TAKE a deep breathe … you are about to be annoyed. Very annoyed indeed.
IN THE same week in which the unremitting cruelty of Catholic institutions towards vulnerable youngsters in Ireland was exposed, the outgoing Archbishop of Westminster had the sheer gall to identify “lack of faith” as “the greatest of all evils.”
One self-serving prat replaces another: Cormac Murphy O'Connor, left, and his successor, Vincent Nichols.
According to The Times, the rancid Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor –who recently said that secularists and atheists were “not fully human” – blamed atheism for war and destruction, and suggested it was a greater evil even than sin itself.
Speaking at the installation of his successor, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, O’Connor referred to the battles that will be won and lost in the effort to sustain the Christian presence in a secular society.
What is most crucial is the prayer that we express every day in the Our Father, when we say, deliver us from evil. The evil we ask to be delivered from is not essentially the evil of sin, though that is clear, but in the mind of Jesus, it is more importantly a loss of faith. For Jesus, the inability to believe in God and to live by faith is the greatest of evils.
You see the things that result from this are an affront to human dignity, destruction of trust between peoples, the rule of egoism and the loss of peace. One can never have true justice, true peace, if God becomes meaningless to people.
Archbishop Nichols also defended faith against the rise of secularism. In his homily he said:
Faith in God is not, as some would portray it today, a narrowing of the human mind or spirit. It is precisely the opposite. Faith in God is the gift that takes us beyond our limited self, with all its incessant demands …
Earlier, Nichols infuriated child protection groups and victims of clerical abuse by saying that, while the Irish Child Abuse Commission report was distressing and disturbing, it had taken “courage” for members of the clergy to face up to the facts in their past.
He added that the report:
Should not overshadow all of the good that institutions such as the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy had done.
A spokesman for the campaign group Irish Survivors of Child Abuse, Patrick Walsh, reacted angrily, saying:
Rubbish is too kind a word for what the Archbishop has said … It is the verbiage of unreason, and it leaves me cold. What the Archbishop really has to do is take a long hard look at the character and nature of the people he is talking about and ask himself if they are capable of being good.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
May 21st, 2009 at 7:49 pm
"You see the things that result from this are an affront to human dignity, destruction of trust between peoples, the rule of egoism and the loss of peace. "
Oh what, so teaching that a newborn child is born a sinner uplifts human dignity? Teaching that people of other faiths or none are evil builds trust? How many wars has religion caused? What is more egotistical than claiming to have all the answers?
What a f**k-tard! You were right Barry, I am annoyed. I'll remind people of the petition to keep this prick out of the legislature:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/nocormacpeerage/
May 21st, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I heard this oaf on the radio yesterday – he seemed to be arguing that the Irish child-abuse scandal was actually quite a good thing, as the church had become stronger and more humble for having to face up to it. Even when the interviewer directly challenged him, saying that many people would be unhappy that he was trying to find a positive side to this, he never once talked about the countless lives that had been wrecked.
I didn't think the Catholic Church could shock me any more but I was truly disgusted.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:45 pm
You only need to look at the commandments and other basic instructions from any of the religions to understand this. They preach about a gOd that will PLUCK Yew in any way at any time and still insist that you MUST respect those at the top of the power pyramid and do as you are told. Respect gOd, Repect the preists, honor Mom & Pop, do not revolt from govenment authority. It is all the same. They, like gOd, can do what they want – when they want – and to who they want. For me THEY must EARN the right to repect – they very seldom if ever do.
I also find it amazing how all these religious s/he/its always claim how the nomally none evil one are the evil ones while it is they who are the real evil. They are no con men who are better at it then the priests.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:47 pm
When this twat can show that members of the NSS, the BHA etc, or that subscribers to Freethinker, RichardDawkins.net, et al, are a fucking danger to society or a threat to the welfare of the most vulnerable amongst us, then I may take him seriously.
Or perhaps not. Because even then he would have the impossible task of having to prove that his own brand of superstitious shite was right.
Given the evidence, and the sheer misery that this cunt and his chums have inflicted on humanity over the ages, why don't we just lock the whole fucking lot of them up in a secure mental establishment.
And weld the door shut!
Or possibly say that they can come out and be a part of society when they learn to behave themselves.(Just in case some liberals thought I might have been a bit harsh).
Oh yeah. And cut their bollocks off just in case. They won't be needing them anyway cos they've taken a vow of stupidity!
May 21st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Yes it did make me angry..f*cking angry..
People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones… you don't see groups of atheists systematically abusing children or stopping abusers being prosecuted, promoting unsafe sexual practice (sex without condoms) in Africa, or sitting on billions of pounds/euros/dollars of assets when there are people starving, you don't see groups of atheists inflicting their old fashioned poppycock on other people and calling them "not human"..
Hopefully the RCC is in it's death throw's and hopefully soon it'll come to an end..
