"The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world" (7 of 13)

Stephen Fry concedes that his opposition to the motion is a deeply personal and emotional one. He criticises the Catholic Church not only for the horrors it has perpetrated in the past, but also for its ideology, and for its sinister temerity to preach that there is no salvation outside of the Church. With two words he refutes Anne Widdecombes suggestion that the Catholic Church does not have the powers of a nation state: The Vatican. As a homosexual, Fry reflects how bizarre it is to be accused of being immoral and a pervert by an institution that has persistently hushed up the rape and abuse of children under its care, and whose leading members, abstentious nuns and priests, all share an attitude towards sex that is utterly unnatural and dysfunctional.

He concludes by questioning whether Jesus, as a humble Jewish carpenter, would have approved of all the pomp and excess of the Catholic Church, and whether he would even have been accepted by such an arrogant organisation.

Full video available at http://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/catholic-church, audio available to download as a podcast from iTunes.

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[Darkvaynes]

why isn't stephen fry leading the world?

[eclipsedeed]

@HenhousetheRed  Stephen Fry is a brilliant and fantastic man. Period.

[ChamorruWarrior]

Lot's of non Christians that have raped kids too lol Every race and religion kill, steal, rape etc Catholics are no different. They were not hiding the truth, the other Priests went to confession (To a Priest) and that is between you and God, it's not the Priests place to tell the police, or anyone. What happens in confession stays between you and God. Plus being Catholic the world holds us to a higher standard for some reason. If you're bad, oh no, BUT if you're Catholic and bad OH SHIT!!!

[glennirish]

@ChamorruWarrior i am glad you where not raped ,it is the fact it was covered up by the leaders,i a not Catholic or protetant,,,i am human,never been baptised or christened proud to say,,,,,

[ChamorruWarrior]

It's weird, I'm a Catholic man and have been since I was born. Never once, no matter how many times I was alone with a Catholic Priest either in confession or whatever, I never got molested, it was so weird. Me and all my friends were wondering when it was our turn, but none of us ever got molested. Oh wait, I did get molested, by my cousin when I was a kid, he's Protestant. HEY EVERYONE! ALL PROTESTANTS ARE PAEDOPHILES!!! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! THEY ARE ALL EVIL NO MATTER WHAT!!!

[glennirish]

How can a child Paedophile Ring be a force for good in the world?????

[glennirish]

I PISS ON THE POPES FANON

[currie1967]

Love this quote from another debate with Hitchins ....... "Religion now comes to us in this smiling-face, ingratiating way, because it’s had to give so much ground, and because we know so much more. But you’ve no right to forget the way it behaved when it was strong, and when it really did believe that it had God on its side"

[14spacemarine]

They lost the argument when Stephen fry's name was mentioned.