The Arrogance of the Clergy

October 3, 2009 By Guest Contributor 19 Comments

Pat Condell is back and he releases a lot of pent-up frustration in this video:

George Carlin would have been proud. He never was a fan of the clergy, either…

Filed Under: Churches, General 19 Comments
  • Tom N

    I need to memorize this monologue because this is one of the most concise arguments against religion I’ve ever heard. He really nails it home from the first moment by stating belief, although false, is fine fore people if that’s what it takes to get them through life but that organized religion is basically a vehicle for power.

  • H

    Just like Carlin, this guy is always right about everything he says.

  • http://primesequence.blogspot.com/ PrimeNumbers

    One of his best yet, and really hits the nail on the head that individual believers are not the problem, not even a problem at all, but organized religion is.

  • Daniel H.

    That was too generic to be worthwhile. Unimpressed.

  • mikespeir

    He was a little stirred up, wasn’t he? A lot of what he had to say feels good. A lot is accurate. But I know clergymen who are neither well off nor want to be. It’s good to get angry at the others–the clergymen I’m talking about are, too–but it’s not good to slather them all with the same brush.

  • Daniel H.

    It’s silly. Of course there are some clergy getting rich off their work, but I am a seminary student and can tell you this is no place to come if you’re looking for money, or control for that matter. There is nothing in Christianity, as he points out, that should lead to an exorbitant lifestyle.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s

  • Tony

    Pat Condell is one of my favourites. His rants against the islamification of the UK are superb.

  • http://primesequence.blogspot.com/ PrimeNumbers

    Bottom of the pile clergy are just one step up from their flock. But it’s a hierarchy and the closer you get to the top, the more power becomes an issue. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The wealth and power of the CofE is great, the wealth and power of the Catholic church are greater still.

  • medussa

    “God bless atheism”…. Love it.

  • Michael

    I’m sitting here at my computer APPLAUDING & SMILING. Pat Condell deserves to be up on the Podium with Hitchens and Dawkins…… And I’d be willing to pay to see any of them.

  • muggle

    I love Pat Condell and he didn’t disappoint this time either. What a great orator!

  • muggle

    Daniel, with all due respect, that sermon was fucked up!

    At the beginning, I was impressed and thinking more preachers should sound like this (and mind you, I’m obviously not normally impressed with sermons) but he seriously derailed with that bit about your daughter lying dead in the street and your first thought should be god is glorious.

    That’s even more fucked up than the twisted prosperity gospel.

  • Fr. Terry Donahue, CC

    I’m a former agnostic and member of the Catholic clergy who reads The Friendly Atheist to listen to atheists and to explain Catholic beliefs with the goal of better mutual understanding.

    I just heard that I am a clerical fascist, parasite, sky pilot, dog-collared vampire, humanity’s head lice, a career politician, and a petty, small-minded, status-obsessed, ego-bound man, who is engaged in the wilful misdirection of the human race, seeking to eliminate as much creativity and pleasure as possible, who would hide the truth to protect my stinking dogma in the way that it protects me.

    I was then relieved to read that some commenters think this might not be true of all clergy.

    I am sorry for all the fascist, parasitic, petty, small-minded, egotistical, deceptive, creativity-destroying acts of the clergy.

  • Daniel Dorfman

    Thank you very much. This man is a warrior of logic, an antitheistic berzerker. I can’t get enough of his spiels.

  • http://deleted Siamang

    Hi Father Terry! Welcome to the board!

    I was then relieved to read that some commenters think this might not be true of all clergy.

    Pat Condell had worked up a bit of steam there in that rant, didn’t he?

    I hope you stick around and get a broad reading of the variation in views among those who come here and post. We’re not all like Pat, but we do see where he’s coming from. We also could benefit by seeing more of where you’re coming from.

    Take care, and Welcome!

    -Siamang

  • http://hoverfrog.wordpress.com hoverFrog

    Pat’s up to his usual standard but, again as usual, he paints with a very broad brush.

  • http://hoverfrog.wordpress.com hoverFrog

    Fr. Terry Donahue, CC, if you are after a conversation rather than comments I can recommend the forum. It can be found by clicking on the link on the right….up there.

  • Fr. Terry Donahue, CC

    hoverfrog,

    Thanks, didn’t know the forums existed.

  • http://www.chionwolf.com Chion

    yahoo!!! the relief is contagious.