May 21st, 2009 at 9:01 pm
So a cardinal is dangerously, criminally, certifiably insane. Since it is impossible to become a cardinal without those specific qualities, why is anyone surprised? A character in Angels and Demons had the right idea: nuke the Vatican.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:16 pm
how could a roman catholic be sure that atheism is the greatest sin, if they can't even work out that kiddy fiddling is a crime?
May 21st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
The bible spouts 'an eye for an eye etc'. If those abused kids, now adults, were to take the law into their own hands I would support them fully. As for the 'greatest of all evils' O' Connor – just look in the mirror.
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 am
Why do they ALWAYS project what they are guilty of on to people that are against or disagree with them? Smear tactics!
Out of the church funds, he should spend a couple of grand and have a night in with a couple of high-class hookers.
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:56 am
I haven't hated anyone this much in months.
"For Jesus, the inability to believe in God and to live by faith is the greatest of evils."
Should read: "For self-serving institutions based on systematic fraud and abuse, the inability of others to believe in codswallop and to live by drooling credulity is the greatest of evils."
O'Connor, you are a smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous, pompous, hypocritical, cross-dressing, glorified-witch-doctor, pervert-enabling piece of scum.
William Harwood, I'd draw the line at nuking the Vatican, though – wouldn't want all the Michelangelos and Raphaels damaged. And instantaneous death is too good for these reptiles.
Sarin gas should do nicely.
May 22nd, 2009 at 2:50 am
with you Remigius; these catholic cunts should be shunned – whenever they speak, we should all stand up and turn our backs on them. and the next time a catholic calls me a sinner, i'll sue the bastard for slander. these men should be sued for crimes against humanity; not the church, as it is too powerful, but the individual men and women who've committed these crimes. Sue them as individuals, and not as a church. I'd do it if I had the means; sue them for offence, and to reimburse the public for all the tax dollars (i'm in Oz) and pounds they've taken from us to fund their schools of indoctrination. I want my money back and I want some kind of payment for the horrors they've committed down the centuries. If only someone in government had the balls to shut these people down for good…
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 am
I had reservations about the petition, but now I'm off to sign it.
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:42 am
"Deliver us from evil": an Atheists 'prayer' would be "Deliver us from ignorance and stupidity"!! Too bad most Catholics don't seem to be able to connect the dots of the clergy: they would end up with a very ugly picture, which might even get them to start using their brains so they would organised religion in droves. As for these shameless, 'holy' men: Up yours!
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 am
I wonder what would have happened if the Irish Industrial schools had been atheist, secular establishments? Would a secular system have allowed known boy-rapists to go on raping boys? Would a secular system have emphasised inflicting as much physical pain and humiliation on little boys and girls as possible? Indeed, would a secular system have put kids in what amounted to prison because their mothers weren't married? Gosh, it's a puzzler, ain't it? We atheists are so evil and subhuman, and yet I don't feel the urge to do terrible things to defenceless kids, as the godly clearly do. Am I simply crap at being an atheist? Should I go on a refresher course to become a bit more cruel and heartless – and paedophiliac, of course? Any cardinals reading this, please advise.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 am
F*****ing hell, this is really not good for my blood pressure!
Being an atheist who tries to live right is evil, more evil in fact than raping little boys…
Jesus these people are just sick.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:04 am
I agree Ryan, I am fuckin furious!!! Cheeky bastards.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:49 am
The Cardinal is simply speaking self-serving drivel. It's a pity no-one ever picks him up on things like this. How does he now this is what Jesus thinks? Voices in his head? Tortuous theological arguments?
I think his previous statement is actually more dangerous – if atheists are "not fully human" then they are subhuman – and we know where that leads.
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Secular metod of reporting child abuse = tell the police.
Catholic method (by guidelines to priests drawn up by Benny when he was 'only 'Cardinal Ratzo) = tell nobody but courier all the evidence direct to the Vatican, which uses diplomatic immunity to keep it in a big safe until the time for taking out a prosecution in the country concerned has passed.
Hmm, as a parent think my kid is way safer with evil atheists, thank you very much!
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
If there's such a thing as "hate crime", shouldn't he be prosecuted?
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I am absolutely livid about this. It just says all that's wrong with religion in one simple statement.
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I've never used the word "cunt" on the interwebs before today. Now I can't seem to stop myself.
Christopher Hitchens was right: religion poisons everything, including my vocabulary.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
My first thought was, could we bring a prosecution against him for hate speech and possibly slander. But then I thought no, only bigots with no argument try to use the law to silence their critics and anyway, being critisised by the Catholic Church is in reality something of an endorsement. We can now proudly take our place shoulder to shoulder with the educated classes of the ancient world, Heretics (read people who think about what they believe), the Jews, the Cathars, the Natives of south America, Witches (read harmless old women),Non Conformists, Scientists and Doctors all of whom have been demonised by the vile and loathsome Catholic Church over the centuries.
