HBO host Bill Maher argued GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson’s Seventh-day Adventist faith is “kind of a deal breaker for me” and complained that “the stupid media never asks Jesus freaks running for office two questions, do you believe the world is ending soon? And is that a bad thing?” on Friday’s “Real Time.”
Maher said, “I know the constitution says there can be no test for holding office, but sorry, you can’t get your hands on the nuclear launch codes if you own a painting of yourself with Jesus in a bathrobe.” He then displayed a picture that Carson has in his house.
Maher added, “Ben Carson is a Seventh-day Adventist, a religion founded in the 19th century, on pastor William Miller’s guarantee that Jesus would return to earth on October 22nd, 1844. Spoiler alert, he didn’t, which you’d think would have made the followers go, ‘Well, I guess that was a bunch of bullsh*t.’ It’s like believing in the Wizard of Oz, after Toto pulls back the curtain. But no, that’s logical, and this is religion. Seventh-day Adventists are obsessed with the world ending, and refer to the world not ending in 1844 as ‘The Great Disappointment.’ They’re disappointed that the world still exists. I don’t have to agree with a politician on everything. We can disagree on abortion, entitlements, paid sick leave, the earned income tax credit, but the earth staying is kind of a deal breaker for me. You know what my great disappointment is? That I live in a country where four out of 10 people believe we’re living in end times, and that the stupid media never asks Jesus freaks running for office two questions, do you believe the world is ending soon? And is that a bad thing? Because I’m the opposite of an end timer. I’m a spend timer. I want to spend as much time as I can on this planet, and I want some planet left for the children and grandchildren, who are always kicking the back of my airplane seat. Politicians here love to talk about fundamental differences. This is as fundamental as it gets, folks. [Representative] Lamar Smith (R-TX) is the Chairman of the House science committee and he’s a Christian Scientist, which means he doesn’t believe in science. He wants to repeal Obamacare and replace it with prayer. [Representative] John Shimkus (R-IL) is Chairman of the House subcommittee on the environment, and he says, don’t worry about rising sea levels because in the bible, God promised Noah there won’t be anymore floods. So what if the oceans are dying and we kill all the fish? Christ can make more, he’s done out before. No wonder nothing gets done in this country. How serious can people like this be about wanting to improve the future when they don’t think we’ll be around for it? A majority of Evangelicals say Christ will either probably, or definitely, return to earth by 2050, depending on his schedule. So why fix the streetlights, if there’s just going to be a big fight with Satan? Why reform healthcare? Why wear pants? Ben Carson says he could, quote, feel god’s fingers pushing him to be president. You know what? Tell God to keep his fingers to himself. Because we know where those fingers have been, in every war in human history, from the ones He started in the Old Testament to the one that just played out in Paris.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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