“God is Dead. The flames of hell have gone out!” blared from a public announce system. Dennis walked into the church, ignoring the noise. However, his fellow parishioners reacted adversely to the chant, shouting and shaking their fists in a futile pantomime. He suspected that neither side listened to the other and proceeded quietly to his pew. After the reverend cursed his agitators to hell, he composed himself and led the congregation inside. The reverend began his sermon and Dennis settled into a peaceful slumber. Rather than ignore his napping parishioner, the already agitated good reverend lashed out.
“How dare you! How dare you sleep through God’s word?!?” Dennis was shaken from his slumber by sanctimonious bellowing, looked at the reverend, and shifted back into a more comfortable sleeping position. The reverend was now inconsolably outraged and rocketed out of his pulpit to confront the sleeping parishioner. Dennis slept through more admonishments until the reverend led him forcefully to the front of the congregation; it was his intention to give him a dressing down.
“Dennis, God loves you as he does all his children. But why? Why do you persist in disrespecting the House of God on the Sabbath?” Dennis was unhappy that the reverend thoughtlessly wrecked his day of rest.
“Reverend, you say this is the Sabbath. What did God do on the Sabbath? Yes reverend, God rested on the seventh day. I sleep to honour...”
“God is Dead. The flames of hell have gone out!” The pronouncement drowned out Dennis' last words. As the reverend once again shouted futilely at the agitator. Dennis yawned at the whole affair, only to face the wrath of the congregation. “Blasphemer!” they bellowed and converged on him, tearing him limb from limb.
The reverend stepped over the remains and continued his sermon.
