Atheism Quote by Henry Thomas Buckle

Clergymen almost necessarily fail in two ways as teachers of morals. They condemn acts which do no harm and they condone acts which do…

— Bertrand Russell

“The typical clergy/laity system practiced among most churches is detrimental to believers. In this system only a professional class of people teaches and preaches,…

— Henry Hon

The clergy profession is fundamentally self-defeating. Its stated purpose is to nurture spiritual maturity in the church - a valuable goal. In actuality, however;…

— Christian Smith

I do deeply deplore, of the sake of the cause, the prevalent notion, that the clergy must be had, either by persuasion or by…

— Anonymous

Of learned men, the clergy show the lowest development of professional ethics. Any pastor is free to cadge customers from the divines of rival…

— H. L. Mencken

Clergy had a vested interest in retaining the old, ways, which made few demands of them as teachers, as spiritual guides, or as moral…

— Alister E. McGrath

The clergy earns its living from religion. If your interests are secured through religion, then you will defend your interests first, and religion will…

— Abdolkarim Soroush

I never saw, heard, nor read, that the clergy were beloved in any nation where Christianity was the religion of the country. Nothing can…

— Jonathan Swift

The clergy [in the 14th century] on the whole were probably no more lecherous or greedy or untrustworthy than other men, but because they…

— Barbara Tuchman

The clergy, no less than the capitalist class, lives on the backs of the people, profits from the degradation, the ignorance and the oppression…

— Rosa Luxemburg

Clergymen tend to be unreliable and pompous figures. Seldom Jewish rabbis, less often Catholic priests, but Protestant ministers tend to be... not really very…

— Charlton Heston

“Many religions now come before us with ingratiating smirks and outspread hands, like an unctuous merchant in a bazaar. They offer consolation and solidarity…

— Christopher Hitchens