from where you appear to be coming from, how are the Anglican & RC 'cults' any less 'cranky' than any other of those which you denounce?

In terms of their own folklore I'd say the centuries have smoothed the edges off their dogma, although I must say I'm being very lenient here, given my infrequent associations with their respective laity. I've associated with Benedictine Monks and RC Priests who had less interest in religion than I did; keen to persue sensual licentiousness in the secular world, but who were otherwise devout in the observance of their calling. I can't say I've ever met any Mormon or JW who had such a casual approach to their professed codswallop.

On a more typical level, I often converse with religious types in churches and the impression I get is that their general approach is on a par with that of John Betjemen. For example, the other week I enjoyed telling the Ushers of Beverley Minster that their precious Green Men had nothing to do with Paganism, rather, that they were part of the very fabric of Pre-Reformation Xtian theology and their Fake ID was no older than 1939. They were pleased, but I'm always amazed that many Cathedral / Minster Ushers are outraged that their Green Men aren't Pagan, but rather Catholic - which in their eyes probably seems a far greater evil!

In Worcester Cathedral one chap was very keen on guiding me to a particular misericord with Green Men supporters, but that was entirely incidental to my interest in it because it depicted a folk tale I knew from the collected Eventyr of Asbjorsen and Moe - that of Not Riding, Not Walking, AKA The Clever Daughter (see HERE for my own not very good picture of same; I've since found there is better one in Mike Harding's little book of Misericords if you have it to hand). Such continuities I find remarkable and oddly significant; especially as the Misericord in question is numbered N8 (Innate? Geddit?). The same scene has since turned up again in the misericords at Beverley, Saint Mary's, though I'm not sure if anyone else (other than me) has identified it as such: see HERE.

Simple cultural faith I warm to, no matter what; it's akin to Folk Faith. I recall once that a friend and I were once accosted by two evangelical Xtians who tried to convince us that God was somehow fun. Alas, it was he and not I who opined: God is not fun. God is at one with the dark values of the Gothic wherein the most fun was had by fornicating monks and those who did a roaring trade in Holy Relics. The Clause in question runs (as you'll know & I expect someone'll have pointed out by the time I post this): if any of the parties participating in this contract are shown not to be in their right mind, the entire agreement is automatically nullified.

Amen.