I have a problem with people who take the Constitution loosely and the Bible literally.

Maher contrasts two approaches to foundational texts: treating the U.S. Constitution as flexible or optional (“loosely”) while insisting on a strict, literal reading of the Bible. The line criticizes what he frames as an inconsistency often associated with religious conservatives—invoking constitutional originalism or civic reverence when convenient, yet resisting nuanced, historical, or metaphorical interpretation of scripture. More broadly, it reflects Maher’s recurring theme that public policy should be grounded in secular reasoning and that literalism in religion can distort civic life when it shapes law, education, or rights. The aphorism’s punch comes from reversing expected interpretive priorities in a pluralistic democracy.