Bill O'Reilly lashes out at 'ideological fanatic' Stephen Colbert and his fellow 'believers'

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly fired back at Comedy Central counterpart Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, accusing him of doing damage to the country after Colbert mocked O'Reilly for calling the concept of equality "an opium-laced dream."

"Like many ideological fanatics, Colbert is misguided in the extreme," O'Reilly said. "His analysis is delivered under the guise of comedy, but believe me, he is a true progressive believer playing exclusively to other believers."

O'Reilly's commentary was a response to Colbert "defending" him during the April 3 episode of The Colbert Report. At the time, Colbert stuck up for his "papa bear" railing against "income equality, marriage equality, gender equality, and on and on and on" and saying, "there will never be equality in this world," describing the concept as "an opium-laced dream."

"Bill is not quite as good-looking as George Clooney," Colbert explained. "So men should not be allowed to marry each other -- not even Bill and George. And too bad, 'cause the kids would be beautiful."

"Mister Colbert is a deceiver," O'Reilly responded on Tuesday. "I strongly believe in fighting for equality and believe institutional bias should be against the law. What I oppose is government trying to impose equality, because every human being is different."

Watch O'Reilly's commentary, as posted online on Tuesday, below.