I hope this missive finds you and your report well. I suppose you are right. I too have a piece of the story to tell. I just hope that my words will not impart a bias on the rest of your report, for even though you are acting under my orders, my words bear no more truth than anypony else’s.
My first encounter with the human was not exactly an encounter, per se. I walked through his dreams at least two weeks before I ever met him in the flesh.
On that particular night, the ponies were having some rather trite and uninteresting dreams, stuff of teeth falling out, or being late to class. I was finding no dream distressing enough to warrant my observation, so I let my mind wander through the aether, from dream cloud to dream cloud.
I spotted a dream cloud that seemed troubled. If dream clouds resembled their atmospheric counterparts, this one would have been a roiling thunderhead, where all the others that night had been fluffy wisps of cotton. I glimpsed two sapien figures arguing heatedly.The upright, gangly figures alone were enough to give me pause. I had not seen such a creature in all my years.
Curiosity arrested me, and I melded into the dream. Or should I say memory? Sometimes the difference is less discrete than you might imagine.
Regardless, the scene was unfolding before me. I found myself in some cavernous building, with a vaulted ceiling, and a series of tall, narrow windows along the sides. Two rows of benches lined the walls, facing some sort of podium at the front end of the building. There were a few fasteners on the wall at regular intervals, as if the walls once held decorations. Curious. The building had a sense of familiarity to the dreamer, but it felt like the place was being threatened.
I approached the two upright figures. One of the humans was packing away a large wooden cross. He wore spectacles, and a long, white robe. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The other, had a light gray hooded shirt, and a look of pure resentment. That one was our Jeremiah Walker.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tie-dye dad’s pastor robes, you dirty hippie!” Walker said.
“Then I’d just be asking for the lot of you to throw me into a pit, and sell me into slavery.” The human in the white robes gave a wan smile. “I know you’re upset. But you have to understand, father only chose me because it was in everyone’s best interest."
“Explain exactly how stabbing me in the back is in my best interest, Abe.”
“It wasn’t like that. He didn’t think you were ready.”
“I wasn’t ready? He only decides this after he promised me I would lead this congregation?”
“A wise man isn’t afraid to change his mind, Jeremiah.” Abe unscrewed another cross from the wall. “He hadn’t realized I was a potential candidate until I returned from college.”
“You were always his favorite out of all of us. You always got to buy new clothes, while the rest of us got your hand me downs. Dad used up his money so you could sow your wild oats at some liberal arts school, while Danny and I had to go to community college. What happens next? You come running home to daddy, penniless and unemployed, begging for help. Finally, finally, when Dad throws me a bone, he yanks it back, and throws it in your lap. You didn’t work for the duty of pastor like I had. You didn’t earn it. Dad just handed it to you on a silver platter, just because you couldn’t get a job anywhere else with your useless degree!” Walker slammed his fist down on the podium, nearly knocking it over.
Abe stiffened, and turned away from the packing boxes to face his brother. “So what do you want me to do about it?” His voice was restrained, dispassionate, but one could tell that Walker had hit a nerve.
“Resign. Let me be the pastor for the congregation. You knew I wanted this since I was a kid. It’s only fair.”
“You think dad gave me the position just to spite you?” There was a hint of venom in Abe’s voice now. “He’s got reasons for choosing me. This little church in a little town isn’t going anywhere. He saw that I had big plans for this small community, while you were going to do the same old song and dance. He chose me because he wants to see this place progress.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the damn church.”
“If you want this church to be the true center of the community, we have to open it up for people of all faiths.”
“This is a god damn Christian church, serving a Christian community!”
“I’ll have you know Jerry, you’re using the lord’s name in vain, in his own house!”
“You’re making the lord’s house into some white washed warehouse!” He gestured to the empty walls.
“I reassure you, I’ll be retrofitting the church with more, non-denominational décor.”
“What you’re doing is ripping out the religious roots of this town.” He was hissing his words. “Communities are built on solidarity, not bleaching god out of his own house.”
“And what I’m trying to do is change the basis of that solidarity from Christian to simple spirituality. Just imagine, every Hindu, Jew, Christian, Catholic, Muslim and Sihk all making this place their home.”
“They have their own temples.” Walker scowled.
“So adamant on keeping one religion, when our own family was interfaith. And you’re even still wearing mother’s rosary. You’re an enigma to me, Jerry.”
