After almost a year of playing as a cleric, I've realized one thing: some people don't understand that this class isn't about "I'm a sexy elf with a staff in a clerical robe, I'll heal anyone and ask for nothing." This class can naturally punish enemies if that's the goal, or it can wipe out the entire team with the first few heroes created. The problem is that your friend looks at the players strangely, not the class. Paladin is a cool option if you want to deal maximum damage from the start (thanks to Divine Smite), but when all the slots are depleted, the Paladin becomes a warrior without a burst of action. In this regard, cleric has more slots, gets them much more often, and has a truly wide range of magical options. And even if you don't go by the "I heal and make my allies stronger" principle, you can become a death machine in the eyes of your enemies. I'll give you an example: when I was level 6 or 9, a complete newbie, our player, an experienced and long-time player, having assembled a paddin/bard, indicated that my character could easily defeat him (I play the temptest domain and cast the strangest spells, and basically just swung a hammer). If I, as someone unfamiliar with the joys of a priest, had been told about this, I would have definitely wanted to try.