When you sit down to watch a documentary whose title combines the words "religion" and "ridiculous", you should have a pretty good idea what you're going to be getting. Comedian talkshow host and self-proclaimed skeptic Bill Maher takes a look at some of the more ridiculous aspects of organized religions, and then asks the faithful why they believe what they believe (or why they believe in what, in any other context, would be considered crazy). It's Maher's semi-serious, mostly comical attempt at getting to the heart of fundamentalism, the kind of religious fervor that goes beyond typical religious faith. In this regard, I think he's succeeded in making the kind of documentary he intended to make (whether that lives up to others' expectations seems up for debate, as forums around the internet would indicate). Maher asks legitimate (though sometimes funnily worded) questions that anyone purporting to be of faith should be prepared to answer, or at least discuss, and yet some seem like they've never been questioned or even thought about why they believe what they believe in. Of course, Maher finds all religion equally ridiculous and is an equal opportunity offender. From what he sees as silly beliefs (mormons and their magic underwear, judeo/christians and their belief in talking snakes and getting swallowed by giant fish, scientology..), to more scary beliefs (Islam's "death to the infidels!" and "christians" who support the murder of abortionists), the whole gamut is covered. Although Maher uses the lunatic fringe as straight men for lots of jokes, I didn't find it necessarily mean-spirited. When the flock of the trucker chapel all gather around him to pray for his soul, his smirk disappears and he seems to feel a genuine gratitude for their concern. Bill Maher's general point in this documentary (right or wrong) is that those who have a safety net of religion can be more callous and carefree when it comes to the welfare of the world we live in (if you know there's a better place waiting, why worry about the environment, for example). Obviously, those who are easily offended by religious jokes should avoid this movie, as should those militant atheists who want to see the devout and dogmatic crucified (no pun intended), as Bill Maher doesn't really go for the jugular so much as the funny bone.