In one of her most hateful and vulgarity laced monologues yet, Samantha Bee unleashed on evangelicals claiming their roots and current political motivations are bigoted. “It wasn't abortion that birthed the religious right,” the host proudly proclaimed during Monday night's episode of Full Frontal, “it was good old white nativism and antigovernment anger when the IRS challenged evangelicals’ God-given right to go to school without black people.”
Bee was referencing a case where Bob Jones University, a private school, refused to desegregate. “The controversy centered on Bob Jones University the Christian college whose founder preached, “if you are against segregation and racial separation then you are against god,” Bee stated. According to Bee, somehow the actions of Bob Jones University represented the thoughts of all on the religious right. Although, she claims to not be referring to all people of faith, it just seems to be the politically active ones.
The resentment flowing from Bee continued by claiming that evangelicals were manipulated into hating abortion. “But leaders knew a national movement required a broader rallying cry than “black people are icky,” she said of the “leaders” of evangelicals, “they launched the campaign to convince Protestants to hate abortion more than they hated Catholics.”
She went on to bitterly rub recent losses in the face of evangelicals:
And apart from a handful of bigoted bakers most people are fine with [gay marriage]. And when North Carolina Republicans tried to get people to the polls with a bathroom culture war the country held their head in the toilet while the Attorney General gave them a swirly… A black female Attorney General standing up for LGBT rights. Merry Christmas religious right. I mean, happy holidays.
She even railed against her favorite target Ted Cruz saying he was grown in test tube to be the perfect evangelical candidate. But, her nearly 10 minute long diatribe was all in an effort to explain why evangelicals are flocking to Donald Trump, and not Cruz. “And the new evangelicals are happy to ditch the Bible for good old white nativism and antigovernment anger,” just like they were taught, she exclaimed harkening back to her claims of bigotry.
Partial transcript below:
TBS
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
May 16, 2016
10:34:10 PM EasternSAMANTHA BEE: The spark that set the evangelical timber ablaze was an early 70's court case. [Roe v. Wade appears on a monitor] Wrong court case. It wasn't abortion that birthed the religious right. It was good old white nativism and antigovernment anger when the IRS challenged evangelicals’ god given right to go to school without black people.
UNIDENTIFIED: The IRS wants to revoke the tax emptions for private schools which discriminate racially in their admissions policies.
RANDALL BALMER [Professor of Religion]: Evangelical leaders prodded by [Paul] Weyrich chose to interpret the IRS Ruling against segregation of schools as an assault on the integrity and sanctity of the evangelical sub culture. And that is what prompted them to action and to organize into a political movement.
BEE: Oh, don't worry, gays. They'll get to you. You are just harder to spot. The controversy centered on Bob Jones University the Christian college whose founder preached, “if you are against segregation and racial separation then you are against god.” I’m happy to say that guy is now in heaven sharing a cloud with Prince. Sorry, pal. Heaven integrated in 1990, 10 years before your college dropped its interracial dating ban. But leaders knew a national movement required a broader rallying cry than “black people are icky.” What to do? What to do?
BALMER: Once the evangelical leaders had mobilized in defense of Bob Jones University, they held a conference call to discuss the prospect of other political activities. Several people suggested possible issues and finally a voice on the end of one of the lines said, “how about abortion?”
BEE: Hey, why not? It could have been werewolves but they were going alphabetically. They launched the campaign to convince Protestants to hate abortion more than they hated Catholics with factual medical films like this. While pushing to get sex Ed out of schools and put prayer back in. Mainly the prayer, “are you there, god? It's me. I'm pregnant. How did this happen?” And please understand when I say the religious right I'm not talking about people of faith, hashtag not all Christians. I’m talking about a political movement to harness voting powers of evangelicals to the conservative Republican cause. It was an impressive feat of engineering.
…
BEE: Gay people can marry and serve in the military. And apart from a handful of bigoted bakers most people are fine with it. And when North Carolina Republicans tried to get people to the polls with a bathroom culture war the country held their head in the toilet while the attorney general gave them a swirly.
…
BEE: A black female attorney general standing up for LGBT rights. Merry Christmas religious right. I mean, happy holidays. Old fashioned values voters no longer have the clout to get their vat monster [Ted Cruz] the nomination, much less the oval office. And the new evangelicals are happy to ditch the bible for good old white nativism and antigovernment anger [Picture of Donald Trump on the Monitor]. Hey! Just like you taught them.
