why was the conflict between the clergy and the third estate the most divisive in the course of the revolution?

The conflict between the clergy (First Estate) and the Third Estate (commoners) was the most divisive in the French Revolution because it embodied the struggle over power, privilege, and representation. The clergy and nobility together made up only about 2% of the population but held significant privileges, including exemption from most taxes. In contrast, the Third Estate, comprising about 98% of the population including peasants, bourgeoisie, and workers, bore the full tax burden yet had little political power. The traditional voting system in the Estates-General allowed the clergy and nobility to outvote the Third Estate despite their small numbers, frustrating the Third Estate's demands for fair representation and voting by head rather than by estate. This division was deeply rooted in social inequality and the protection of privileges by the clergy and nobility, which the Third Estate vehemently opposed. The clergy, seen as protectors of the old regime, resisted reforms that threatened their status. When the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly and included some sympathetic clergy members, it marked a significant political challenge to the established order. Additionally, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790, which attempted to bring the Church under state control, caused further animosity, especially in rural areas where refractory priests who refused to swear allegiance to the revolution alienated the peasantry. Thus, the conflict encapsulated the larger revolutionary struggle between an entrenched privileged class defending its status and a much larger, economically burdened majority seeking political and social reform. This made the divide particularly sharp and explosive during the course of the revolution.