Walker said nothing, but his hand went towards the necklace he was wearing, numbly fingering the beads.
Abe sighed, and continued on with a good deal more composure. “I’ve already spoken to Rabbi Bloomenthal and he’s agreed that we should consider forming a Unitarian Universalist meetinghouse. You’ve seen the world as it is today. There’s so much antagonism between religions. We should be a force of unification, and of peace. And right now, I need your help becoming that force. This isn’t the end of the world, Jerry. I know you wanted to be the leader of this community, but there’s no shame in playing a humbler part in managing a congregation, and I could use your support. Can't you imagine it, Jerry? We can create a place of worship, where people of all faiths gather and feel welcome, all under one roof.”
He waited for a response, and gave an exasperated sigh when Walker remained silent. “If you insist on being a pastor, I know of several Unitarian churches that would be more than happy to accept you as one of their pastors; and if my endeavors prove successful, and this place grows large, I may need you back here soon.”
Jerry shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and turned away. “There isn’t another Christian church in the entire county,” he muttered bitterly.
“I don’t want to be your enemy here. I’m going to need your support, and our entire family’s help with this house of worship. And right now, you can start by helping me pack up all the crosses.” He reached out to Jerry’s shoulder in a gesture of compassion. But the hand was angrily swatted away by Walker. Abe’s expression of compassion turned into one of vitriol. “Did I ever mention that Dad’s other objection was your temper?”
Walker stared spitefully at his brother. “Say whatever you want, Abe. That doesn’t change the fact that you stole this church away from me, and now you’re going to run it into the ground just like you did with all your other stupid social justice bullshit programs.”
I saw fury spark in Abe’s eyes. I got an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Need I remind you that you are speaking to a holy man?” Abe's voice rose to a shout.
“You’re no man of god. You’re just a granola boy who switched out his baja shirt for pastor robes, that you stole right out my hands!”
That’s when Abe slapped him. Walker turned away from the blow, and gingerly felt the red mark on his cheek. They stood staring at each other for a moment.
A flicker of remorse softened Abe’s eyes. “Jerry, I—”
He was cut off by a swift punch to the stomach. Walker attempted a second punch, but Abe threw up a fore arm to block, and then grabbed Jerry, and threw him to the ground. Walker pulled Abe down with him, and began clawing at his face, sending Abe’s glasses tumbling.
I felt a sense of dread, as they grappled at one another. I shouldn’t have been concerned. Siblings fight all the time, even when they’re grown. The cosmic matriarch knows that I squabbled with my sister hundreds of times, but I could tell that behind each blow there was unchecked fury.
Walker threw a knee into Abe’s stomach. Abe didn’t crumple, but instead fell forward wringing Jerry by the throat. “Calm the hell down Jerry!”
I saw him fending off Abe with one hand, and fumbling with some device in his left. Suddenly, I saw it. A cruel black blade flicked out from the cherrywood handle, and Jerry’s thumb slid to lock the blade in place “Get the hell off me!” he grunted as loud as Abe’s grip on his neck would allow, as he plunged the knife into Abe’s stomach.
A dry lump formed in my throat. Abe suddenly stopped, and rolled over. He was gaping at the knife handle protruding from his body. A bloodstain quickly blossomed on the pristine white fabric, and dripped onto the floor. The human, looked at the knife in his belly, and then at Jerry, no words on his lips. Jerry looked wide eyed at his brother. He scrambled to his feet, and ran past me, and out of the building.
I dashed after him, and found myself running through a dark forest. I tried to keep him in sight, but he soon ran far ahead, and the dreamscape disintegrated all around me.
That memory, that tidbit of something else’s psyche, haunted me into the next day. Surely that was no pony’s dream. And the memory was… violent, to say the least. Don’t mistake me; I have witnessed many unsavory deeds in my nights of dream walking, some real and some imagined. I have seen far worse. Yet there was something about the brothers’ conflict, and the anger between them, that left a sour taste in my mouth. This was no squabbling of siblings. Walker had been harboring resentment for his brother for quite some time, and this argument had been the final slight. It made my heart ache to see siblings hurt each other so much. The next night, I found myself seeking out the human’s dream once more. I suppose I wanted to see if there was any way I could help.
