Comments on: Should the National Cathedral get Government Funding? https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/ Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:58:55 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: TechGrunth https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13136 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:58:55 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13136 hey really nice post ..

]]> By: Brian Westley https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13135 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:16:25 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13135 I would support public funding to repair our Dark Lord, but nought else:
http://www.nationalcathedral.org/about/darthVader.shtml

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13134 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:45:07 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13134 You know, I might actually have LESS of a problem if the damn thing wasn’t called The National Cathedral. Screw them for calling it that!

]]> By: SundogA https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13133 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:45:05 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13133 I actually don’t have a problem with this.
It’s a request for FEMA funds to repair a building. The building is a church, but it could equally be a community hall, a private residence or a shopping or office complex. I wouldn’t have a problem with the request if it was such, so why should I have a problem with this?
The constitutional protection isn’t meant to prevent government bodies having anything to do with religious buildings and organizations, but to treat them as any other building or organization. FEMA funds are, as I understand it, supposed to be for facilities damaged by natural disasters, as was the case here.

]]> By: Aliasalpha https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13132 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:10:08 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13132 Couldn’t they just make it a loan, paid back over a few years with respectable interest?

]]> By: ImaginesABeach https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13131 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:28:49 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13131 Recently Partners in Preservation had a FB vote to see what Minnesota site would get a very large grant. It was won by the Catholic Basilica in Minneapolis. Apparently it is not important to the very wealthy Vatican to preserve this building, but it got enough votes to divert funds from other needs that don’t have that kind of money behind them.

]]> By: ImaginesABeach https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13130 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:19:53 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13130 Couldn’t they just pray for the building to be repaired?

]]> By: ThoughtfulQuagmire https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13129 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:02:40 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13129 Like David, I can thoroughly enjoy a religious building as a piece of architecture, for its beauty or artistic merit, etc., without feeling one bit compromised in my lack of belief whatsoever. And, as a practical matter, I can understand why, as a secular civic culture, we should be reluctant to allow outstanding examples of architecture or public art to decay when their owners no longer have the financial wherewithal to maintain them.
It would be a serious mistake for the government to take over any structure which continues to be used for religious purposes, per the French model. However, I see less objection (but not NO objection) to the government providing emergency repair funds to any privately owned, non-profit organization which owns an officially designated historic or noteworthy structure. Of course, the catch with that, is that the organization has to totally abide by the requirements to preserve the structure as is, non-discriminate, and all the other conditions that come with receiving public funds.
Not aware of too many religions or sects that would be willing to do that.

]]> By: David Durant https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13128 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:44:24 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13128 I love churches – as a long confirmed atheist I can spend hours in the glorious architecture and, most importantly, *silence* of a great cathedral.

That said I’m firmly against any government spending money on something that is to be used _only_ for religious reasons.

So, the solution here seems simple. The government pays for the restoration and a cathedral booking committee is put in place that encompasses all the major faiths plus humanism and atheism.

How wonderful would it be to have a Catholic service, muslim daily prayers and a humanist wedding all taking place in different parts of the building at the same time.

]]> By: Etcetera https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/21/should-the-national-cathedral-get-government-funding/#comment-13127 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:05:41 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=930#comment-13127 I prefer France’s model where all churches are government-owned and are at the disposal of congregations for worship purposes (except in Alsace-Lorraine, which was part of Germany in 1905). This way, you have historic buildings preserved and revenue is brought in by tours and other groups. You also don’t have religion dictating how buildings ought to be used and space is at the disposal of the State and not some religious figure. On the surface, it could be argued that France is violating the principle of laity. I would disagree and suggest that it’s no different than renting out a publicly-owned hall to a congregation once a week.

As it stands, church attendance in France is steadily declining. If the congregations were responsible for the upkeep of these buildings, they simply wouldn’t exist anymore or the State would be forced to pick and choose which massive repair projects to fund.

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