Conversation or Confrontation?
by Holly Robaina
Thoughts about Bill Maher’s new movie, Religulous
October 22, 2008 | Today's Christian Woman
I recently saw Religulous, a film that's billed as the "No. 1 sacrilegious comedy in America." It's supposedly a documentary, in which comedian Bill Maher (of Real Time with Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect) travels the world asking religious practitioners questions about their faith. Though Maher makes fun of every world religion, as well as some minor ones, about two-thirds of the film focuses on Christianity.
At the beginning of the film, Maher says he's on a spiritual journey. But instead of interviewing well-known pastors or Christian academics, Maher poses complicated theological and philosophical questions to truck drivers, a Christian bookstore owner, and an actor who plays Jesus at The Holy Land Experience, an Orlando theme park.
Los Angeles Times movie critic Kenneth Turan said Maher's "reliance on skewering people who are no match for him in glibness, persuasiveness or even intelligence finally leaves a sour taste." Indeed.
Maher makes his view clear on the Religulous website: "There is nothing more ridiculous than the ancient mythological stories that live on as today's religions." Still, I hoped there might be a few moments in the movie when Maher got sincere about seeking. So I focused on how I might answer his questions. This was an exercise in futility: I could barely string together two thoughts before Maher changed the subject.
I soon realized it wouldn't matter if Maher was interviewing the most brilliant Christian debater on the planet. He wasn't interested in contemplating faith - just in mocking religion. Richard Corliss of Time magazine writes, "Maher seems interested less in conversation than in confrontation, so his movie is less essay than inquisition."
This got me thinking: With whom am I sharing my faith? Do they really want to converse, or just argue? I thought about how the Apostle Paul spent varying amounts of time in different cities as he spread the Gospel. One stop was Athens, a city full of philosophers, where people "spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas" (Acts 17:21). Some of the Athenians seemed to take Paul seriously: They brought him before the Areopagus, a powerful council, and asked him to speak.
But it doesn't seem many were open to what Paul had to say. We're told that only a few believed (whereas in some other cities, thousands became Christ-followers). Perhaps the people of Athens weren't really listening to Paul. Perhaps they were interested in educating themselves further, but not in contemplating Paul's words. In any case, Paul moved on.
I think there are times when I need to move on. Some years ago, I was contacted by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a news parody that airs on Comedy Central. A representative from the show wanted to discuss an article I'd written for Christianity Today. My first thought was, Woo hoo! What a great way to share my faith! But something inside gave me pause.
I decided to ask two trusted Christian friends whether I should return the call to the show. Both responded, "Absolutely not." They told me I'd get ripped to shreds, I'd be dismissed as a religious kook, and the message of faith I wanted to convey wouldn't be heard at all. While I wasn't concerned about being mocked, I realized it didn't make sense to take part in a show that had no interest in letting me talk about Jesus.
My time, effort, and energy are better utilized talking to people who are interested in conversations about faith. I have one friend who's been asking me questions about God for the past five years. I've shared my faith journey with her and listened to her doubts.
My friend often challenges my statements and she asks tough questions, yet I find it easy to talk to her. I know she's listening to me, and I'm listening to her - even when we don't agree. I don't know if she's any closer to believing in God than she was five years ago. But I'm thrilled that we both know each other better, and I feel privileged to participate in her spiritual journey. Every minute I've conversed with her is time well spent.
Honestly, if I tried to share my faith with someone like Bill Maher or Jon Stewart, I'd be doing so out of foolish vanity. I can't match wits with them. Perhaps the body of Christ is meant to share faith as a body. For example, I've referred friends who are struggling with addiction to a Christian addiction counselor. And I've asked a Christian friend who's a scientist to help me devise some "talking points" about science and faith. In conversations with seekers, the only thing better than an honest "I don't know" is being able to add, "... but I have a Christian friend who might be able to answer those questions."
I've added Bill Maher to my prayer list. I'm praying that God will give Maher every opportunity to recognize Him. (Maybe Maher will run into Lee Strobel, Alvin Plantinga, or William Lane Craig!) But if Maher happens to request an interview with me for Religulous 2, I'll have to pass until he's open to real conversations about faith.
Blessings,
Holly
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