A string of sad looking men, chained together at the waist, knee-deep in flames as they walk to...who knows where? Their walk is eternal, as is their sadness.

I am not religious, at all, not even a little. But I do love churches. They represent the finest capabilities of humankind as well as its greatest faults. And they are free to get into.

We always visit churches and cathedrals wherever we travel in Europe (and when we do make it to North Africa, Turkey, and Asia (including Iran, I have to go there) some day, you can bet we will visit mosques and shrines along the way.

Why? Often these old cathedrals offer fantastic architecture, masterpieces of painting and sculpture, incredible music (read my post from our trip to Paris in 2007) and lessons in history - all for free.

But there is more to it than that. Nothing typifies mankind's ability to express the sublime quite like an ancient house of worship. Everything is designed, constructed and displayed to reach the unknowable, the unattainable. The ceilings soar towards the sky, almost out of sight, and colored light spills in through intricate stained-glass windows. Paintings of angels and saints and devils and Hell cover the walls, some as large as the domed ceilings themselves. All of man's fears and hopes are given voice in a beautiful church.

But on the other hand, should all of that talent and treasure been put towards building an edifice that merely symbolizes one strange explanation of the meaning for existence?  Rather than a spectacular and enduring piece of propaganda, couldn't they have put their energy into actually improving this life now, for all, particularly the weak?

I don't expect an answer. I don't know that I really want one. These are just the thoughts that go through my head when I wander through some beautiful old church. I love it and I find the accomplishment truly moving. I also find it somewhat regretful, a missed opportunity.

In a way this also sums up my feeling about religion in general. It is great at pulling people together and corralling their talents toward a common purpose - but then that purpose turns out to be simply focusing on their own narrow viewpoint and thus missing the bigger picture of the truth.

In the end, I always leave a church feeling like I should be doing something concrete to make the world a better place. Hmm... maybe they were on to something all along.