Priest Quotes

“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvat Geeta, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions. I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! there I meet the servant of the Bramin, priest of Brahma and Vishnu and Indra, who still sits in his temple on the Ganges reading the Vedas, or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water jug. I meet his servant come to draw water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“But I’m not guilty,” said K. “there’s been a mistake. How is it even possible for someone to be guilty? We’re all human beings here, one like the other.” “That is true” said the priest “but that is how the guilty speak”
― Franz Kafka, The Trial

“At this time of year it's easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity - the lies, the corruption, the abuse.”
― Banksy

“Save your explanations, I got some questions for you first and you'd better answer them!' [slurred Hellian.]
'With what?' [Banaschar] sneered. 'Explanations?'
'No. Answers. There's a difference-'
'Really? How? What difference?'
'Explanations are what people use when they need to lie. Y'can always tell those,'cause those don't explain nothing and then they look at you like they just cleared things up when really they did the opposite and they know it and you know it and they know you know and you know they know that you know and they know you and you know them and maybe you go out for a pitcher later but who picks up the tab? That's what I want to know.'
'Right, and answers?'
'Answers is what I get when I ask questions. Answers is when you got no choice. I ask, you tell. I ask again, you tell some more. Then I break your fingers, 'cause I don't like what you're telling me, because those answers don't explain nothing!”
― Steven Erikson, The Bonehunters

“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.

{Letter to celebrated scientist Alexander von Humboldt, 6 December, 1813}”
― Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson

“As is well known, the priests are the most evil enemies—but why? Because they are the most impotent. It is because of their impotence that in them hatred grows to monstrous and uncanny proportions, to the most spiritual and poisonous kind of hatred. The truly great haters in world history have always been priests; likewise the most ingenious haters: other kinds of spirit hardly come into consideration when compared with the spirit of priestly vengefulness.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals / Ecce Homo

“What if the preacher or father’s saying ‘Someone here’s lost and hopeless’ was tantamount to those Sun-Times horoscopes that are specially designed to be so universally obvious that they always give their horoscope readers that special eerie feeling of particularity and insight, exploiting the psychological fact that most people are narcissistic and prone to the illusion that they and their problems are uniquely special and that if they’re feeling a certain way then surely they’re the only person who is feeling like that.”
― David Foster Wallace, The Pale King

“Can’t a lawyer take his client out to dinner to discuss the case? Haven’t you ever heard of the two-martini lunch?”
“Yes, but this is dinner,” she corrected.
“It’s the same thing. I looked it up in my Etiquette and Tax Deductions
for Lawyers handbook . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“You’re right, Jen, of course,” she capitulated. “I’m sorry. You’re going through hell, and I’m pontificating instead of being compassionate,” Lynne admitted.
“Pontificating? Interesting choice of words for a nonbeliever,” Jennifer chuckled.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“But why? Who would do such a thing?” Jennifer puzzled, astonished.
“I’m not sure yet who they are or exactly what their function is. My sense is they minimize the impact of these kinds of events and limit damage to the church,” Rothenberg surmised.
“You have got to be kidding!”
― Mark M. Bello

“Rothenberg was dumbfounded, shocked speechless. He was retained to provide treatment in a fourth-degree fondling case. This was far worse. This is a first-degree case. These boys were raped! The floodgates opened—details were pouring out now.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Let me get this straight,” countered Zack. “You’re telling me there is some secret fellow in the church whose job it is to deal with molestation cases when they occur?”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Perhaps priest and magician were once one, but the priest, learning humility in the face of God, discarded the spell for prayer.”
― Patti Smith, Just Kids

“She was right to be angry. He did violate every condition she placed on the resolution of the case. He never thought she was serious. But she was, and his blunder was going to cost him the case of a lifetime. I can do this her way! If she wants the case to be public, then public it shall be! If she wants to turn down $1.1 million, I'll get her $2 million—whatever she wants! I have to convince her!”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Focus, Blake! Everything will fall into place. What would I have if I lost this case? I'd have nothing, no one—same as before.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“She’ll be angry,” Kenny argued. “She’ll be mad at me for not protecting Jake. That’s my job.”
Tough job for someone so young . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Sleeping with children is not within the scope of a priest’s employment.”
“But an unsuspecting kid doesn’t know that. He trusts the priest to tell him what God likes or doesn’t like, isn’t that true? This is textbook apparent authority . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“These were children. Gerry was their priest. Who could disagree that these children were not justified in trusting their priest? Nobody!”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Because for her, money isn’t the issue. This is about revenge, payback, even worse, justice.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Even the receptionist was new, a pretty, young, buxom blonde named Eden, according to her nameplate. Micah must have handpicked her from the Garden.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“But della Rovere frowned and said, "Heed my warning, Guido Feltra. He's full of the devil, this son of the church.”
― Mario Puzo, The Family

“Are we interrupting your late-morning nap, Mr. Blake?” District Court Judge Emma Pearl inquired, with a harsh tone and an insistent expression.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Thanks very much, Zack, and God bless you.” He hung up. God bless? That ship has sailed.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“We wait. This man has skills. You don’t build a multi-million-dollar practice by being an idiot. The fact he’s had some hard times does not mean we should underestimate him . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Zachary notified the local newspapers and all pertinent radio and television stations. He called a press conference at the home of his client, Jennifer Tracey, to announce the filing of a major multimillion-dollar lawsuit against a major religious institution. The dye had been cast. A long, tough road lay ahead. For Zachary, Jennifer, Kenny, and Jake, there was no turning back.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“What tenacity! What spirit! I feel so alive in her presence. I can conquer the world with her by my side. If she'd let him, he'd violate his rule about becoming involved with a client . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“Something happened here. I know it, and so do you. I will find out what, when, and to whom. Apparently, I'll have to find out the hard way, but I'll find out . . .”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“No, justice, simple justice. We tend to forget we went to law school to pursue justice for our clients. We get so caught up in the game of the law, we forget the purpose.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith

“People like mystery. They want nothing explained, because when things are explained then there is no hope left. I have seen folk dying and known there is nothing to be done, and I am asked to go because the priest will soon arrive with his dish covered by a cloth, and everyone prays for a miracle. It never happens. And the person dies and I get blamed, not God or the priest, but I!”
― Bernard Cornwell, Vagabond

“We seek compensation, true, but we also seek to prevent future abhorrent conduct by this or any other priest. We seek to punish a vicious predator of children and the religious institution that stands idly by and watches while a whole generation of God’s precious children are physically and psychologically raped of their childhood, their faith, and their trust in role models. This is about a hierarchy whose solution to the problem is to send the offending priest packing, quietly pay off victims, and actively cover up crimes. The cover-up is responsible for a vicious cycle of crime upon crime. This lawsuit says we will not go quietly like those who came before us. The vicious cycle stops here and now.”
― Mark M. Bello, Betrayal of Faith