The Priest Quotes

“There's nothing like martyrdom for bringing people together. It's an exalted feeling to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. As Christ remarks, theirs is the kingdom of heaven . . . Without Rome's inspired persecution, Christianity would have been just another cult from the East. But Rome fed us to the lions, and made saints of us. People want to be saints, if it can be done without dieting."

Peter at once retaliated with his own pointed observation. "It's a nice theory, but I don't notice that you ever put yourself in jeopardy of arrest. You don't lie down in front of the police cars. You don't handcuff yourself to the clinic's front door. Is martyrdom a privilege reserved for the laity these days?"

"The Bishop hasn't required such a sacrifice of me yet."

"And you just follow orders?"

"That's how hierarchy works . . ."

”
― Thomas M. Disch, The Priest

“Were there opinion polls in hell? Probably! And probably one hundred percent of the damned were of the opinion that they should be in heaven, and the results of the polls were published every morning in hell's own newspaper and broadcast on TV, and there were protest rallies organized by demons, and long processions of the damned wailing and singing "We Shall Overcome.”
― Thomas M. Disch, The Priest