Bill Maher and Larry Charles talk to us about religion: Five life-altering things we learned in 10 minutes

We sat down with politically incorrect talking head Bill Maher and comedy genius director Larry Charles to talk about religion, ridiculousness and their new film, Religulous. Five things we learned in 10 minutes:

1. Religion is for rubes, not critically thinking adults

“If you’re religious, you come off looking stupid. You’re defending indefensible, primitive, mythic thinking. If you’re an adult and you still believe this stuff, I’m sorry, you can’t have adult ways, and you’re a rube,” Maher says with conviction. What are you saying, Bill? Jonah wasn’t eaten by a whale? The next four lessons, after the jump.

2. Senators agree they don’t need to be smart

In a scene from Religulous, a U.S. senator is unable to compete with, or even follow, Maher’s quick wit. Confused after a debate about Bible logic, the senator turns red and awkwardly blurts out, “You don’t have to be intelligent to be a senator.” Referencing this, Charles throws to the table, “Do we really want people running our governments who believe the earth is 5,000 years old at this point in the 20th century?” Adam and Eve frolicking in the garden, eating apples and wreaking havoc? Entertaining, yes; sophisticated, apparently not.

3. It’s doubtful that amusement park Jesus will cross to the dark side

Although Maher and Charles hope to sway on-the-fence religious peeps to realize the ludicrousness of the Bible’s teachings, they’re not holding their breath for Jesus. That is, the actor who plays Jesus at the Holy Land Experience park in Florida, where you can watch the son of man get crucified six days a week.

4. Bible thumpers don’t even know the commandments

Paraphrasing a passage from the Bible, Maher says, “If you find out that your neighbour is working on Sunday, kill him.” And to that we say, thank God no one’s paying attention to the commandments.

5. “If you’re certain that you know what happens after you die, you are lacking intellectually”

Certainly a morbid Maher moment; there goes that dream of sitting on a cloud eating cream cheese with our predeceased puppy listening to Enya and flapping our angel wings. Damn. (No pun intended.)—Jen McNeely