I’ve just returned from spending a couple of weeks in Scotland. One of the places I visited was the Isle of Iona, home of Iona Abbey, originally built in 563.

Here are some of the photos I took:

There is still a Christian Community – of sorts – in Iona. These notices were on the notice board:

This descent into lunacy isn’t particularly surprising. If we are to believe the legend of the Abbey’s origins, St. Columba was, himself, a gibbering nutcase.

In 563 St. Columba had a “vision”. In the vision he was told that the Abbey would only thrive if it was built upon the site of a human sacrifice.

So he buried his friend Oran alive before starting on the Abbey. Oran volunteered for the job. We don’t know how long it took Oran to regret his rash decision, but after three days, Columba uncovered his face in order to say a final farewell only to find Oran uttering blasphemies. Who could blame him? To Columba, blasphemy must have been more disturbing than being buried alive, so he hastily reburied Oran’s face.

This may all  be fantasy but, if true, it makes Columba a good advertisement for Christopher Hitchens’ book God is Not Great, Religion Poisons Everything.

Still, the RC Church canonized Columba, so it must be OK.

And Oran has his own chapel: