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Comedian Bill Maher has once again inserted himself into the the 2012 presidential dialogue, this time igniting a battle over Christian homeschooling with Rick Santorum, the conservative Republican running for president.

On his HBO show Friday night, Maher criticized Santorum's homeschooling of his children, comparing the Santorum home to a "Christian madrassa."

Responding last night on Fox News' "Hannity," Santorum told host Sean Hannity that "folks on the left" are "trashing anybody who stands up for Christian conservative values, anybody who dares to actually teach their children faith in their home."

Maher has become something of a lightning rod this campaign cycle after he gave $1 million to the super PAC that supports President Obama.

On Friday's "Real Time With Bill Maher," he took on homeschooling, saying:

"It's no coincidence that the type of tree which God forbade Adam and Eve eating from was the tree of knowledge. Rick Santorum home-schools his children because he does not want them eating that (audio bleep) apple," Maher said. "He wants them locked up in the Christian Madrassa that is the family living room, not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason."

Republicans say there is a double standard in the media for Maher, who unabashedly supports Obama's reelection. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, encountered howls of protest and saw advertisers flee after he repeatedly called a Georgetown law student who testified before Congress about about insurance coverage of contraception a "slut." Limbaugh ultimately apologized.

Santorum said he agrees that a double standard exists.

"All of a sudden, if you're instilling faith and teaching them about God in your home, you're a madrassa, according to these folks, as if reason doesn't take place in these homes," Santorum said. "Our children will out-reason him. My 12-year-old will out-reason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works, 'cause (Maher) is completely illogical."

This is far from Maher's first run-in with the right. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called on Priorities USA to return Maher's $1 million donation because in 2011 he called her a word that cannot be printed here, but refers to part of the female anatomy.

Obama also took flak at the time from the conservative group Concerned Women for America for not speaking out against Maher, whom the group's president called a " vile misogynist."