The Minister of the 107 year old St Andrew's Uniting Church in Brisbane was showing me his church and described it as an oasis in the middle of the busy city. He was right and that is what a place of worship should be. Give me a beautiful old church with stained glass windows any day . You should experience something apart from the world around you when you enter a church.

Rhian,
I liked your post very much, more later when I am less drunk.

Thanks, David -- I have plans for a few more. What do you think of 'Backward, Christian Soldiers!' and 'A Mighty Vacuum Is Our God'? We'll get Peter's First Apophatic Church of Nothing in Particular off to a rousing start!

'What do you think of 'Backward, Christian Soldiers!' and 'A Mighty Vacuum Is Our God'? '

to late JonJ the athiest high priest already fit this description.

Jon J, it is really sad that humans still believe in gods and religion.

I mean, thousands of years ago when we humans didn't know much (we still don't), we harbored and embraced such fantasies as Adam and Eve, a Big Boppa God, burning forever in hell (which would defy physics), whales swallowing people, virgin births, burning bushes, turning water into wine, feeding thousands with two fish and a loaf of bread, you know what I mean, all the same old, same old. But this is 2013.

It is obvious to me that humans won't evolve any further. We have reached the endpoint. In fact it is likely we will regress, return to the trees (if there are any left).

But the clerics will there be among the branches, oh yes, spreading their lies, promising the faithful things they know to be untrue.

Last weekend, I was confronted by an Anglican Cleric at a wedding service. Fair dinkum, I thought it was the Pope! His finery was exquisite (just as well I was wearing sunglasses) and the cost of it would've kept a homeless person in luxury for six months.

The opiate of the asses? Never a truer word spoken!