In a word, religion is ridiculous

This will get the religious fanatics jumping up and down and waving banners like a bunch of Muslims who've just heard that a cartoon may have been produced that may have hinted at a likeness of their prophet.

It's a film with the portmanteau title of Religulous, and it comes from the same stable as the Borat film starring Sacha Baron Cohen. It will, says the Observer, "mock the beliefs of the world's major religions, recruiting unwitting assistance from the ranks of the faithful".

It's due to open in New York at the beginning of October. The paper says:

The project has already inspired protests at its premiere at the Toronto film festival earlier this month, and US satirist Bill Maher and director Larry Charles have been accused of misleading participants. Maher has conceded that several sleights of hand were necessary to persuade people to perform. "It was simple: We never, ever, used my name. We never told anybody it was me who was going to do the interviews. We even had a fake title for the film. We called it A Spiritual Journey. It didn't work everywhere. We went to Salt Lake City, but no one would let us film there at all."

Maher is quoted as describing the type of audience he seeks to provoke:

"Any religious person. The point is to question what is usually made to be unquestionable in this country. Normally if you say the word 'faith', the debate is over – no matter what incredibly nonsensical, destructive, ridiculous tenet comes out of your mouth. I could say, 'My faith is the tooth fairy and Klingons are coming'. But I'm not going to play by those rules."

Sounds like fun.