I finally found the human in a dream scape modeled after Ponyville, in a square flanked by tudor houses and a series of carts that were packed so tightly together they completely blocked off the thoroughfare. Walker knocked on a door to a house, and a pony opened the door. Walker tried to explain that he was in need of some assistance, but the pony shook his head, and gestured to a bloody feather stuck on Walker’s shirt, before slamming the door shut.
He peeled the feather off of his shirt, but a ugly brown blood stain remained. Undeterred he, knocked on each door, only to hear the clicking of locks, and the rattle of window shutters being slammed shut as he walked by.
The human slumped over in defeat. As he was shaking his head, he eyed a pile of lumber at the center of the square. He shuffled over and picked up a plank, turning it over in his hands. He produced hammer and nail, and began assembling the beginnings of a house. I watched as he lifted plank after plank from a pile of lumber, gradually building a frame. Some ponies gawked and stared, and whispered among themselves that he didn’t belong in their town, but he simply sighed, and continued hammering away. There was an admirable stubbornness to his endeavor. If the town would give him no place to be, he would make a home. Eventually, a lone stallion came out of the crowd, and began helping him. Together they worked on the house, the frame of the building becoming more defined. Together they hammered away, helping one another set the frame in place.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The human managed to lay a sturdy beam across two of the wall frames. The stallion however, instead of nailing the beams together, fixed a rope to the highest crossbeam. The human looked apprehensively at his partner’s odd addition, but continued construction anyway.
As Walker pounded away with his hammer, the stallion began removing the connected boards around the house. Walker tried to put the boards back in place, but by the time Jerry had hammered one board back, the stallion had torn down ten more. On and on the stallion went, with the human frantically trying to repair the damage, until all that remained was scaffolding and a vertical beam supporting a cross piece. The roped dangled from the cross piece, and swung in the breeze. It ended in a noose.
The human tried to run away from the gallows, but his limbs wouldn't move fast enough; it was like he was moving through molasses. He begged the ponies to help him escape, to vouch for him, and above all else, to give him half a chance. But each pony he reached out turned their back to him, as though his life wasn’t worth the mud they scraped off their hooves. They were content to leave him to his executioner. I grit my teeth. A green mare in the crowd tried to rush to his aid, but she couldn’t break through the crowd of ponies. The human watched helplessly.
I watched from afar as the human’s heart pounded, reverberating throughout the entire dream scape. Then the ground shook. Twilight Sparkle, easily four times her size, marched through the crowd, her hoofsteps somehow in sync with the heartbeat. He was trapped, and for a moment, I thought his fear was going to cause him to lash out like he did with his brother. Twilight looked coldly at the human, before magicking him onto the platform. The stallion standing on the platform watched gleefully as the noose found its way around the human’s neck.
It disgusts me to think that Walker's dream reflects how Ponyville has treated him.
As for Walker’s current whereabouts, I am not entirely certain. Even if I knew, I would not feel at liberty to discuss such matters, at least not until things calm down in Ponyville.
I hope you will find this information helpful. I will be visiting Ponyville again within the fortnight, and we will continue our discussion in person.
Yours truly,
Princess Luna
Yay, Luna is finally aware of the shit the stupid ponies are pulling and coming to clamp down on the stupidity.
I've seen this unitarian tomfoolery before. It never gets any smarter. It's the same old modern thinking: that being distinct means being different, and being different makes conflict, and conflict is bad. Therefore if we all stopped disagreeing, why the world would be a perfect place!
"Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we always get along
Each day, we do a little dance and sing a little song
If you ever disagree, it means that you are wrong
Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we always get along--
Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we never have a fight
Anyone who disagrees is never, ever right
If you have a point of view, then keep it out of sight
Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we never have a fight!
Religions are separate because they have fundamental disagreements about the very foundations of faith. Throwing them all together in a mindless slurry produces nothing of value, nothing of substance and nothing of truth--- worse than nothing, it produces anti-truth, where uncomfortable facts disappear in the mindless bland blather of get-togetherness.
The world will not be saved by All Are One-ness. It will, in fact, be damned by it.
Once again, you leave me in awe, sir.
Though, with a mouth like that, I wonder how competent of a pastor Walker would be.
Keep it up!
3068183 Agreed. Truth, by definition, is exclusive.
Has the author any experience whatsoever with Baptist churches?
