Bill Maher and Larry Charles on The Hour with Strombo

www.cbc.ca/thehour
What do the sharpest satirical minds working in television today have to say about religion? Well, if you ask Bill Maher and Larry Charles, the answer would be "a lot". Maher is known for holding nothing back on his former talk show 'Politically Incorrect' and his current one, 'Real Time.' Larry Charles made his name as a writer and producer on shows like 'Seinfeld', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Entourage.' Oh, and he also directed a little movie called 'Borat.' Now, Maher and Charles have joined forces in a new documentary called 'Religulous.' Now, if you're still wondering where Maher and Charles stand, let's just say they might have to dodge a few lightning bolts if they're wrong...

[@25prabath]

Thanks you opening eyes of the world. Great job.

[@romeno182]

thank you maher, thank you charles, you made my life better

[@MAnnaconduit1]

"you don't need to take an IQ test to be in the senate"...Clearly

[@marephrem]

Bill Maher is hilarious, I love him, and I think he is one of the most honest and respectful people I have seen on TV for a while. But I think he is gravely mistaken, about a few things: 1. He clumps all world religions in one class, when they should all be dealt with separately

[@samuelbeltran3058]

All religions are bullshit

[@TForceX]

Yea I can't stand religion. I love this movie

[@tayloreh]

the hour kicks ass! They always get great guests. Talk shows bring up so many questions, but at least they deal with the really annoying questions too.

[@JoshNetsky]

This film had to be made!!! Thank -something- it was!

[@PorterA7X]

It's amazing to see someone finally taking a stand and actually (for lack of better terminology) "preaching the gospel" of doubt. Apathetic agnostics are rational, intellectual people that deserve their say just as much as the next minister, rabbi or shaikh etc. These big questions cannot be ignored and "answered" by arrogant people who literally do not know what they are talking about. It's time to grow up, move on and stop arguing over who's random guess at the answer is the the truth.

[@daccord1]

I'm so glad Bill Maher like... exists haha I love him

[@DanK123]

Me too...until he became a virus downplayer and seems to be shifting towards being a Republican. Getting harder to watch these days. Oh wait. I don't watch anymore.

[@MrFeeny911]

People are allowed to change my dude it’s not a bad thing

[@dreamextreme7]

5:17 is such a good point.

[@surfer390111]

Thanks bill and larry great movie.

[@biggregg5]

I feel this was the best Bill Maher interview yet. Larry Charles was great too. I love the way Bill Maher laid it on the line. Atheist's are so disrespected, I am glad he didn't tip toe around the respect issue.

[@dyingtodeath]

The gospels about Christ were written within the lifetimes of those who were still alive that witnessed the events described. If there were errors, or out right invention of the persons or events themselves, this would have provided the only necessary weapon of its opponents, to destroy Christianity. The Jewish religious hierarchy were so opposed to this movement, that they conspired to kill its leader. The ancient Jews nowhere deny Jesus' existance, they only deny his claim of Deity.

[@lordkorner]

Looking from Europe its so easy to slag off America and Americans and then you are reminded that there are people like Bill and larry out there and your respect for Americans and America comes back, they rock and so does this show.

[@jokifka]

I LOVE YOU BILL!!!!!!!!!

[@tomsega]

I'm from Europe, too! You could say the problem is with the leadership and not the people, but really it's the people that choose the leaders. When not one senator will admit to being agnostic you know there's a massive problem with the people. I completely agree with what Maher says, the USA has a cool, educated, moderate European bit around New England and New Jersey, but the country is politically governed from the fundamentalist majority in the south.

[@underweightHater]

i like the format of this show. the host actually lets his guests talk and doesnt joke compulsively.

[@DAIGORO14]

love the hour

[@tabiotombak]

ROFL! I love how Larry Charles was wearing bright orange Corcs, LOL

[@loverofbeats]

hahahahha look at his shoes i loooooved the movie!

[@phishfearme2]

thanks for posting! george s is an excellent interviewer and only charlie rose can compete in the US. maher and charles are damn brilliant.

[@mattleroi]

I like that the human race is beginning to ask questions instead of blindly following the religions that their parents believe.

[@bruceinmyheart]

"Gonna be on a TV show tonight...I think I should wear my orange crocs!!"

[@xXShadowEyesXx]

@JimBrinkley1 Thanks for proving their point.

[@tomsega]

Well, the shame is that the human race was already heavily asking these questions about 100 years ago - things have actually gone downhill in the last 20 years!

[@bad4ever2001]

true that, we need more ppl speaking out more against religious nonsense.

[@LeeCzere]

The sight of two people begging for mercy is worthy of your hard earned dollars? Sick.

