"Mitt Romney seems to be a favorite of conservative Christians this time around because as a Mormon he is Christian-ish," Colbert joked. "John McCain has a little bit of a tougher time because he called Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson 'agents of intolerance' eight years ago. And if there's one thing we know about Christians, they do not forgive."

Colbert then introduced Tony Campolo, author of Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics. He asked Campolo whether he agrees that "the Christian right is monolithic and all Christians think the same thing."

"I am an evangelical," stated Campolo, presenting himself as a counter-example. "I am a Democrat. ... There are a whole mob of us who say we're not pro-war."

"Based on what?" demanded Colbert. "Show me one thing in the Bible that says Jesus wouldn't be pro-war. He said, 'I come not with peace but with a sword,' sir."

"And he said, 'love your enemies,'" Campolo shot back.

"There's a whole gang of us who are emerging, called red letter Christians," Campolo continued. "They're people who believe in the red letters of the Bible." In many editions of the Bible, direct quotes from Jesus are printed in red, and it has often been noted that those quotes taken alone present a very different image of Christianity than the Gospels as a whole.

Colbert then asked about "the gay agenda," and Campolo responded, "Marriage is in trouble in this country ... because the heterosexuals are getting divorces. The gays want to get married. That's the reality. ... All they really want is the same privileges."

"Do you believe in Leviticus where it says that gay people should be stoned?" Colbert asked.

"Yes!" replied Campolo enthusiastically, before explaining to a bemused Colbert, "It's not that kind of stoned."

"To get high?" asked Colbert, miming holding a joint to his lips.

"You got it!" Compolo answered boisterously.

"The thing is," Compolo continued, more seriously, "Jesus ups the ante. He says, 'This is what it said in the Hebrew Bible, but I give you a new commandment. Love your enemies, do good to those who hurt you.' And he would even say, 'Love and justice for people who are oppressed.'"

"And you've got to admit, gay people have been oppressed in our society," concluded Compolo. "We want justice for our gay brothers and our lesbian sisters because we think that God loves them."

This video is from Comedy Central's Colbert Report, broadcast February 4, 2008.




Transcript via closed captions

:: stephen: folks, welcome back. as i was saying earlier, super tuesday 4 is tomorrow. and this year as in all election years conservative christians are playing a huge role. you either as a candidate have to apiece them or get out of their way. now on the republican side, mitt romney seems to be a favorite of conservative christians this time around because as a mormon he is christian-ish. john mccain has a little bit of a tougher time because he called jerry falwell and pat robertson agents of intolerance eight years ago. if there's one thing we know about christians, they do not forgive. not in their nature. now, for the democrats on the left, the democrats have a much harder row to hoe. barack obama will convince very few conservative christians because i believe a radical muslim. am i right about that? check my email. they're telling me i'm right. of course, hillary clinton ale alienated a lot of evangelicals when she was briefly the keyboard player for slip notch. she's good. she was with that guy with the chop sticks in his face. here to agree with everything that i have said or thought about conservative christians, please welcome the author of "red-letter christians: tony camolo." your book red-letter christians a citizens guide to faith and politics. i haven't had a chance to read it. i will when the show is over. but i assume in here you agree with what i have to say.

:: no, no, no.

:: stephen: all christians think the same thing.

:: there's about 30% of us in the evangelical community.

:: stephen: are you an evangelical?

:: i am.

:: stephen: so you're a republican.

:: i am a democrat.

:: stephen: no, no, no. check your i.d. card. as an evangelical christian....

:: there are a whole mob of us who say we're not pro war. we are not anti-environmental.

:: stephen: you're not pro war based on what? show me one thing in the bible that says jesus wouldn't be pro war. he said, "i come not with peace but with a sword, sir."

:: and he said love your enemies. when he said that, he probably meant you shouldn't kill them. if you love your enemies you don't kill them. incidentally if you love your enemies you won't be doing to those two guys that are waiting in the hall what i think you're going to be doing if you love your enemies.

:: stephen: they love it. it's all in good fun. it's for charity, as i said. okay. you have to be an aberration though, right? because the christian right is this monolith that cannot be crossed.

:: there's a whole gang of us emerging called red-lettered christians.

:: stephen: what's that?

:: the people who believe this the red-letters of the bible, the words of jesus. we are totally committed to it which means we're in to compassion for the poor, first and foremost. compassion to the poor ( cheers and applause )

:: stephen: jesus said you will have the poor always.

:: that's right.

:: stephen: doesn't that mean give up on the poor?

:: and on judgment day he will judge you, mister, in terms of how you related to the poor.

:: stephen: i'm ready. see me shake. you see me shake? it's going to take more than the judgment day to worry me, mister. my conscious is clear. i sleep the sleep of the just.

:: guilty people are always like that. and the truth is you don't have to worry about judgment day. you have to worry about what will happen to you after judgment day.

:: stephen: what about this? what about the gay agenda. the left is all about the gay agenda. the gays are out to destroy marriage and you're a democrat. therefore, you think the same thing.

:: the truth is marriage is in trouble in this country.

:: stephen: because gays are threatening us.

:: it's because the heterosexuals are getting divorces. the gays want to get mafer married.

:: stephen: so they can get divorced too. they are jealous of our divorces.

:: all they want is the same privileges, good or bad, that the rest of us enjoy. don't get me wrong. i am not affirming a particular lifestyle. i am, in fact, standing up for all the rights andprivileges that all americans should enjoy.

:: stephen: however wrong they may be. do you believe in the bible, sir?

:: yes.

:: stephen: do you believe in leviticus where it says that gay people should be stoned?

:: yes.

:: stephen: then send me a stone and a gay person.

:: when you said the gay should be stoned, i saw you go, whoa. it's not that kind of stone.

:: stephen: is it to get high?

:: you've got it.

:: stephen: marijuana is a drug. first this and then gay.

:: the thing is that jesus upped the ante. he said this is what it said in the hebrew bible. love your enemies, do good to them. love and justice for those who have been oppressed. you have to admit that gay people have been oppressed in our society.

:: stephen: i've done it myself. proudly so.

:: we want justice for our gay brothers and lesbian sisters because we think that god loves them intensely. he wants good for them.

:: stephen: that's a tall order, sir. thank you for coming by. tony campolo, the book is red- letter christians, a citizens guide to state and politics. we'll be right back. thank you, sir.