Bill Tammeus, one of the religion writers for the Kansas City Star, maintains a blog to which I post every now and then. He is a Presbyterian and is not at all skeptical. Every day and once over each weekend, he posts things of interest from a religious standpoint. Some of the people that comment are devote religious sorts, some are skeptical and there are a very few atheists. As with many blogs, a few people are the main commenters - I guess they have nothing better to do. You can take a look at http://billtammeus.typepad.com/my_weblog.

Anyway, today one of the topics was a tour Tammeus conducted of some churches in the Kansas City area. One was the Rime Buddhist Center which is located in an very old church in near downtown Kansas City; it is rather spartan or austere. Another was St. Mary's Episcopal Church which, also, is located near downtown; it is rather plain on the outside, but is moderately ornate inside. The third was the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, an extremely ornate and richly decorated church. He posted a picture; and, since it does not appear to
be copyrighted, I am posting it here.

Here is what I posted to Tammeus' blog:

I have been in Rime and St. Mary's, but not the Immaculate Conception (I'll go with the picture). What I am about to say does not apply too much to Rime, because it is much more spartan than the other buildings.

I have often wondered, however, whenever I see these ornate structures that obviously cost huge amounts of money and resources, how many children might have starved to death while these buildings were being constructed and as they are being operated.

I do not believe that there is a god; but, if there were a loving god, how could he possibly be happy? Though technically not graven images, it seems that these gaudy and extravagant monuments to wealth, should be equally repugnant to any decent god.