Pastors are not selected this way. It varies from church to church in some details, but in the end the pastor is elected by the church. They're not a heritage handed down from father to son! The previous pastor can put in his two cents but neither he, nor the candidates, have any say in who the church invites to be their pastor. The Pastor may start a church, but he doesn't own it.
And turning Unitarian? Baptists, even the ones in the Southern Baptist Convention, are fiercely independent and strict about their scriptural and theological distinctiveness. Baptist churches split before they'll merge-- and they NEVER merge, even with one another. You'll see the occasional flaky tambourine-whacking mini-church group off here and there with some truly odd theological leanings, but that's because they were motivated to go off and be separate and distinct from the others, not because they wanted to merge with some Muslims and Hindus and make a giant religious mulligan stew. A pastor who came in and tried to turn a Baptist church into a Unitarian one would either instantly lose his job, or instantly lose his entire flock.
I hope so cause the last line:
It disgusts me to think that Walker's dream reflects how Ponyville has treated him.
Seems kind of weird. It could disgust her in that the ponies there now disgust her, or it could be disgusting to her that a human would dream up horrific things even if they are close to true. Or maybe I'm wrong and she isn't blind? Which would be awesome. 3068134
Pssst, its a story a story about magical racist ponies. But magical ponies none the less. Facts do not always have to be right, and maybe in that worlds universe that is how churches work? 3068205
The fact that Jerry stabbed his brother may be the reason he has so much restraint when dealing with the ponies.
Anyway Great chapter I eagerly await the next.
What kind of pastors are you growing up around that they STAB EACH OTHER IN THE GUT over a pulpit?? This is... atrocious. Nobody who was within a thousand miles of seeking a pastorate is going to be going around getting in fistfights or stabbing one another over it. It's not the sort of job that attracts a person like that! Not because pastors and preachers are inherently noble or any such rot... it's just not a job that has any incentive to attract violent, possessive people. It's mountains of responsibility with little reward, a life under constant scrutiny by every armchair moralist and busybody, the emotional burdens of every problem great and small in your flock... It's like expecting a hedonist to join an ascetic monastery. Not only would they fail at it, they wouldn't WANT to in the first place.
And BAPTISTS DON'T DRESS THEIR PASTORS IN WHITE ROBES.
In all seriousness, did you pick a denomination you knew the absolute least about, on the assumption that nobody else would know anything about it either?
3068254
...You'd be surprised. I've heard of some pretty bad pastors. It's hardly common, of course, but they're as fallibly human as the rest of us.
3068254
This guy has the right idea: 3068277
Also, Jerry's father didn't give him the job, in part because of his temper.
I'll own up to factual inaccuracies about Baptists though.
3068254
no proof that the first dream is exactly what happened, the 2nd one is has obvious symbolism, so why not the 1st as well?
So...who's the letter being sent to? The reader? The Mayor? Lyra? Twi? Donut Joe?
Every time I see this story updated I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Don't know how I should feel, but I do know that I really like this.
3068313
I'm thinking Celestia now, from Luna's taking the time to send a detailed letter, and revealing her thoughts on the matter in the end. I don't think she would give that attention to any random Joe off the streets, when she knows full well her subjects could object to her viewpoint.
The only thing contradicting that, is Lucky's tone to the POV at the end of his chapter, especially if they met somewhere public, like a cafe or diner. It may be that she was disguised, and only Luna knows who it really is. Maybe she disguised herself so the Ponyvillian wouldn't lie or exaggerate their stories as much? After all, Applejack wouldn't admit to slander in the company of the RULER OF THE WORLD!.. If she has a lick of common sense, that is.
3068254
Even that's no guarantee. One can want to be a pastor for genuinely altruistic reasons, but still have some moral shortcoming that leads them to commit evil deeds, whether in the heat of the moment or after rationalizing their guilt away. Even a person without altruistic motives might be attracted to the position if they see it as a position of power. I've heard of pastors embezzling church funds, raping children, and yes, murdering. It doesn't matter how stringent the requirements for a job are, or how much pressure is placed on the applicants to be morally upright in every way imaginable; someone is going to manage to present a respectable façade while they commit unspeakable evils.
