Religulous

We've had these free AMC tickets for a while. And "Religulous" was only playing in the city. And we both figured it was a movie that looked good enough to travel to the city for. Because I hate the city. Goddamn there's a lot of hipsters, fixed-gears, mopeds, flat caps, and ironic mustaches in that city.

So off we went on our little like-minded agnostic adventure.

"Religulous" is basically a movie about "doubt." Bill Maher, one of the 5 still-living people I'd like to have dinner with, MC's a movie basically just questioning people and their religions. His way of doing it is very tongue-in-cheek but not vicious. He leaves most encounters laughing with the people he talks to, which is key to rational debate and dialogue, which a lot of religious people tend to not do.

But at the core of the movie is understanding how religion in modern age is a detriment to progressing society. And I couldn't agree more. I think most people at this point could name many reasons why modern civilation does not need any belief in a man in the clouds any longer, and also too how religion is the catalyst in many wars and deaths.

Some 16% of people consider themselves non-religious people. I think I got lucky because I've met recovering Catholics and they seem genuinely traumatized. But I remember my first realization that I was an atheist. I was in Math class in either Freshman or Sophore in High School. My buddy James told me he was atheist. And I remember feeling like I just got hit with a ton of bricks. It had never occurred to me that you did not have to believe in that same crap society spoon fed you. And then I learned my math teacher Mr. Peters was an atheist. People would ask him what he believes in if he's an atheist "I believe in myself." He was a smart man. Ask him anything and he knows. How many flowers on a Oreo cookie? 12 per side.

I'm very thankful for being raised in a nonreligious household. The only church I ever went to was when I was invited to see a magic show at a bible school. Santa Claus was the only semi-religious thing in our house. But I was probably crying to Jesus when mom and dad found out us boys had discovered our presents. And thus Santa Claus died.

Anyway, back to the movie. It was very often funny, a few moments of genuine fear, and for the most part feeling like it's just preaching to the choir. Everyone in that theater had similar views on the subject. But, hey, our camp needs a film of it's own once in a while.