Pat Condell 'Hard? I'm not hard. But I won't flatter fuckwits'
Pat Condell: interview
-
By Malcolm Hay
Posted: Fri Nov 3 2006 -
Time Out meets Pat Condell, who doesn‘t respect your beliefs and doesn‘t care if you‘re offended
Pat Condell doesn’t much care for any form of religion. ‘I’m not saying it doesn’t have its uses,’ he declares. ‘Personally, I turn to it whenever I want my intelligence insulted.’ He particularly dislikes what he calls ‘God’s little helpers’, the ones who ‘take it upon themselves to police the rest of us on His behalf’. He’s even sceptical about so-called religious moderates. ‘They’ve helped to nurture extremism by tolerating it in their midst and by constantly demanding respect for faith-based opinion.’
The media, Condell says, give airtime to ‘lunatics like Christian Voice’ whenever there’s a storm in a teacup like the arguments over ‘Jerry Springer: the Opera’. ‘Or, when Muslims erupt in fury over nothing, as with the recent veil nonsense, the BBC invites some hate-mongering fuckwit who represents nobody to speak for all the Muslims in Britain.’ Feature continuesAdvertisementHe’s expressing these and other controversial views in his stand-up show ‘Faith Hope and Sanity’, subtitled ‘A Few Jokes About Religion Before It Kills Us All’. He’s mounting a simultaneous assault on three separate fronts. ‘It seems to me that fundamentalist Christians, jihadist Muslims and settlement-building Jews are causing more than their share of trouble in the world. World events are being driven by people with apocalyptic delusions, while here in Britain a paralysing liberal guilt allows religious bigots to use intimidation and violence to stamp out free speech. If you can’t get laughs out of all that, you can’t get them out of anything.’
Condell’s 56. He was born an Irish Catholic but educated in Church of England schools. ‘I found myself segregated in assembly and shunted into another room while everyone said their morning prayers. I didn’t mind. The whole pantomime seemed hollow to me even then. Once you become aware of the gulf between what people profess to believe and how they actually behave, it’s hard to take any of it seriously.’- Add your comment to this feature
|
|
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Weekly London newsletter
The best of London in your inbox
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
38 comments
Regarding religion vs science: all you have to do is think about how you came across this comment (probably reading it on your computer). Science is what brought you the enormous body of knowledge that has made possible such complex things as computers. The very same body of knowledge is telling us that gods, heaven and hell, jesus walking on water etc etc is nothing but pure fantasy and bronze age myths. What concrete evidence has religion and beliefs brought? Nothing. So, it's your choice - either you realise the beauty of science and enjoy the ride, OR you believe in what religious books tell you, in which case you also have to tell yourself that your mobile phone doesn't work, it doesn't even exist, because science is wrong! Pretty obvious which way to go if you are interested in the truth, and which way to go if you like to live a lie.
Cheers! :)
The people who disagree with pat do so because they will have to admit that loved ones who've passed away will never be seen again. religion is all they have to cling on to.It's understandable they think of an afterlife and force themselves into believing in God. However....think of the talking snake...it's stupid...isn't it...as is the rest of the bible and other religious books.Think of peasant men sitting around a campfire in the desert telling each other tales!....search for Mormons..read about them...absolute drivel...you won't believe what they believe..their whole doctrine is the product of a twisted mind. The person who kicked it all off was well known for telling the most incredible tall stories..he believed that jesus visited North America and also that their underwear is magic and will potect them...honest...I thought it was a Monty python sketch...you think I'm Kidding...search and read....it's a bit frightening really to think that otherwise normal people can be hypnotised by these 'Damaged' people and devote their whole lives to a complete load of nonesense.....There should be a law against it like some of the other crazy cults that rob peoples minds..
Pat Condell himself is 'long overdue'. WHY did I have to become 72 years old before his YouTube videos appeared!?!? THE most rational voice in public life today!!!
It is absolutely essential that Pat appear with Bill Maher ASAP!
I would like to meet Pat one day and shake his hand. He brilliantly puts into words exactly how I have felt about religion for a long time now, and I fully agree when he says "if a persons personal beliefs help them through life, great." he makes it clear that he has no problem with that. Its the people who take it to the exteme and shape their lives, and try to make others shape their lives around religion and take offence at anyone who might disagree.
How about Pat as a new Home Secretary?
Refused to attend a christening the other day...got it in the neck but my conscience is clear. To bless a pair of 6 month-old twins in the name of a god is, frankly, child-abuse. I understand there is now an organization or, at least, a movement to establish in churches a facility for enlightened adults to be 'de-baptised'...what a good idea.
Pat Condell is a NECESSITY for all decent people.
As for the indecent ones -- fascists, Bush Republicans, christians, TV preachers, ad nauseum -- well, their real necessity is piano wire, around their ignorant, ruinous necks!
At this point (here in the american south -- sorry to bring up the repulsive subject), there would be no escape from the religious insanity, except for Pat Condell.
"Islam is not the problem. Religion is the problem." - Pat Condell
As MY own personal Sunday ritual (no clothing comparison required!), I watch all of the Pat Condell videos which confirms my belief in decency, sanity and ... well, you know, all of the things that Mr. Condell stands for.
Could it be arranged tha pat Condell could have a television debate with Shirley phelps broadcast here and in America...it would be fabulous to watch..failing that...would any Muslim ,Christian or Jewish spokesperson dare to face Pat in open debate on TV....I think not..and why not?....well....would you throw yourself into a paper shredder???
What a sensible man...more intelligence in his little finger than all the dubious cardinals, bishops, priests, mullahs, imams, rabbis and effing popes put together.
pat condell speaks without knowledge and if you want an example of something he siad that was wrong how about all saudi's are mentally ill. Yeah good ol pat tarring a whole country with his uneducated drivel.
Pat Condell for President of the United States! He is the most realistic man in the world!
Anonymous, please give an example of something Pat says which is wrong. He is just so right! You feel offended because you have been brainwashed into not thinking for yourself, but believe in midevel stories about people (Muhammad etc) which probably never existed anyway. Religion is stupidity and deserves no respect what so ever.
Very clever man, who speaks the way i feel about all religion; A doctrine for weak, feeble minded sheep who are afraid of death and who will kill as many innocent people as possible trying to prove to us that there is a god.
Pat's a wonder, the article should have been longer. It might have been had you taken out the fucking annoying averts!
Pat's a wonder, the article should have been longer. I might have been had you taken out the fucking annoying averts!