3068424
None of that changes a thing. Did I not point out that this was a truism? It doesn't change all the facts the author has gotten wrong (THE PASTOR DOESN'T PICK HIS REPLACEMENT, THE CHURCH DOES) and how preposterous the scenario is. I would like to THINK the fight was dream-symbolic... but the way it's written so vastly different from the second half, and the fact that Luna refers to it as "a memory" makes that seem highly unlikely.
"Dad spent used up his money"
Couldn't decide on one word, eh? XD
I hate it when I write something, then I think I replace it with something else only to realize I left both in after the final edit.
...also I don't like how well this reflects many of my dreams. It kinda resonates with my 'soul', if there is such a thing, and it makes me a bit sad for both Jerry and for myself. :\
3068183
It's not at all about avoiding conflict, though. The idea is that other faiths might still have valuable things to say, even if you disagree with them.
Abe Walker: Founder of the First Amalgamated Church, as seen on Futurama.
3068386 you are preaching to the mother 'effin quire, kid.
3068452
I'm not talking about the things he got wrong. You're quite right about it being riddled with inaccuracy regarding how Baptist churches actually work. I'm just saying that the Christian church, much as I might wish otherwise, doesn't always pick its leaders wisely, and that an aspiring pastor committing murder, as horrible as it is, isn't unrealistic.
It's true that it's hard to fit this situation into how Baptist churches actually work. The most that a pastor could do would be to offer a recommendation to the board of elders/congregation/whoever regarding the next pastor. But a brother resenting his "unworthy" sibling for being granted honors he never received but expected is hardly without Biblical example.
3068277 And I repeat, it's not about the people seeking the pastorate being virtuous-- far from it-- it's about the fact that the very nature of the job makes it viscerally unattractive to anyone liable to get stab-happy over losing a job opportunity....especially to someone with intimate familiarity with what the job entails.
Even pulpits in rich mega-churches where the pastor lives a fairly pampered and comfortable lifestyle are inherently unattractive to a violent and short-tempered person. And this was a small church in a jerkwater town, which means one with little money or indulgent privileges for its leader.
Where do I speak from? With what authority? Oh, just the fact that my father is a Baptist pastor and I spent the first twenty-plus years of my life being raised in a Baptist church. For one stretch, literally; we lived in an apartment in the basement. I've seen and known every sort of preacher, pastor, and evangelist you can imagine, and been embarrassingly familiar with just how low some people can go. But I can state again, you're not going to see two brothers fist-fighting over who gets to be the pastor.
3068486
A church isn't necessarily the best place to do that, though. The point of a church is to offer clear teaching on one faith in particular, to practice worship specific to that faith, and to build unity within the believers, not to offer platitudes that are incapable of offending anybody. There's nothing wrong with seeking peace with members of other faiths, but a church that welcomes all faiths isn't able to cater to all of them and still offer much of substance.
3068486 And it makes about as much sense as a vegetarian society uniting its membership with the local butcher's union.
Sibling murder huh? that's some really harsch stuff right there.
welp, it's official, Jerry's dead.
i suppose it's necessary, considering the ponyvillians did drive him over the edge. all that needs to happen afterwards is the princesses to chew the ponies out and point out the following:
Fluttershy is a paranoid fuckwitt.
pinkie's rumors caused misery
Twilight is a stupid cunt. I'd PAY to see Celestia say "Twilight, you're a stupid cunt."
AJ's lies costed Jerry his life.
And finally, lucky is sentanced to death by being sodomized with a manticore's tail.
emotibot.net/pix/1822.png
Another human wander's into ponyville
twist: it's Abe
3068544
That was my experience too, actually. My parents are missionaries, and I grew up watching my parents speak from dozens of different pulpits to dozens of different congregations, and I heard dozens of different pastors. And in the process, I heard specific accounts of churches whose pastors committed unspeakable acts, and then checked more objective sources to avoid falling prey to the rumor mill. Being a pastor isn't a popular choice among people with evil intent, but it can happen and has.
Ah, praise Smooze. He's not definitely dead, and a hint of plot resolution is coming to light.
Now let's all argue about religion.
3068590this sounds so good i dont even know where to begin
I am only staying with this story.... Becau.. I don't know why actually. It was kinda bad to begin with... As hated as he is he should have never gotten this kind of shunning without the proper explanations he should have been allowed to give, and the religion thing that reality check is talking about. I have to wonder how this was featured to begin with.
flame shield deployed
...please don't kill me, is just my opinion that I needed to get out.
