Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte called God “stupid” because of the concept of “original sin” in the Bible’s creation story.
Addressing a summit in Davao City last Friday, the president began by saying that he found it foolish for God to create something “perfect” and then allow the first humans, Adam and Eve, to ruin it by bringing sin into existence because of the forbidden fruit.
He continued: “That son of a bitch is stupid if that’s the case.”
“That was your mother and father’s deed,” Duterte said, adding “you weren’t born yet, but now you have original sin. What kind of religion is that? I can’t accept it.”
Duterte claimed however that he does believe in a “universal mind.”
“I believe there is a universal mind. But [to] what extent is the influence of the — I cannot picture him as a human being […] But I really believe, I have this faith and abiding thing about — but don’t believe in religion,” he stated.
Duterte’s comments about God come in the wake of the recent killing of three priests in the Philippines.
Three days prior to these comments Duterte had responded to critics and claimed he respects the Catholic Church.
He denied persecuting priests, saying that his administration “does not have a policy against priests” and he could not order the killing of church leaders.
“As a matter of fact, I respect the church,” the president said in a speech in Iloilo province on June 20. “The truth is, I cannot order the killing of priests, women and children.”
He then went on to talk about priests having sexual relations with women. He said some ended up baptising their own children.
In May, Duterte claimed that slain Catholic priest Mark Anthony Ventura had romantic relations with eight women.
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