I like this quote from Norman Tebbitt, "Don't judge a man by his freinds, judge him by his enemies, I'm very proud of my enemies." Yes indeed, I am very proud to be counted as the sworn enemy of the likes of Cormac Murphy O Connor, Vincent Nichols and Pope Ratty himself very proud indeed.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Would it be possible for the freethought community to come together to produce a strongly worded press release denouncing these disgusting liars? Perhaps it could include some quotes from this comment thread.
Exodus Ch. 20 Vs. 16 you vile hypocrites and it wouldn't surprise me if you had to look it up.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:27 pm
All those children our priests are raping all the time? Atheists! Every one of them.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
What a coincidence! There is a report in this evening`s Southern Daily Echo concerning the headmaster of a school in Southampton who carried out "historic" child abuse against boys under 14 years of age, from 1973 – 1984. His name? BROTHER Jack Davis!! Perhaps HE didn`t know it was against the law either!!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Obviously Frac – AND they have no conscience either! Why else would they so thoughtlessly and selfishly want to do such damage to the Holy Catholic Church by complaining about these events, many of which took place so very long ago? And just look at all the benefits bestowed upon them so selflessly by those devout Christian people! Talk about gratitude!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Don't get annoyed! Where does this get him? If the best the Archbishop can come up with in the face of 2,500+ searing pages of horror is a lot of petulant foam amounting to 'At least child-rapists are not as bad as Those What Don't Go To Church', then he is walking proof of the staggering denial of wrong-doing that kept the gate wide open for abuse.
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
"Faith in God is the gift that takes us beyond our limited self, with all its incessant demands …"
Yes, it takes us beyond logic, beyond evidence, and (as a recent report in Ireland illustrates) beyond the pale. Think I'll give it a miss, in favour of evidence, logic, compassion and shared human values.
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:20 am
Ignore all the children we've abused and the millions of HIV/AIDS deaths we've caused. Atheists are the great evil in the world!
Stupid twat.
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:05 am
Yes! this is a great idea…a bit like the atheist bus campaign that kicked off with an idea; even tho I live in Oz, I'd be glad to donate to any cause that publicly expresses our outrage at this self serving devious prick and why he's allowed to get away with it, that no one in any kind of power seems to stand up kick these bastards down where they belong, in the gutter with the rats, and that's an insult to rats. I'd rather live with a rat in my house than a catholic bishop or any of his cringing cronies…
What about the NSS?
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 pm
The church: full of old old men,
with death breathing down their neck.
Can't wait till they push up the daisies.
(yep… no heaven)
May 25th, 2009 at 11:50 am
The man is a blithering idiot. Why does he get any attention from the press?
May 25th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
When are we going to stand up again st these mad people. I would like to know what the queen of england feels about this as she is the protector of the christain faith. I dont know about go save the queen but it should be god save the little children from evil god believers, at least that what they say but i believe it is an excuse to get away wth anything they want.
Long reign Atheists.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
The Catholic church: molesters of children, harborers of Nazi war criminals, oppressors of enlightenment.
They put the "dark" in Dark Ages.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Take a deep breath.
May 25th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Would you walk into a psychiatric hospital prepared to be annoyed by the ravings of schizophrenics? No. Let it go. It's the difference between walking through the madhouse and getting stuck in it.
May 25th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
How can this not be considered libel?
May 25th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Who was it that said "I find your lack of faith disturbing"?
Oh yes, I remember.
Darth Vader
May 26th, 2009 at 7:52 am
I have always felt that it is a womans right to choose and with all the issues pertaining to the seperarion of church and state.One must consider the science factor. I choose to have an open mind on the issues.I believe that Gerry Spence has an intellectual explaination on the matter. I don't what his stand is on abortion, but one would think if their is no god, then no one has to explain themself to any church or any state. The only issue therefore that one would have to address is when it comes to insurance provider ,and what attitude if any they have on the matter.After all we all know how the privacy laws are suppose to work.
May 27th, 2009 at 6:44 am
You really do have to feel some pity for people like Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, they get so caught up in their ideals that any resemblance of reality is totally alien to them and they simply can not handle it any more. I mean is Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor not guilty of 3 of the 7 deadly sins by making this ridiculous statement. Pride (as arrogance), Wrath and to a degree Envy.
After all, religion is the root of all evil. It has to be, the catholic church is the greatest money making institution in the world.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
christ, some people are stupid. as if not having as much ignorance makes you less of a person.
May 31st, 2009 at 2:10 am
Rabbis have been abusing children ever since and getting a pass on it because they are Jewish. See
http://www.failedmessiah.com; it's Orthodox Jewish site.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Murphy O Connor is apperantly not human at all.