Plot: Comedian and commentator Bill Maher, who grew up Catholic of a Catholic father and Jewish mother, believes that organized religion is a detriment to the progress of society. He also believes that many tenets of the various religions worldwide will end up being self-fulfilling prophecies because man can now achieve them. He has trouble understanding the long held tenets that, if described today in any other western context, would be deemed crazy, such as the story of Jonah and the big fish, or a virgin birth. Maher has discussions with leaders and followers of various religions, both in the mainstream and on the fringe, to try and understand why their beliefs are so strong, while both sides try to convince the other to see things from the other side. Specifically with United States based Christianity, he has discussions with those associated on what seem to be the inherent incompatible beliefs of Americans, such as between religion and science, nationalism, and consumerism, as well as the incongruence between the purported plain life of Jesus against the wealthy opulence of modern day Christian monuments and most Christian leaders. Although focused primarily on Christianity, he looks at Judaism, Islam and what may be considered more fringe religions such as Mormonism and Scientology, not only in and of themselves, but also their tolerance, or what is more often their intolerance for views other than their own, including that of other religions.
Alternative Plot: Commentator-comic Bill Maher plays devil's advocate with religion as he talks to believers about their faith. Traveling around the world, Maher examines the tenets of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and raises questions about homosexuality, proof of Christ's existence, Jewish Sabbath laws, violent Muslim extremists.
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