An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world.

He bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA 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 per call.”

The American, 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 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way.

Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. “O.K., thank you,” said the American.

He then traveled all across America, Africa, England, Japan, even New Zealand.  In every church he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same “$US10,000 per call” sign under it.

The American decided to travel to Scotland to see if the Scots had the same phone. He arrived in Scotland and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read “40  pence per call.”

The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. “Father, I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I’m told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?”

The priest smiled and answered, “You’re in Scotland now, son – it’s a local call.”