those out there, little people, with little of the world’s good and little education who live by their faith. Some that believe every word of the Bible is literally true. Never sneer or put them down—they are as important as anybody with a Doctor’s degree.” I paraphrase his words, but why would anyone want to strip hope, faith and bed-rock beliefs away from anybody—even if we think some of their ideas are wrong?

Maybe I’ve strayed too far from Maher’s film. I simply say he has missed most of the story. And I wonder what kind of world would it be if Mr. Maher could stamp out religion which he thinks is behind most of the trouble in the world?

Judge everything by its best standards. Great cathedrals, great art—great minds—those that love and care and selflessly give themselves. And all those little ones who pray for their neighbors and the world and take casseroles and give their dimes and dollars to make the world, they hope, a better place. Of course it’s an-all-too-human institution—but there are a great cadre of us through the centuries that have found something that has kept us going.