We know that many of those who oppose LGBT equality use the Bible to justify their position, saying all of its contents, including denunciations of homosexuality, are the literal word of God. But what about verses condoning slavery and ordering that women who have premarital sex be stoned to death?
Bill Maher challenged conservative Christian activist Ralph Reed on those portions of the Bible on last Friday's edition of
Real Time With Bill Maher.
"If the Bible's a perfect book written by a perfect guy, why is this part in there?" Maher said of the stoning verse, which is in the Old Testament. Reed cited the New Testament story of Jesus intervening to keep a woman from being stoned, prompting Maher to respond, "Why does Jesus need to come along to correct his dad?"
When Reed criticized Maher for being selective in the passages he quoted, Maher said that if one is to read the Bible literally, "Shouldn't all of it be perfect?" And after Reed pointed out differences between the Old and New Testaments, Maher concluded, "I didn't know that that's how it worked, that Jesus had to come along and say to [God], "Dad, your shit is wack." Watch the full exchange below.
