Churches and no smiling Jesus

Why is it that people seem to become infatuated by churches when on holiday? Don't get me wrong, I like to have the odd mooch around an old church or chapel and basque in their gothic beauty, the 'odd' being the operative word. I don't want to walk around every church I see, when you have seen one, you have pretty much seen them all.

I mean apart from perhaps the pictures not much else differentiates them. They all have an organ, benches, candles, big wooden doors, and a cross and table at the front. Some are beautiful and I am interested in the way the interior has changed through history or per continent. But there are only so many times you can walk around smelling the mixture of mold and frankenscence while commenting on the beauty of it.

Today we entered one and I felt uncomfortable. This happens a lot in churches. I feel sometimes like I may combust or that I shouldn't be there. I suppose this is down to my lack of belief in religion. I feel like a fraud creeping around a 'house of god' that I don't believe in. I see people sitting in silence, some praying and feel guilt, I can't explain why. Perhaps it's the fact that religion, through history, has been used as a way to control the masses using fear. If you don't prey or live by the rules then you will burn in hell. Maybe that's it, maybe I feel hatred towards religion and so uncomfortable when entering the hub.

I mean it's not just the whole, if you follow our rules you will be rewarded in death that I don't agree with. It's the wars religion caused, the deaths it has warranted, the money it makes, the terrible things done by the very people who preach in its name and the way these bad deeds are pushed under the rug. Its so contradictory and is part of everything it preaches against.

I digress, I apologise, I shall retract to my original point. While walking around this church I noticed that in every picture of Jesus he is always Laying about dying. In every statue, he is attached to a cross dying. Why is he always dying? Why are there no pictures in churches of him smiling? What about doing some daily activities like healing leprosy, blessing people or turning water in to wine? I mean wouldn't that be nicer? If you love him so much and have so much respect for him why use the worst possible part of his life to focus on? I mean no one looks at their best when their nailed to a cross with blood dripping all over the gaff.

Another point, I may have made it before, what's all this nonsense about drinking his blood and eating his body? That's vampirism and cannibalism right there. Now I think that Jesus would have something to say about that!