Bill Maher was in a constant “down with religion” state of mind during Friday’s “Real Time” on HBO, taking a one-two jolt to both the Catholic Church and his favorite former president, Donald Trump.
This St. Patrick’s Day and all, what began with a shoutout to Maher’s “New Rule” Ireland quickly turned into a political comparison to the current state of the country’s division over religion in the Republican Party.
,[Ireland] A period passed through where political hatred fueled by religion turned into ‘the Troubles’, which meant that the hatred had become so bad that it could not be contained by normal means of dissent. So people lived with bombings and sniping and urban warfare, which Tucker Carlson calls sightseeing,” Maher said, cutting to images of Trump supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“Politics has become our religion,” he continued. “We used to pray for the nation. Now each side prays that the other side does not destroy the nation. On the one hand, the ‘Church of Wock’ wants to cleanse us of our past. And on the other hand, the cult of Trump wants to revive it.”
Maher pointed out that Trump is often portrayed as some sort of religious warrior, an image he enforces with his choice of language.
“Now he’s talking like an end-times religious nut,” the comedian said. “He speaks of an epic battle against sinister forces and says, ‘I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your avenger.’ Oh my god. Thanks, Batman!’ Maher added, rolling his eyes.
And what began as praise for Pope Francis for starting a conversation about ending celibacy for priests has led to the downfall of the Catholic Church he leads.
“Many people are so excited that they already have an app where you can meet priests. It’s called Grindr,” Maher said, referring to the popular dating app targeted to the LGBTQ community.
“But good for Francis,” he continued. “We are pointing out that the Church only demanded celibacy from priests starting in the 11th century. And when they did, it was so that instead of leaving their money to their children after they had Will give it to the Church—which, ironically, all these centuries later, stopped giving it to children,” citing the church’s history as it continues to face allegations of sexual misconduct against boys.
You can watch the entire “New Testament” segment in the video at the top, including a (nother) takedown from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who she calls the “National Leprechaun.”
