Maher: Romney Has No Chance of Presidency Because He is Mormon

For an atheist, Bill Maher sure loves to talk about religion and this latest time is no exception.

The bombastic Real Time host sowed his latest pearls on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" Wednesday, when he asserted that Mitt Romney has no chance at the GOP nomination because he is Mormon, while also making the bold assertion that Mormonism is closer to Islam than it is to Christianity. According to Maher, Mormon doctrine places Jesus Christ "third in the hierarchy."

This latest diatribe is perhaps intended to cast doubt on Republican front-runner Mitt Romney as we move forward into 2012. Michael Eric Dyson, a guest host for the "Ed Show," asked Maher if he thought, "Republicans, the base that is, are ever really, truly going to place their faith in a guy who’s a Mormon?" To which Maher responded, "no:'

That’s what’s going to be so interesting is when Rick Perry in sly and underhanded and no fingerprints methods starts putting out the idea, which is a true idea by the way, that Mormons are not really Christians. You know, once America, which is a very Christian nation, finds that out, I think they’ll have a, certainly in the Evangelical part of the country, those folks, they will not be very fond of Mitt Romney.

Once they find out that Jesus Christ is like third in the hierarchy there. Really was about Joseph Smith. Actually, Mormonism is closer to Islam because in Islam Jesus is also a revered figure. He’s a wonderful prophet. He’s just not the ultimate prophet. You know, he’s like the middle act. He’s certainly not the headliner."

In an effort to try to bolster his case, Maher allegedly quotes from the LDS website, "Mormons, for all the other things that set us apart, believe first and foremost that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer," Maher said. "We believe that through Him, all mankind may enjoy eternal life with their families in Heavenly Father’s kingdom." He continued:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official name of the religion commonly called the Mormon Church. It was established April 6, 1830 by Joseph Smith, the first president of the Church. We believe he was called by God to be a prophet in the modern era, like Moses and Abraham in biblical times. Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ in a vision after praying to know which church to join. They called on him to restore the church Christ organized when He was on earth, with the proper organization and priesthood authority that had been lost shortly after the Savior’s death.

Watch Maher's interview below:

The issue of a Mormon president has been circulating the nation for quite some time. Back in July The Blaze reported on a controveresial documentary that asked if America was ready for a Mormon president -- the underlying question that Maher dealt with regarding Mitt Romney. Unlike Maher, however, that documentary delivers the conversation in a much more nuanced way. The Blaze's Billy Hallowell reported on details of the documentary:

In his upcoming film, “A Mormon President,” director Adam Christing explores whether America is ready for a Mormon president. Christing and his team take a comprehensive look at the faith system’s history and the multitude of contemporary thoughts, opinions and controversies that often surround it.

As Hallowell mentions in his article, the documentary tries to address the issue in a balanced way:

While the film does, indeed, delve into modern — not to mention historic — critiques of the Mormon Church, Christing strikes an aura of balance. Based on screener footage that The Blaze obtained earlier this week, interview subjects include Mormons, ex-believers and historians — all of whom contribute relevant pieces to the overall puzzle.

Below is a video clip of the documentary and you can read about the director's interview on The Blaze.

By the way, you can also read Noel Sheppard's take on Maher at NewsBusters.

This story has been updated for clarity.