Not funny, John Oliver: Standing for religious liberty doesn't equate to 'hate' | Opinion
Attorneys with the Alliance Defending Freedom have proven extremely successful in protecting Christians' constitutional rights, which is probably why HBO's John Oliver decided to attack them.
I realize we increasingly have become a society that embraces a “my way or the highway” attitude. Both sides are guilty of that way of thinking.
Yet, it seems especially egregious from those on the left.
Progressives’ lack of tolerance for other views has presented itself in different iterations, from the cancel culture phenomenon to angry demonstrations on college campuses when a conservative dares to speak.
So perhaps it's not surprising that liberals love slapping labels on those who have the audacity to believe something different from progressive dogma.
Nazi. Hitler. Bigot. Hater. To name a few.
In the latest episode of his HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” comedian John Oliver joined the name-calling party, devoting a full 30 minutes to the nonprofit Christian legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom.
His conclusion?
ADF, in Oliver’s view, has “worked extremely hard to put a misleadingly friendly face on what is an utterly hateful ideology. And it benefits immensely from people not knowing just how poisonous and disingenuous it is.”
Free speech and religious freedom aren't a laughing matter
That’s quite the accusation. And Oliver’s screed – without any additional background about ADF – could easily make HBO's viewers falsely conclude that something truly nefarious is going on.
In reality, Oliver’s rant painted a picture that doesn’t exist.
“John Oliver’s recent 'Last Week Tonight' episode is an unfortunately predictable exercise in manipulating audiences with sound bites, statements, and distorted narratives with little to no context, designed to draw applause more than present truth," said Kristen Waggoner, president and CEO of ADF, via email. "Rather than engaging our issues in good faith, Mr. Oliver relied on outdated tropes and vulgar laugh lines that are not journalism – they are propaganda meant to silence principled dissent."
ADF states on its website that its purpose is to “advance the God-given right to freely live and speak the truth.”
And the attorneys with ADF have proven extremely successful in advancing those rights, which is probably why Oliver decided to attack them.
Since 2011, ADF has directly represented the winning parties in 15 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and has played roles in dozens of other victories since its founding in 1994.
The “God-given” rights that ADF seeks to defend are some of our most cherished constitutional rights. The First Amendment offers robust protections for free speech and religious freedom, and these rights are at the heart of ADF’s work.
Oliver brought up former cases dealing with Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips and Colorado web designer Lorie Smith. Both Phillips and Smith – represented by ADF – won their cases before the Supreme Court. And both of them fought against the government forcing them to create certain messages about marriage that would offend their deeply held beliefs.
While Oliver may find it hilarious that many Americans still believe in God and traditional marriage, that doesn’t mean they are “bad” or don’t deserve inherent rights when acting out their faith in public life.
I’m guessing Oliver didn’t speak directly with Phillips or Smith, but I have, and they are far from bigots and “haters.” They simply want to serve their customers while not having to betray their First Amendment rights in their creative work.
LGBTQ rights and other freedoms must coexist
Oliver seems most perturbed about the work ADF does in the LGBTQ arena.
ADF has stood strongly against transgender athletes playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams, but this isn’t a matter of “hate.” It’s about fairness and upholding current laws like Title IX, which prevents discrimination based on sex in schools that take federal funding.
The more liberals try to force women to compete against biological males, the more it will backfire on them. A new poll from NBC News Stay Tuned confirms that 75% of Americans don’t think transgender athletes should play on female teams. And 71% agree there are only two genders: male and female.
So ADF is far from the fringe on this issue.
Oliver also brought up “concerns” about an ADF-related case the Supreme Court will decide by the end of June. That case out of Oklahoma could allow for the first religious charter school in the country. Oliver said he doesn’t like that the school’s policy is to interact with students and staff based on their “biological sex.”
We live in an extremely diverse country, with many different perspectives on how to see the world. And that’s fine. Our Constitution provides a roadmap for how to balance these competing interests.
If liberals like Oliver are serious about combating intolerance and “hate,” they should start by looking in the mirror.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at Paste BN. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques