Stephen Fry vs Ann Widdecombe: Catholic Church iq2 Shorts

http://www.intelligencesquared.com - In this, our first ever iq2 Short, Ann Widdecombe and Stephen Fry lock horns over the motion 'The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world'.

The animation is adapted from a debate we staged in 2009 which also included Christopher Hitchens and John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja (http://youtu.be/kwP4C5hjo4Y).

• Category

  News & Politics

[Vegzillar]

The Catholic Church is like a glittered turd. You might find some nice purple, sparky bits in it, but the smell is almost overwhelming.

[UnitedKingdomify]

Anne Widdecombe's voice was designed and patented by Satan in Hell, after years of research and development with demons it was fine-tuned to annoy even the most passive of listeners. It was trialed in the UK, where it stayed, and Satan discontinued it because even he found it so annoying he couldn't bear to let it spread.

What. A. Fucking. Harpy.

[atee12321]

Because they weren't talking about Jews, maybe? Nor were they talking about Stalinism.

[Mike Williams]

If you're going to use Wikipedia as your source try reading the whole article. Don't just cherry pick.

[Xm Flash]

No one says anything about the Jewish involvement in the Communist movement and the death of 7 million Ukrainians either.

[Xm Flash]

Umm, no. I'm not talking about the Limbo of the Patriarchs, I'm talking about Limbo of Infants which has been believed since Augustine to be a permanent resting place for infants who went unbaptized. It is very clearly taught this is not temporary, as baptism is necessary for salvation under Augustinian thought, and very specifically the only punishment in Limbo of Infants is having only one sin (the made-up original sin) and having no hope of obtaining heaven for it. Read a book, kid.

[Mike Williams]

I am an atheist but was raised as a Catholic. I attended Catholic schools until the age of 18. Ann Widdecombe may be insane but what she says is perfectly true. The Church's teaching was that Limbo was a "holding station" until the second coming. Check your facts.

[Xm Flash]

Ann is insane. I never heard of Limbo being temporary, that's purgatory. Limbo is permanent.

[Melissa Jackson]

Can people stop going on about Ann Widecombe's whiney womanly voice? You're sounding a bit too much like the catholic church.

[Noxshus]

I don't think anybody on either side of the debate watched it and said "Damn! Widdecombe really schooled that crowd on hermeneutics!"

[themillontheflossbes]

i laughed. well put.

[spartan30854]

Well. Call us Bigots but you're the one who wants to ban free speech