3068590
"did I do something wrong princess?" asked Twilight timorously.
Celestia sighed, and drew her student in with her wing. "Twilight, in the words of poet laureate Nikki Minaj, You a stupid ho."
I get the feeling we're nearing the home stretch! I'm on the edge of my seat.
3068590
Just curious, how do you figure he's dead? I've been holding my breath thinking he was dead since the end of last chapter, and after reading this part I felt relieved, having come to the opposite conclusion, or at least "probably not dead maybe".
3068776
i was exaggerating . but i wouldn't be surprised if he really is dead.
11 chapters in and you suddenly switch the Comedy tag to the Tragedy tag, thus crushing our hopes that this would end well.
Dick move, author. Dick move.
3068805
Ah, I see.
CURSE YE, ELUSIVE GODS OF HUMOR! YOU HAVE ABANDONED ME ONCE MORE IN MY TIME OF NEED!
Tragedy, but this chapter points to him, maybe being alive, Author, don't you dupe meee!
If that's alright with you...
3068810
But... But...
the readers asked me to put a tragedy tag
i.imgur.com/SBrs3.gif
3068810
For comedy it has to be funny, this story is like having your soul kicked in its junk, but coming back for more cause ya just gotta know how it turns out. I do hope for a light at the end of the tunnel, but with the Jerry's luck it will probably end up being a train.
I really hated how racist the ponies are to this guy and was cheering him on until now. If the first dream is actually a memory than I don't feel any sympathy for him.
Regardless if he stabbed his brother or not (dream world is funny like that), he messed up something bad along the way. Now he is here, with a herd of bigots.
Just when you think a story can't get any darker, bam! Murder!
I'm holding you to your word that hanging on for another chapter or so will see things looking up for or human friend.
Ignoring all the hate in the comments that is inevitable whenever someone mentions religion on the internet. It certainly is quite ironic how Jerry rejected cohesion in his own world and now cohesion is his only chance in this strange new world he finds himself in. The juxtaposition of this situation is poetic to say the least.
Also for those of you who seem confused about the message of Universalist or Unified houses of worship, please see Twilight Sparkle's letter to Celestia in the episode "Sleepless In Ponyville" for reference.
I honestly don't mind this chapter. To me it's a promise.
A promise that things are dark now, but there are other forces at work.
A promise that though we may all have darker aspects to ourselves, we can still be good people.
And a promise that Ponyville is gonna take it up the flank in a VERY short amount of time.
Oh, please make Fluttershy's punishment exquisite, I can't stand her. Though Twilight needs a good beating as well.
3068183
Even as a goddamn atheist who thinks all religion is stupid (No offense meant, I'm horrendously over-simplifying here is all) I thought that Abel was a bit thick.
If only one religion can be right why would you gather them all under one roof with half-hearted platitudes? It insults the religin, the people, their intelligence... It's just dumb.
I spent the first half thinking "Oh Jerry you narrow-minded idiot-" and then more was revealed, particularly the 'white-washed warehouse' bit, and I thought "-Jerry you poor, cheated bastard."
Now, the strange thing is, Abel made the first blow. He started it. So, Jerry wasn't going into this premeditated, he sort of snapped, and again, Abel had his hands around Jerry's throat, that's pretty- That's pretty 'this fight is about to end one way or another' material right there...
Eugh. Such a goddamn moral grey area. What he did was bad, but is he a bad person for doing it in that context?
Christ, I don't even know anymore, I'm going to get some chicken soup or something for my soul.
3068925 The first dream at the moment is nothing more than an exaggeration, like the second dream. There's a difference between resentment and taking action. You can stew about how much you hate that person and how happier you would be if they were dead, but it's a whole different thing when you actually go and kill that person. Often in dreams and fantasies you think about killing them as a way to vent out frustration, or in feelings of remorse how you are forcing guilt upon yourself for lying, backstabbing, fighting or arguing with the person.
The fact that he's still dreaming sorta tells me he's not dead quite yet.
Hum. . . curiouser and curiouser. . .
3068299 You could've just said "Church". then nobody would have been upset at you.
Didn't have to be babtist....
(which I don't believe to be biblical, as the bible condemns denominations of ANY kind but whatever.)
Just erase babtist from all the lines and your followers will probably be a bit happier. just saying.