[@LeeCzere]

Cyrus Slapatich I usually like these guys but what the hell? They sounded like Fox 'news' broadcasters

[@wheelchairliving]

great

[@sam_toland]

Anyone else get the Mormon ad? Dude from London talking about accepting God - then stopped being homeless and became a recording artist?

[@S1N15T3R]

The film has needed to be made for soooooooooo long and thanks to Maher and Charles, it finally has. Viva la RATIONAL THOUGHT!!!

[@Nebuchadnezzar31]

I loved a lot of the movie, but tonally it switches on a dime when Bill starts talking about Islam in the film. It changes from taking a light-hearted look at Judaism and Christianity, to a call for arms and war against Islam.

[@_chew_]

+Edgar Allan Poe Well, that may be because Islam is much more influential and powerful in our time than Judaism and Christianity and therefore more dangerous. There is no Christian or Jewish group which is comparable to ISIS or Al Quaeda in its behaviour and size. Yes, there are Jews and Christians with a similar mentality to Islamic Jihadists, but they don't have the same number of supporters and they don't have the ability to cause worldwide terror, regardless of how much they'd like to. Christianity has much less grip over the west than Islam has over the middle east.

[@Nebuchadnezzar31]

TheShadowOfMadness fair point.

[@TheAggroCraig]

Yeah, it makes me feel much more optimistic about the human race as a whole that questioning religion is a rising trend. Now if only we could get a few politicians with the balls to state stuff like this and still get elected...

[@RevJoshua]

Word.

[@AgainstYTubePolicy17]

A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool speaks because he has to say something. Denial is an option. Reality is not.

[@nero359]

Very mature.

[@beastlt12]

I can't wait until Friday. Too bad I live in the south. I'll probably have to do some driving to find it.

[@avantgardenovelist]

This dude's a great interviewer.

[@FlyersDistrict]

this is the most important sentence in the religion debate. I believe there's something there, I just don't know what it is, and just because i don't know doesn't mean that I am going to cling to irrational ideas. Science and religion are both unproven stories, the only difference is that scientist continues to pursue answers, religion settles with irrationality.

[@negutzcht]

"... can't wait to watch the film! ever a documentary nut."

[@TheodorBjork]

I cannot believe Larry Charles is wearing "crocs"...

[@tubbychubby1]

as a devout athiest i pray to god and thank her for not making me religious,

[@kmcl11]

Nope that is what they told you it was. There are also chronological errors that cannot be rectified. There are tons of examples

[@brianmouland1]

Dont insult the memory of Carlin by mentioning him in the same sentence of Has-Been Hack Maher

[@robertwboykin]

No one person is special, no matter how many people agree with his opinions.

[@twalker166]

@Ernie101 "even from personal experience, that is a fact". That implies that based solely on personal experience, you came to the conclusion that it's a fact. You know, because that's what those words mean.

[@OlavTheCoolest]

If atheism is a religion then Bill Maher is a prophet for us

[@robbysoaks]

These days religion has very little bearing on my life. The most impact it ever had was when I had just started dating a very religious girl who thought we'd better call it quits, since my agnosticism broke 'the triangle', where we both look up to God. Suffice to say I had to come up with something quick!

[@Hadogei123456789]

YES, Bill.

[@ananiasacts]

I liked the voice over better than the movie. Maher and the director chat while watching the movie. There are a few deleted scenes that are worth seeing on the DVD as well.

[@Dmasterman]

But the illness HEAVILY outnumbers the cured/not infected. Also sadly the cure doesn't always work for a lot.

[@Nazdrovya4life]

You have to acknowledge religious beliefs, but you do NOT have to respect them. (Patton Oswalt said it best).

[@PFWoody488]

'So if people believe in an invisible magic sky daddy when there is absolutely no evidence to support that belief, you call them irrational?' Yeah George. I do, and so do a lot of other people. If that's not irrational, what is? I've had enough of pretending that such fantasies are somehow automatically deserving of our respect.

[@HaloedG]

Maybe the studio lights are too bright.

[@articwave]

@jkjl234 humm... once i watched a head doctor lecturing that faith activate parts of the brians which are similar when someone goes crazy or does synthetic drugs.

[@gggreggg]

come to think of it, they didnt go to Mecca!!!! (why?)

[@Lady-Evonne77]

this movie was pretty freakin cool. and i totally dug his perspective on things. you guys should check it out if youre interested in knowing a different view on religion.

[@ravemachin]

maybe so but being baptised I had no control over it...my parents had me baptised at 6 monthe old....but I had complete control over being de-baptised...i was an adult then

[@FCBSERIS]

I'm Brian!

[@PapaMagnum]

I really, really hope that you're right.

