We're Done For . . .

There are times I'm pleased I slipped the clutches of my hometown church choir when I was 14. Today is one of them.

Swooping through the outskirts of Fergus, a small town near Guelph, we pass this doom-ridden sign prominently displayed on the roadside before meeting a more cheery council sign welcoming visitors (although the huge bagpiper reminding us of the town's forebears is another symbolic deterrent).

"Ah, meaningless religious dogma," I proclaim to Jools. "If it wasn't, there wouldn't be a banker or politician left alive in North America . . ."

"We're done for, we're done for" she mumbles in response, eyes averted, grip tightening on the steering wheel.

The web site of Gospel Text Mission, the charity sponsoring the sign, tells us that its signs are, "Unique 'silent missionaries' witnessing to the grace of God in salvation as they proclaim the good news from varied locations: homes, farms, churches, businesses, and along busy highways. To those who pass by all day long and in every kind of weather, they announce God's offer of hope through faith in Christ to helpless mankind . . ."

Hm, if this is good news, thank God I'm an atheist . . .