What will we do with the Cathedrals when organised religion falls

The Mad Hatter

You disagree that I find it deeply disquieting? Ambitious position to take, I'll give you that much...

Well done, I made an error in semantics and you that because of that, you've won the argument. Have a cookie. And please don't say that you 'find all manner of religious rituals deeply disquieting to experience' until you've experienced all of them. That's rather like someone saying that they don't think that there's any such thing as a good night club.

DerKaiser

I personally think they would make the best venues for Black/Death metal gigs

Scofflaw

The Mad Hatter wrote:

Well done, I made an error in semantics and you that because of that, you've won the argument. Have a cookie. And please don't say that you 'find all manner of religious rituals deeply disquieting to experience' until you've experienced all of them. That's rather like someone saying that they don't think that there's any such thing as a good night club.

I don't think there's such a thing as a good night club - for a given value of night club.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Ekancone

As a business i think organised religion will have huge problems in the future with lack of bums on seats, etc. As a philosophy it aint going nowhere.

eoin5

I think they might make good opium dens

Zillah

The Mad Hatter wrote:

And please don't say that you 'find all manner of religious rituals deeply disquieting to experience' until you've experienced all of them.

All that I have experienced, whether in person or by television, I have found disquieting. This would imply that it is the very notion of religious rituals that upsets me, rather than the exact ingredients.

Red Hand

eoin5 wrote:

I think they might make good opium dens

Opus dei is an anagram for opium dens?:eek: I'm having a da Vinci code moment!:p


On topic, I also disagree with turning them into nightclubs...

Attractive Nun

Well you wouldn't have to turn them all into nightclubs, but the odd church/nightclub would interest me - I reckon the acoustics would be pretty good. Aside from that, keep some for libraries, community centres, public administration offices, museums and other such government doodads. Then sell some off to the private sector to do as they please with them - you'd get a few stylish restaurants and concert venues at least - maybe even the odd paintball terrain.

indough

Well after the rapture occurs you'll be free to do whatever you want with the churches, there won't be any Christians left to stop you

monkeyfudge wrote:

The rituals are equally distasteful. The purpose of the repeated chanting and incense is to make people more susceptible to suggestion. It's a standard brain washing technique.

I take it you're referring to Catholicism? Been to a couple of protestant churches and they didn't really seem to do anything like this...

PDN

robindch wrote:

Well, with as much respect due to christian denials as possible, churches are already falling into splendid and most welcome disuse all over Ireland and the UK, and Europe too. Generally, the small ones are being turned into homes or offices, while the larger ones are being turned into community centers or knocked down, if they're unsafe. I seem to remember a story about an argument over whether to turn one church/cathedral in Scotland into a night-club a year or two back (can't remember what happened). That ex-church, now a rather nice office building between Ranelagh and Rathmines is a good example of how to do it.

As a pipe organist, I wouldn't mind having my own cathedral sometime. A unused catholic one would do just fine

The changing religious scene in Ireland is fascinating as it effects buildings. Church buildings are being converted into secular use while new congregations desperately seek space to accomodate their expanding numbers. So, in Dublin, we have immigrant churches meeting in warehouses and factories (and often falling foul of planning laws) while purpose built churches lie empty.

In Drogheda a Franciscan church (seating 600) closed a few years ago and the building became an art gallery. Meanwhile a Pentecostal Church in the same town has spent hundreds of thousands converting warehouse space into a church, and has received planning permission to build a 1200 seat church.

Of course the sensible solution would seem to be for newer churches to purchase disused church buildings, but traditional denominations seem to be reluctant to sell property to the 'competition'. Therefore we may expect to see a continuing cycle of conversion with churches being turned into offices and secular buildings being used as churches.