OT: "The Golden Phone"

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A reporter decided to write a book about famous churches around the
world.  For his first chapter he decided to write about American
churches. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando,
thinking that he would work his way across the country from South to North.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he
noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read
"$10,000.00 per call". The reporter, being intrigued, asked a priest who
was strolling by what the telephone was used for.  The priest replied
that it was a direct line to Heaven and that for $10,000.00 one could
talk to God.  The reporter politely thanked the priest and went along
his way.

Next stop was in Atlanta, there, at a very large cathedral, he saw the
same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this
was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and asked a nearby nun
what its purpose was? She told him that it was a direct line to Heaven
and that for $10,000.00 he could talk to God.

"O.K. thanks" said the reporter.

He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston
and New York, then on to Portland and north to Seattle. In every church
he saw the same golden telephone with the same $10,000.00 per call sign
under it.

Upon leaving Seattle, the reporter saw a sign saying "Route 5 North to
Vancouver, CANADA" and decided to see if Canadians had the same golden
telephone.

He drove for awhile and finally arrived in White Rock, BC and sure
enough, there again in the local church was the same golden telephone,
only this time the sign under it read "25 cents per call". The reporter
was surprised and so intrigued that he asked the church's pastor about
the sign.

"Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden
telephone in many churches.  I'm told that it is a direct line to
Heaven, but in every state the price was $10,000.00 per call. Why is it
so cheap here?"

The priest smiled and answered: "You're in Canada now son, it's a local
call."