Chasing Steeples

I received an email from a concerned believer who, while investigating the purpose of steeples, came across a radical and controversial analysis. It basically said that steeples on churches represent crude sexual references and sun god worship. Yikes!

I responded:

Dear Friend,

It looks like you got a hold of something written by a bitter anti-Christian skeptic who assumes that everyone else is as perverted as he is. Actually, there's a lot of that out there.

Here's a good article. It's comprehensive, well researched, and cites its sources.

Everything else being equal, I don't have a lot concern over church design. We could have church in a muddy field if it were necessary.

I've never heard the conspiracy theory version of why steeples exist but I've heard similar rants coming from those you'd least expect, other Christians. You see, this reminds me of the type of things you hear from religious iconoclasts (people who like to tear down idols, real or perceived). Anti-Christmas, anti-Sunday School, anti-catholic, anti-whatever. The purpose is to connect the target to an unacceptable pagan origin. A lot of these turn out to be half-truths or outright fabrications.