Duterte tells his largely Catholic nation that God is 'stupid'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is facing a backlash from citizens of the largely Catholic nation after saying that God is “stupid,” reports CNN.

The comment was made on Friday.

During a speech given in Davao City, Duterte said in regard to Adam and Eve’s failed test of temptation and subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden, “Who is this stupid God? This son of a b***h is then really stupid. How can you rationalize a God? Do you believe?”

While the Philippine leader is a known critic of the Pope and regularly makes outlandish and often offensive statements, the New York Times notes that “applying them to God appeared to be a first for him.”

The BBC reports that in the wake of Duterte’s remarks and the public outrage that ensued, his office issued a statement stressing that the leader was “expressing personal beliefs.”