During his hate session on the Alliance Defending Freedom on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, HBO’s John Oliver admitted out loud that he is confused by the concept of religious freedom. Oliver was not only clueless on the idea of “pre-political rights” but also seemed to think religious freedom means progressivism.
Oliver teed up a clip from ADF from 2019, “Even if you don’t recognize their name, you’ll definitely be aware of their work because ADF bills itself as the ‘World's largest legal organization advancing every person's God-given right to live and speak the truth.’ And in this promotional video celebrating their 25th anniversary, they lean in hard on the idea that they are defenders of rights and freedom.
At the end of the video, ADF CEO Kristen Waggoner told Congress, “Religious freedom is a pre-political right that rests securely in our dignity as human beings. It belongs to all of us.”
Anyone who has read the Declaration of Independence knows that means that religious freedom is a right inherent in simply being human. Governments can and must recognize it, but they don’t grant it. Naturally, the British-born Oliver could not comprehend this point, “Okay! Although, I do have a bit of an issue with the sentence, ‘Religious freedom is a pre-political right that rests securely in our dignity as human beings.’ Because I've listened to that upwards of fifty times, and I still have no idea what the fuck she's talking about there.”
Oliver treated basic American founding principles as if they were gibberish, “It's the legal equivalent of the actual headline, ‘Disney to merge Hulu Live TV with Fubo, settling Venu lawsuit.’ All the words feel like they're in the correct places, but now I can't even understand the ones I thought I knew.
Religious freedom, as a term, is tautological. It simply means the ability to freely practice your religion, but Oliver seemed to think it meant forcing religious people to do what the left wants, “But as you've probably already guessed, the "freedom" ADF fights for is selective at best, as, among other things, they've argued for the Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple in Colorado.”
The way that poor baker, Jack Phillips, has been treated, you would think he was the only baker in the entire state. He has been targeted by gay couples and trans activists, including the state’s misnamed Civil Rights Commission, for over a decade all so liberals like John Oliver can pretend there is a right to force someone else to bake you a cake.
Oliver was also confused by the fact that the organization devoted to religious freedom is not a liberal or libertarian pro-abortion organization, as he lamented ADF also “orchestrated the attack on the abortion drug mifepristone heard by the Supreme Court last year, and were also behind the Dobbs case, which, famously overturned Roe v. Wade.”
Yes, the First Amendment is part of the Constitution, and mifepristone and cakes are not. Didn’t John Oliver have to pass a civics test in order to become a citizen?
Here is a transcript for the May 11 show:
HBO Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
5/11/2025
11:14 PM ET
JOHN OLIVER: Even if you don’t recognize their name, you’ll definitely be aware of their work because ADF bills itself as the "World's largest legal organization advancing every person's God-given right to live and speak the truth."
And in this promotional video celebrating their 25th anniversary, they lean in hard on the idea that they are defenders of rights and freedom.
NARRATOR: For 25 years we've pursued this calling. A commission to stand, to defend, to persevere. To be a voice for faith, for freedom.
EFREM GRAHAM: Former Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran wins a victory for his faith—
LESTER HOLT: The U.S. Supreme Court in one of the most closely watched cases of the term sided with a Colorado baker—
HODA KOTB: Jack, this has been a long road for you, you started back in 2012. Yesterday—
KRISTEN WAGGONER: Religious freedom is a pre-political right that rests securely in our dignity as human beings. It belongs to all of us.
OLIVER: Okay! Although, I do have a bit of an issue with the sentence, "Religious freedom is a pre-political right that rests securely in our dignity as human beings." Because I've listened to that upwards of fifty times, and I still have no idea what the fuck she's talking about there.
It's the legal equivalent of the actual headline, "Disney to merge Hulu Live TV with Fubo, settling Venu lawsuit." All the words feel like they're in the correct places, but now I can't even understand the ones I thought I knew.
The woman who said that, Kristen Waggoner, is ADF’s current head, and if you're thinking she looks like someone who'd have an office filled with Mickey and Minnie Mouse memorabilia, you'd be dead wrong because she used to have an office filled with Mickey and Minnie Mouse memorabilia, but got rid of it after Disney's recent defense of LGBT rights "Ruined the beauty." So, I bet you feel pretty stupid right now.
But as you've probably already guessed, the "freedom" ADF fights for is selective at best, as, among other things, they've argued for the Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple in Colorado, orchestrated the attack on the abortion drug mifepristone heard by the Supreme Court last year, and were also behind the Dobbs case, which, famously overturned Roe v. Wade.
