Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte under fire after calling God 'stupid'
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called God "stupid" during a speech last week, and people are not having it.
Duterte, who has had rude things to say about everyone from former President Barack Obama to Pope Francis, was asked about the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and why God would tempt them. "Who is this stupid God?" Duterte responded. "This son of a bitch is then really stupid. How can you rationalize a God? Do you believe?" Duterte is president of the largest Catholic country in Asia, and immediately, both supporters and detractors spoke out against him.
Arturo Bastes, a Catholic bishop, called Duterte a "madman" whose "tirade against God and the Bible reveals again that he is a psychological freak, a psychopath, an abnormal mind who should have not been elected as president of our civilized and Christian nation." Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he supported most of Duterte's actions, but he was outraged by his comments. "May my God forgive him and make him atone for all his sins," he said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Monday, Duterte's spokesman said he has the right to his opinion, and mentioned that Duterte has shared he was sexually abused by a priest as a student. Duterte lashed out at his detractors as well. "Why do you bind me with something very stupid?" he said. "I was given my own mind by God."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Political cartoons for December 19Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include unemployment rates, taunts and prayers, and more
-
Who is paying for Europe’s €90bn EU loan?Today’s Big Question Kyiv secures crucial funding but the EU ‘blinked’ at the chance to strike a bold blow against Russia
-
Quiz of The Week: 13 – 19 DecemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
