There is a Bible on a pedestal in Gretta Vosper's West Hill United Church in Toronto. She would prefer it did not have a special place, she said, because it is just a book among other books. In a similar way, the cross that is high above the altar has no special meaning, but there are a few older congregants for whom the Bible and the cross are still nice symbols so there they remain.

Though an ordained minister, she does not like the title of reverend. It is one of those symbols that hold the church back from breaking into the future -- to a time "when the label Christian won't even exist" and the Church will be freed of the burdens of the past. To balance out those symbols of the past inside West Hill, there is a giant, non-religious rainbow tapestry just behind the altar and multi-coloured streamers hang from the ceiling.

"The central story of Christianity will fade away," she explained. "The story about Jesus as the symbol of everything that Christianity is will fade away."

As Mark Steyn, by way of The Papa, reminds us, the mainline churches have long been beyond parody. If you can stand more, read the article here:

Christianity without Christ

UPDATE: Annie writes, "i'm not sure how long my mouth had been gaping in horror, but it was long enough that i was drooling before i picked my jaw up off the floor. even now, i'm sort of pounding my keyboard with rage and it hardly resembles typing. i felt the only thing missing from the article was some sort of closing like "Ms Vosper currently resides in suburban Toronto with her life-partner, Susan, a tenured professor at University of Toronto.

"i googled Ms. Vosper and it is my opinion that the national post article was entirely too generous in their descriptions of her 'spirituality'. she's basically an Earth worshipper who won't go so far as to deny the existence of God."

See West Hill United Church

Labels: Social Observation, Theater of the Absurd