[@JuanT42]

Exactly, but we can still have general consensus on concepts like ignorance, the same way people do about other abstract ideas like god, love, etc. It's about using words like this to get the best idea across possible. The problem is that god for most people is a place holder, like the infinity sign, for something that is the most complete and perfect, but does not actually exist in reality. It's spelled Descartes, and you should get into more stuff influenced by this century/decade.

[@xxYetterxx]

North A. and Europe seem like they are making great strides at adopting "Rationalism". The rest of the world I'm not so sure about

[@strombo]

Sorry about that guys, big file...took awhile to process.

[@VoodooFlintstone]

Ahhhh hahaha sorry. I getcha.

[@g13iceman]

i wish i could see this movie

[@iden123]

We need Bill Maher, & Jesus is alive, & available.

[@twalker166]

@Ernie101 Sorry, "lol thats soooooo true!" really disproves my point.

[@suth2984]

how long you been waiting to use that phrase?

[@Cavetrolling]

I love it! orange crocks on television is the defintion of win

[@HaloedG]

Yeah, yeah...sure, sure.

[@Thebestofitalloffcial]

i gotta see that movie. Bill Maher is awsome.

[@glitchesandglitter]

he's not opening the door, he's just widening it. don't forget about bill hicks and george carlin, RIP.

[@JordyPordyPuddinNPie]

bill maher is my hero.

[@redshift40]

Time for a change, look what all of the religulous people in congress have done to the US. Way to go Bill and Larry, it is about time this goes mainstream.

[@theyogiic]

The audacity he had to call borat a "little film"

[@fmradio42]

unless he meant little as in big.

[@andyissemicool]

So you want him on there twice?

[@iCipher]

He means his point of view not being represented, being sane, logical and having rational sense not being a Jew.

[@natechomnicorp]

I' am Spartacus

[@DioRoxU]

@Drahgoon In point of fact, Einstein very clearly stated many times that he didn't believe in a personal god. "I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it. (Albert Einstein, 1954)"

[@lifemetall]

atheism is rising, rationality is rising, people are getting smart, older generation will parish and there will be a new age of brilliant minds

[@mattleroi]

Not here in Europe. We are fine and many great American scientists come here for intellectual freedom. Europe now has better levels of education, lower unemployment, higher wages, lower debt and we work less than the USA. But the problem is with the American leadership, not the millions of intelligent rational people.

[@KurdSyrian]

This dude with crocks! He is the staff writer for the most successful sitcom on the american screens, not to mention directing some of the most controversial films ever...

[@OnkelStein]

He's honest, now go cry your heart out.

[@el_chino778]

Yes, yes it is.

[@jt7887]

If there are any positive goals out of this, i can't see them.

[@809Ollie]

@KnwThyslf very spiritual

[@CarlinYGTBFKM]

Awesome interview and Happy darwin day everyone.

[@rolanddarktower1]

@drfye Hey. Good for you. I swing between atheism, agnosticism, and deism, yet I still respect belief if a believer doesn't push his/her beliefs on the world around him/her.

[@jama3335]

i tried hard to be religious but its just too conflicting with reality and when you look at it objectively its so unbelievable and crazy

[@VoodooFlintstone]

hahaha yeah, Sorry I was drunk.

[@infidelphian]

@drfye You are not mistaken. I'm an American atheist and I know exactly what you're talking about and it's true. But, rhetoric on the internet is always stronger than it is in person. I've had many discussions with theists and they almost always get offended (mostly because anything to the contrary of their beliefs, no matter how small or trivial, sets them off) but the debates rarely get to the point that they do online.

[@sharonbre9347]

What about Elijah being taken up in a chariot of fire in II Kings? Doesn't that strain the bounds of credulity as much as the Resurrection?

[@eidius1989]

@duffman5094 i know right?

[@bazukaboom]

hey man, you know in a way it was cool commenting with you, you very interesting. you wont get anymore comment from me bro. good luck

[@UnleashthePhury]

how so? He made this movie, and he sticks to his guns with this issue. Unless your definition of 'coward' is woefully inaccurate, explain how his behaviour is 'cowardly'

[@MrAlsfan5]

Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate worth a damn in this election year.

[@gtg309v]

He told you he believes they are just stories, not literal, and that the message Jesus gave was basically good.

[@phoney98]

to put it better whether you believe in God or not is no excuse to insult people-and by insult i mean a deliberate slight that goes beyond the bounds of 'humor/sub-text'.

[@weazz]

not to mention they have misquoted and misrepresented the people they claim to speak about.

[@suth2984]

then free yourself from oppression. The fact that they love their book more than they love their child should free you from any guilt about how they react to how you believe. Do what ever you feel is best in the end. Peace

[@XerxesGammon200]

@SSTTEEAALLTTHH That's not always the case. some people have a different perception of evidence and facts.