The Daily Show’s only use for Christianity seems to be using it against conservatives, and the latest installment in this ignoble tradition took place on Tuesday as host-of-the-week Jordan Klepper welcomed Sirius XM host, comedian, and occasional cable news talking head John Fugelsang to the Comedy Central program to discuss his new book on the matter.
Klepper simply asked, “So why write this book?”
Fugelsang replied that, “I wrote this book because I got tired of seeing my parents' faith used as a cloaking device for meanness and bigotry and superiority. Jesus's movement was about humility. It was about service to others. It was about uplifting the marginalized, not about total right-wing domination of the school board.”
Based on the rest of the conversation, Fugelsang appeared to think it was about left-wing domination, “And I wrote this book for believers and atheists. Anyone who is going to have to deal with a far right-wing, mean Christian nationalist or fundamentalist in their job, in their home, in the government, in their social media feeds, I think they say the largest growing religious group are Mormons or none of the aboves. I think it is people who are raised religious and now consider themselves spiritual because they are sick of the hypocrisy of men in dresses and funny hats.”
Klepper then wondered why this matters, “Now, what do you say to the atheists or the agnostic? I'm somebody who doesn't believe those stories.”
Fugelsang interrupted to state that “I believe in atheists” and “Some of the best Christians I know are non-believers.”
That makes no sense. A non-believing Christian is a contradiction of terms, but that aside, Klepper tried to get back to his original question:
The people who are sickened by this conversation dominating the larger conversation, they see what's happening on the right and how it is being utilized, how it is weaponized in these ways. It feels like it takes up so much space in the political conversation, or it can. Like, how do you balance that for a progressive movement that both needs to engage with people who believe in Christianity and believe in faith and see how important that is but also who are frustrated by the ways in which it's weld, and the way that this book is a work of fiction that should be on the shelf along with The Lord of the Rings.
Fugelsang responded by claiming, “Well, it doesn't matter if it is a work of fiction. It doesn't matter. This is a book we have agreed on.”
He continued, “This is the book they are using to force a very narrow, Jesus-free version of Christianity into our lives, our public schools, our government. That's the Seven Mountain Mandate and they're not fighting for anything Jesus actually talked about. Like, if I am in a band and I call myself a Rolling Stones cover band and I advertise that I'm a Rolling Stones cover band, but I only know songs by Nickelback and Vanilla Ice, I need to find a new name for my group. So, I got— again, like, it's up to all of us, you know. Make them argue with the Bible.”
Fugelsang then portrayed those who disagree with him on immigration as not only bad Christians but also racists, “Take immigration. Like, you don't have to fight about this. God commands us to welcome the stranger all throughout the Hebrew scriptures. God says we have to treat the alien as one of our own. His son Jesus shows up, whether it is real or not, and commands us, individuals and nations, to welcome the stranger. So my question to Uncle Racist is, why should I listen to you and Donald Trump and ignore God and Jesus? You don’t need to fight these people. They can fight Jesus and God, and this book hopefully will set you up to do it.”
There is a big difference between saying “treat the alien as one of our own” and the implication that once someone enters the country illegally, they are entitled to remain here so long as they don’t commit any heinous crimes. Meanwhile, Christmas Eve is exactly three months away. Hopefully, The Daily Show’s newfound respect for Christianity will carry on into the Advent season because that hasn’t recently been the case.
Here is a transcript for the September 23 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
9/23/2025
11:25 PM ET
KLEPPER: So why write this book?
JOHN FUGELSANG: I wrote this book because I got tired of seeing my parents' faith used as a cloaking device for meanness and bigotry and superiority. Jesus's movement was about humility. It was about service to others. It was about uplifting the marginalized, not about total right-wing domination of the school board.
And I wrote this book for believers and atheists. Anyone who is going to have to deal with a far right-wing, mean Christian nationalist or fundamentalist in their job, in their home, in the government, in their social media feeds, I think they say the largest growing religious group are Mormons or none of the aboves. I think it is people who are raised religious and now consider themselves spiritual because they are sick of the hypocrisy of men in dresses and funny hats.
KLEPPER: Now, what do you say to the atheists or the agnostic? I'm somebody who doesn't believe those stories.
FUGELSANG: And I believe in atheists.
KLEPPER: Thank you very much.
FUGELSANG: Some of the best Christians I know are non-believers.
KLEPPER: Well, there you are. The people who are sickened by this conversation dominating the larger conversation, they see what's happening on the right and how it is being utilized, how it is weaponized in these ways. It feels like it takes up so much space in the political conversation, or it can. Like, how do you balance that for a progressive movement that both needs to engage with people who believe in Christianity and believe in faith and see how important that is—
FUGELSANG: Yeah.
KLEPPER: — but also who are frustrated by the ways in which it's weld, and the way that this book is a work of fiction that should be on the shelf along with The Lord of the Rings.
FUGELSANG: Well, it doesn't matter if it is a work of fiction. It doesn't matter. This is a book we have agreed on. This is the book they are using to force a very narrow, Jesus-free version of Christianity into our lives, our public schools, our government. That's the Seven Mountain Mandate and they're not fighting for anything Jesus actually talked about.
Like, if I am in a band and I call myself a Rolling Stones cover band and I advertise that I'm a Rolling Stones cover band, but I only know songs by Nickelback and Vanilla Ice, I need to find a new name for my group. So, I got— again, like, it's up to all of us, you know. Make them argue with the Bible.
I have this happen all the time on Sirius XM. Take immigration. Like, you don't have to fight about this. God commands us to welcome the stranger all throughout the Hebrew scriptures. God says we have to treat the alien as one of our own. His son Jesus shows up, whether it is real or not, and commands us, individuals and nations, to welcome the stranger. So my question to Uncle Racist is, why should I listen to you and Donald Trump and ignore God and Jesus?
You don’t need to fight these people. They can fight Jesus and God, and this book hopefully will set you up to do it.