Atheists 'not fully human' - Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor

Tyler MacDurden · 21-05-2009 11:29pm #1

In light of the week that Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's church has had, this statement on BBC Radio is outrageous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbrfz1DIq9Q

The suggestion is that atheists, and secularists generally, are less than fully human.

( One wonders who he regarded as less human in this case:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/840594.stm

- the altar boys who were assaulted or the subordinate he allowed to return to his predatory activities? )

Are we, in our godlessness, lacking a crucial element of humanity? Are we incapable of experiencing the transcendent? :rolleyes:

To think this man's candidature for the House of Lords was discussed at cabinet level.

dvpower · 21-05-2009 11:40pm

Given the report issued this week, he could look closer to home for people who would better fit that description.

orestes · 21-05-2009 11:43pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV5wmDhzgY8

dvpower · 22-05-2009 12:04am

Wasn't he the Primate of England and Wales?

/artistic license

bnt · 22-05-2009 1:36am

Ever heard the phrase "when you're in a hole, stop digging"? The Cardinal hasn't, so he's at it again:

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.

The cheek! :mad:

Zillah · 22-05-2009 7:30am

Haha, that's hilarious.

Y'know that feeling when a new movie you really want to see is coming out? And you're so eager, but you just have to wait? I feel like that about the day when people laugh at ignorant old fools like this jerk.

tenandtracer · 22-05-2009 7:43am

Don't believe in your god Murphy-O'Connor - however I feel....

OneArt · 22-05-2009 12:34pm

He's showing an incredible amount of ignorance.

Particularly in his statement about Secularists. I consider myself a Secularist: I'm for the separation of church and state BUT I'm also a very religious Wiccan. I just believe religion/spirituality is something private and should be under one's own control.

Also, a very fine example of an atheistic religion is Buddhism. And to be honest, Buddhism is one of the most humane religions out there.

Genghiz Cohen · 22-05-2009 12:40pm

He's not fully retarded, but damn is he close.

toiletduck · 22-05-2009 1:47pm

Moron, does he even know what a secularist is?

Overblood · 22-05-2009 4:08pm

That guy deserves a clatter aginn the ceann with a hefty shtick.

So what body part am I missing?

Tigger · 22-05-2009 4:11pm

he obviously thinks we are too serious and need to get in touch with our outer child

toomevara · 22-05-2009 4:13pm

Ho ho, you couldn't make this clown up...final proof, if any further proof were needed, that the catholic church is an entirely morally bankrupt organisation led by intellectual pygmies who have managed to raise the art of hypocrisy to dizzying and heretofore unimagined heights.....utterly astonishing.

Stercus Accidit · 22-05-2009 4:17pm

Well, we atheists maybe are not fully human, he could be right.

I mean, isn't it a human trait to attribute the unknown to powers?

Isn't it a human trait to band together and invent nonsense stories?

Isn't it human to exploit this power, push ignorance as an agenda in the pursuit of power all the while blaming/serving a God, engaging in nonsense ritual and worshipping the imaginary?

I mean, my logical open mind and objective self criticism of my ideas and why I think they are correct doesn't seem a natural human trait. Its more a trait of education and intelligence. Its equally correct to say the Cardinal is not fully educated and intelligent

paddyboy23 · 22-05-2009 4:21pm

this guy has some neck

cnocbui · 22-05-2009 4:27pm

Now come on people, who are we to argue with him.

He's a high ranking member of an organisation with a very long and distinguished track record on perpetrating inhumane acts.

It logically follows that he and his fellows, as noted practitioners of inhumanity, should be highly expert at recognising it when they see it.

markesmith · 22-05-2009 4:32pm

Sounds like the last gasps of a dying institution...

Ridiculous really, how out of touch they are.

MrPudding · 22-05-2009 5:10pm

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

I mean, my logical open mind and objective self criticism of my ideas and why I think they are correct doesn't seem a natural human trait. Its more a trait of education and intelligence. Its equally correct to say the Cardinal is not fully educated and intelligent

I for one welcome my new "Not fully human" status.

MrP

Dades · 22-05-2009 5:38pm

I can see what he's trying to say - that being 'one with God' is what makes us 'whole' (or some such), but it really is a terrible choice of words. Completely naive.

In a way it boils down to religion trying to put humans on a different plane altogether to animals by adding a soul etc. Whereas we simply think of humans as a type of intelligent (debatable!) primate.

bigeasyeah · 22-05-2009 5:42pm

Haha.oh the outrage.

aidan24326 · 22-05-2009 5:54pm

Religiousy posters often accuse us of being disrespectful and mocking their beliefs, but in all honesty nonsense like this this deserves zero respect and certainly deserves to be mocked. If the church becomes any more out of touch they'll fall off the planet altogether.

harsea8 · 22-05-2009 5:58pm

what a twat...I'm an atheist and I'm wholly human (although occasionally I get a hair on my back that looks like it came from a rat!)

robindch · 22-05-2009 5:59pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

If the church becomes any more out of touch they'll fall off the planet altogether.

Well, here's one way that the Serbian Orthodox Church has been staying in touch <cough> with drug addicts:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8063855.stm