Bill Maher's "Religulous" = Disrespect and Immaturity

I have not seen this movie, nor did I ever plan to. When I first heard about the movie, it seemed like something I would find offensive, not because I am religious, per se, but because I respect each person's right to believe in what he/she chooses. This is the reason why I do not understand conflict between religious groups. If you believe in God, you should believe that he/she is everyone's God. There are a lot of small differences and manmade rules involved in religion, but I think that you have to be able to look past all of that and simply determine what and if you believe.
That being said, I turn now to my utter disdain for Bill Maher and his new movie, "Religulous." I had the displeasure of viewing a clip/preview of this movie online (not my choice, I was sitting with someone who wanted to see the preview). I have to say that within the first twenty seconds or so, I was utterly disgusted and offended by what I saw. I think it is interesting to study different cultures, religions, societies, and examine the differences, even if you do not agree with the teachings or practices of such. And if a filmmaker, performer, or writer wants to raise valid points about aspects of a particular faith that he/she finds outrageous or extreme, that would be his/her right. However, this film is not so much a study of religions, as it is a complete mockery of them. Just as it is Maher's right to be an Atheist and not be shown disrespect for his lack of belief, it is each person's right to believe in what he/she chooses and not be shown disrespect because of it. Bill Maher apparently does not feel this way. His handling of this film is revolting. He blatantly shows a complete lack of respect for anyone who practices any form of religion. Well, according to a Gallup International Millennium Survey, eighty-seven percent (87%) of the world's population believes in some form of religion or god.
So Maher, you have now offended at least 87% of the world. And actually, since those of us who do not practice religion but do practice respect and tolerance may also be offended by your movie, you have actually alienated a much higher percentage of the population. I daresay your film is offensive and disrespectful to everyone (except for people like yourself who may think that it is okay to treat others with complete disregard).

Gay Marriage Issue

The ban ended up passing, i.e. gay marriage will be prohibited in California. It is definitely a conflict-causing issue, even within one’s own mind at times. Though I do not practice religion now, I was raised as a Catholic, and was taught that such a union is morally wrong, but I also was taught tolerance and acceptance of all people, and so, I guess in the end, the latter sentiment has won out. One of the things I find kind of irritating about the gay marriage ban issue is that there are a lot of celebrities who are now voicing their anger (now, i.e. post election) about the ban, but before the vote, most of them did not really do very much in the way of encouraging people to vote against the ban.
It is kind of funny in general, how marriage, which is supposed to be a spiritual (or religious, if one is religious) bond between two people, became this legal institution, at least in many modern societies. A few months ago, I saw a story on National Geographic about a culture that handles its relationships a little bit differently. I especially admired the bond among the females of the society. Here is the link to the story: China's "Kingdom of Women."

Presidential Election: Reaction

This is one of my favorite articles so far about the world's reaction to the new President-elect Barack Obama.
Obama victory sparks cheers around the globe

Have you exercised your democratic right today?

Okay, so technically, we in the U.S. live in a republic. This year's presidential race has been a historic campaign that has impassioned many, and reawakened the desire to vote in many Americans. It has even been a hot topic for those who live outside the U.S. For the first time, many voters feel as if they have a choice; they are not just voting for the lesser of two evils. For me, this is the first time in my life that I can actually remember wanting someone to win, not just hoping the other guy doesn't get in. Did you exercise your right to vote today? If you do not live in the U.S., do you have an opinion about whom you would like to see in office?

Appalling...

This morning, as I reviewed my site, I was horrified to see that one of my sponsored Google ads in the sidebar was displaying a "Protect Marriage - Yes on 8" advertisement. I immediately logged onto adsense and blocked this advertiser so that they can no longer display their ads on my site. For those who are not familiar with Proposition 8, it is a measure on the ballot in the state of California. If Proposition 8 took effect, gay marriage would no longer be allowed in California. So, voting "no" on Prop. 8 means you support allowing gay marriage, and voting "yes" means you want the state to ban gay marriage.
Personally, I do not believe that marriage and how two people feel about each other should have anything to do with the law. Why should the government have to sanction any marriage, either heterosexual or homosexual? But as long as marriage is an issue of legality, I believe that the government should not interfere in the decision of two homosexual people to marry.