"Even if I got rid of all my problems, I'd just go out and get new ones..."

Churchs, religion, and guinea pigs
4:19 p.m. on 2003-08-08

This entry is gong to be somewhat different to my others since I am about to go on a bit of a rant.

I like churchs. I like all religious art and architecture actually. I often think I would have been better taking Theology at university and following this route - but then, there is always that option in the future.

After seeing churches of many different denominations, I have come to the realisation that out of all of them, it is Catholicism that gets, well, right up my nose. Quite apart from the emphasis on the suffering of Christ, rather than the resurrection, the sheer amount of gold in a Catholic church often reaches ludicrous proportions.

Take today. In Cuenca, the central square is overlooked by what is, inside and out, a beautiful cathedral-sized church. At the end of the nave, the congregation�s eye is drawn to a huge scaffolding of gold that rises almost thirty feet into the air, and encloses the priest. Meanwhile, on the steps of the church, sit a dozen old women or cripples begging, their hands permanently outstretched to locals and tourists alike.

I understand that the beauty of a church is supposed to inspire its members, to lead their eyes heavenwards. But take St. Peters, what is possibly the richest, and yet the ugliest religious buildings in the Christian world - on the interior at least. So much money comes through that place every single day, and I wonder how much of it goes into luxurious living quarters for the priests or more gold trimmings for the pulpit.

Not all churches are like this, of course. But the ones that are just seem to cement my dislike of organized religion.

And in further strangeness, next door to the Cuenca church is a nunnery in which the inhabitants are alloweed no contact with the outside world, from the moment they leave (or are taken) from their families. They are almost entirely self-sufficient, making money through the sale of cakes and sweets that they sell through a revolving hatch - you put the money on one side, ring the bell, the hatch turns and your product appears on the other side.

This amount of secrecy does not mean, to me, a life spent in devotion to God. A church should not be a shadowy thing. In a way, that is why I find the Mormon church so fascinating. They combine the openness of the people canvassing in the streets, with the private nature of their religious buildings.

This is all a little serious, so I will finish with something that, if not fun, at least kind of creepy. We were in a local market today, examining the chickens and rabbits, when Sharon spotted a basket of squeaking, ginger and white little furry and cute animals. Suddenly eating a guinea pig doesn`t seem to appealing.

Listening to: Wake Me Up Inside - Evanesence.

Random thing: definitley the guinea pigs.

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