"Grow up or die!"  These are the last words of Bill Maher's new film "Religilous". I commend Bill for creating this forward thinking film.  I don't want to get into a discussion on Religion or Politics on this site, though I will lead you to the Catholic Discussion site where there are numerous debates going on, (commenter EB is a favorite), and is the reason I haven't posted yet today.  It's painfully entertaining.  More»

[Photo by JIMI CELESTE for Patrick McMullan]

When it comes to religion, comedian Bill Maher is clearly a man of many opinions, or lack there of and is not afraid to loudly express why he thinks your religion is a crock of bleep! Maher readies himself to "debunk the man behind the curtain" and hilariously explores this not-so hilarious topic by hitting the streets Borat-style to get some insight into what everybody believes in and why in his new film, Religulous.

To kick off the October 3rd release of Maher's film, some of the funniest faces in New York gathered yesterday afternoon for lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann. Bill Maher's pals included Joy Behar, Caroline Rhea, Kathleen Turner, Debra Winger, Steve Guttenberg, Jeneane Garofalo, Liz Smith, Caroline Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Nora Ephron, and the ever-so controversial Tatum O'Neal.

More photos from this event below...

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(pronunciation not permitted)

She is the divine mother-- yes the name above-- who has hugged 26 million people in 36 years (and you thought cuddling was a sin). An extraordinary being with a bundle of hugs, love and light to share, Amma (mother) as dubbed in her inner peace circles, is the mother of all beings. Taking a big bite of the apple for just three days, this rock star advocate for a peaceful world, harmony and a religion called love and is hosting what may be the one and only string of minutes for all to catch up with the self within.

Her ethereal embraces, darshan, are selfless and fully devoted to those who are big sufferers, partly happy or just twined in a life rotating in the wheel of daily tasks and responsibilities.

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Just when I thought I had made up my mind against organized religion, the Relevant Church of Tampa, Florida went ahead and challenged — yes, challenged — it’s members to have sex every day for a month. Granted, this is a “casual, contemporary” congregation that meets at the Italian Club, but still … I like it. This is like the 30-day yoga challenge, but better. And Christian. But don’t go toting any fertilizer-filled U-Hauls down to Tampa yet, my Evangelistic friends. Married couples are the only members challenged to fuck like bunnies; the flip side of the challenge is 30 days of abstinence for singles. Apparently, Relevant Church isn’t *that* causal.

Sure we've all heard various accounts of Tom Cruise and his involvement with The Church of Scientology. There is the standard auditing with and E-meter, the supposed silent birth of Suri, and now Andrew Morton claims that Cruise is the de facto Number 2 in the church. So who does Number 2 work for? David Miscavige of course, the leader of the Church.

So how did The Church entice Cruise to join? Simple, they indulged his whims by planting a meadow of wild flowers.

"When Tom confided to the Scientology leader about the couple's fantasy of running through a meadow of wild flowers together, his friend apparently decided to make his dream come true.

"A team of 20 Sea Org disciples was set to work digging, hoeing, and planting wheat grass and wildflower seed near the Cruises' bungalow.

"Naturally the work was regularly inspected by David and Shelley Miscavige [his wife], who would ride over to the site on his motorbike. They were apparently unhappy with the finished appearance and had the area ploughed over and reseeded."

[Daily Mail]

Who knew it would be so easy?

[Source: View Images]

You may have recently seen Justin Fatica on the documentary Hard as Nails.  Fatica travels around trying to awaken people spiritually by equating their own personal suffering to the suffering of Jesus.  Impressionable teens filled with angst seem to be his bread and butter, and his spiritual gatherings have the feel of EMO meets PostSecret.  Fatica has formed his own ministry, and while The New York Times states that Fatica is an unordained Roman Catholic minister, an oxymoron in itself, he isn't affiliated with the Catholic Church.

We of course couldn't contain ourselves when we saw him preaching outside 27th Street in front of the likes of Guest House and Home.  Once hallowed clubbing ground, where 10th Avenue meets 27th Street is definitely the nexus of sin in New York City.  Sinful of course because the clubs are  hellishly bad down there.  You might as well cross the river Styx Hudson River and go to straight to Hades New Jersey.

Other highlights include Fatica relaying how he cured his "disease" of masturbation by working out instead of rubbing out.