There’s a new tongue-in-cheek religion website and its sacrilegious name is Disbeliefnet.com. You may notice similarites to our site (especially in the logo and eCards designs), to The Onion (for its irreverent humor), and Slate.com (in its heavy-handed “news” coverage).
The site is a marketing tool created by Lionsgate to promote “Religulous,” an upcoming documentary starring Bill Maher, the comedian known for his controversial political satire and cynical view on religious issues. “Religulous” (which combines the words “religious” with “ridiculous”) will explore (with barbed humor, of course) the problems with religion in the world. The documentary will be released on October 3, 2008.
Thanks to my web-savvy friend, who first alerted me to this site, you can now read about Burkini babes and Kosher phones. As a Beliefnet colleague pointed out, “Parody is the surest indication of success.” Even I have to admit the site’s content and features are brilliant. Make sure to check out “What in the World?” and “Blasphemy Box.”
What do you think? Is Disbeliefnet.com harmful or harmless? Humorous or horrific?
Check out Beliefnet’s own take on religious humor:

• The Dalai Lama Gets a Makeover
• Vatican to Unveil New Mint-Flavored Host
• More Funny Stories and Headlines