Veggie Tales Creator Fact-Checked by Co-host for Saying Dumb Stuff About the Bible

Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer, the man who swears he’s not progressive despite knocking creationists as a bunch of dummies, crediting his white privilege for the success of his show, arguing that liberals and Democrats are the real pro-lifers who have been reducing abortion, and recently claiming he didn’t know there was such things black Christians until he was an adult, was given a brief dose of clarity after mugging for his audience in order to dunk on the largest Christian University and conservatives in general.

During the February 24 edition of the Holy Post Podcast, Vischer was engaging in all sorts of scornful quippery when co-host Skye Jethani swiftly shot down his suggestion that “Liberty University” is an idolatrous name, and evidence of “Christian Nationalism.”

–TRANSCRIPT– KAITLYN SCHIESS: When I was at Liberty [University], I worked in social media, and so I kept up with all of our social media channels, including Pinterest. And one day I noticed that Liberty’s account had pinned this picture of a Bible, it looked like a Bible verse, but then someone with crayons or colored pencils had colored an American flag on top of the verse. And I was like rolling my eyes and I was gonna unpin it because I didn’t, like, before I knew what Christian nationalism was, wasn’t real thrilled with it. But then I read the verse and I thought, like, “It does sound like it’s about America. It doesn’t sound like it’s Israel.” And then I realized it’s because this was not a Bible verse. It was from the Book of Mormon. But we didn’t really care, because it sounded really pro-America. And we liked that, so we pinned it.

PHIL VISCHER: Wow. Here, I have another one. I have another one to add to our own list [of “you might be a Christian nationalist if…” jokes]. If you name your Christian college a word that appears in the Declaration of Independence but not in the Bible, you might be a Christian nationalist.

SKYE JETHANI: I’m pretty sure “liberty” occurs in the Bible.

[Editor’s Note. It does. “ἐλευθερία” is seen in Romans 8:21-“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:29, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16, and more]

SCHIESS: It’s based on a verse. That’s where they got the name.

VISCHER: It is? How do you know I was talking about Liberty? How do you know? I didn’t say I was talking about Liberty.

SCHIESS: Good point. Excellent point.

JETHANI: Well, is there a Christian college called, uh, uh, what else is in the Declaration of Independence?

VISCHER: Yeah, I was trying to think of some [laughs]. I could have been talking about Thomas Jefferson, who signed it. His name is on there. Thomas Jefferson College of the Bible. Everyone gets a pen knife on the first day of school.