Visting Presence.

A and B are in a Episcopalian chapel.

A: So why do you come to church anyway. I never thought of you as a religious person.
B: Well obviously not. I guess I like the atmosphere.
A: What, all this quiet and artwork? I mean I guess you could study here.
B: Yeah but I don't study. I kind of, well, exist. When there's not a service going on Lamar opens up the sanctuary for anyone that wants to come in and not a lot of people do, and even if there are a few others they're all pretty observant of the quiet. I can study anywhere but this environment is precious, it really is.
A: Okay but you're a self-avowed atheist.
B: And you're a nihilist.
A: What's that got to do with you.
B: Well nothing, but I'm curious as to why you care.
A: I'm not that much of a nihilist.
B: (soft) All right fine.
A: That's another discussion. What I'm curious about is why you don't feel nervous or get all angry around all this iconography and biblical, you know, stuff.
B: Why, because these are the people that inquisited and crusaded and persecute everyone?
A: Essentially.
B: Why do you see it as a problem?
A: Generally people don't like being around things they don't like.
B: Okay fair. But I've got nothing against this church. I don't not like this church.
A: But all these images stand for something you can't.
B: Okay so I don't believe in God. That doesn't necessarily precipitate a hatred of Christia-
A: HA. Like you've never voiced anti-Christian sentiments before. We all know what you think of religious people and their institutions, B, don't try—
B: Yeah yeah all right you're correct there. What you don't get, though, is that I'm able to separate my political and ethical views from what I enjoy, or the atmospheres I like to exist in, or the media I consume. If there was an artist that, oh, sang his heart out for Jesus, but the music was incredible, I'd have no problems listening to it.
A: I'll believe that when I see it. Of course considering the state of Christian music it's not something we have to worry about testing any time soon, so you're off the hook there.
B: Ha. All right.
A: You know what I think?
B: What do you think.
A: I think that you're a hater of convenience. You have morals and principles and if something that runs up against them is dopey and stupid and discordant and downright wrong you have no problem, you know, whisking it away and debunking or denouncing it, usually quite vocally, but if what you're exposed to is still wrong according to your own laws or whatever but has plenty of redeeming qualities, like this here sanctuary, you're hesitant to be against it.
B: I think if that was the case I'd be a bit more ansty around this environment. Honestly, I swear I'm completely at peace in this place.
A: Hm. I guess I'm skeptical that you can completely separate this beautiful imagery and magnificence and glory and all from the religious impact it conveys.
B: Perhaps not completely. But I'd like to think I'm good at it. I think of myself walking and meditating in this grand room we're in like, like maybe a visitor from the future would examine the present, or that we're in the future and this is a museum of what was once called religion.
A: Eh... I get what you're talking about. I don't like it though.
B: You wouldn't.
A: No I wouldn't. You're more cultural than me anyway, maybe that's it.
B: I'm just better than you.
A: Maybe that too.