Michelangelo Buys Figs, parts 1900 - 1903

1900. So it turned out that the virtual obscurity of the church, and its location outside of the more famous districts of Rome was an asset after all when viewed strictly from the standpoint of the traffic-inducing anecdote. Now, with the use of a little advertising and promotional efforts she could take her place in the list of locations it is incumbent on the modern tourist to visit.

1901. You may object and point out that the purpose of a church, in the past as in the present has nothing to do with tourism, and is unrelated to what sort of floors, mosaics, paintings and frescoes are to be seen in the structure, but that objection raises a question that has plagued Christianity from the very beginning. Should the church contain images? That is the discussion, that led to the first argument that produced the first great schism in Christianity.

1902. Those against the use of images correctly point out that the images, no matter what they may be or how perfectly made, distract the worshiper from the true content of the religious experience, and substitute a purely aesthetic, visceral and physical set of stimulations for the more important function of the saving of the soul for the next life.

1903. The defenders of the decorations of the churches say that such ideas are just a bunch of worthless abstract “sash.”* The average individual has no possible way to visualize any heaven or hell or anything else for that matter unless the mind is guided by a number of useful tools.