I made it thereafter into the town of Navarrenx, and – as was my usual custom – proceeded first and foremost to the local church; to give thanks for having made it this far and to re-vow my resolve to continue onward for the cause of Peace … What was especially interesting about this particular religious enclave was how much disconnect there was between the building and its residents – how strikingly Peace-full and Beauty-full the church itself was*, and yet how morose and monotoned both the priest and his parishioners were during mass later that evening …

“It is amazing to me that a difference of opinion upon subjects that we know nothing with certainty about, should make us judge and persecute and even despise one another. Why a difference of opinion upon predestination, or the trinity, should make people imprison and burn each other seems beyond the comprehension of man; and yet in all countries where Christians have existed, they have destroyed each other to the exact extent of their power to do so. Just as pressing: why should a believer in God ever hate an atheist? Surely the atheist has not injured God, and surely he is human, capable of joy and pain, and entitled to all the rights of any more religious man … If we all could but admit that all have an equal right to think and live and be, then the question is forever solved. And yet as long as organized and powerful churches, errantly pretending to themselves hold the only keys of Heaven and Hell, denounce every person who thinks for himself and denies their authority as an outcast and a criminal, the world will continue to be filled with ignorance and hatred and suffering.” ~ via Robert Ingersoll

*In truth, I was left wondering how it was that the sanctuary floor that had been freshly mopped when I first arrived could remain so wet – so slimy, even – hours later when I returned for mass.

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019) by Scaughdt