Bill Maher Irks Rick Santorum: Compares Christian Homeschooling to Madrassa
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ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua(NEW YORK) — Comedian Bill Maher has once again inserted himself into the 2012 presidential dialogue, this time igniting a battle over Christian home schooling with Rick Santorum, the conservative Republican running for president.
On his HBO show Friday night, Maher criticized Santorum’s home schooling of his children, comparing the Santorum home to a “Christian madrassa.”
Responding last night on Fox News’ Hannity, Santorum told host Sean Hannity that “folks on the left” are “trashing anybody who stands up for Christian conservative values, anybody who dares to actually teach their children faith in their home.”
Maher has become something of a lightning rod this campaign cycle after he gave $1 million to the super PAC that supports President Obama.
On Friday’s Real Time With Bill Maher, he took on home schooling, saying:
“It’s no coincidence that the type of tree, which God forbade Adam and Eve eating from, was the tree of knowledge. Rick Santorum home-schools his children because he does not want them eating that (audio bleep) apple,” Maher said. “He wants them locked up in the Christian Madrassa that is the family living room, not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason.”
Republicans say there is a double standard in the media for Maher, who unabashedly supports Obama’s reelection. Santorum said he agrees that a double standard exists.
“All of a sudden, if you’re instilling faith and teaching them about God in your home, you’re a Madrassa, according to these folks, as if reason doesn’t take place in these homes,” Santorum said. “Our children will out-reason him. My 12-year-old will out-reason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works, ’cause (Maher) is completely illogical.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio