Totalitarianist

After the fall of religion, that is.

In my opinion, they ought to be taken over by the
great Atheist organisations that have done so
much good in this world, and Atheism, Darwinism,
Communism, etc (all the things the Christians
are against) should be preached through the
Churches. A bit of humour .


That is just my opinion. What do you think? What
should we do with them?

Perchance

(I assume we're talking about the fall of religion in a world where people finally became convinced of the light of reason, NOT where religious people were slaughtered. If theists had died out due to persecution, then atheism would not deserve its victory).

Turn them into museums.

I don't think they should be knocked down- at least, most of them. They're aesthetically pleasing, and a lot of interesting architecture could be retained and studied. Also, if religion became a strictly academic subject, like mythology or folklore outside the societies where the stories were told, keeping the churches as museums could help in its study.

I kind of like that image... children gazing in fascination at a cross, taught to admire the way it was made or think about what it might have meant to the theists who looked at it, rather than to think it represents some powerful god-man who can send them all to hell.

-Perchance.

Autonemesis

Thanks for identifying it. I wouldn't have known otherwise.

That would be for the owners to decide. Perhaps one would wish to open a disco. Another might want to setup a daycare center. Still another might want to open an art gallery. There is no limit to what people can do without god, remember?

This assumes, of course, that churches have owners at that future date. If the theocratic government that would own all the churches in the future is overthrown in the process, then ownership of the churches would somehow revert to the people. I suppose we could auction them off.

Totalitarianist

Actually, when I said the "fall of religion", I meant the absence of it in politics. There would still be religious folk, of course, but what should be done by the politicians with their crazy worship centres? Should they be burned? put on a museum? I think they should definately not be burned; I think they should be transformed into a place for people to learn Darwinism, Communism, Atheism, etc.

[ August 21, 2002: Message edited by: Vir ]</p>

Anunnaki

The insides should be converted into apartments and rented out to spooky goth kids.

Deadend

We've got a LOT of unused churches here in Holland. Some are simply demolished, others have been converted into apartments, offices, nightclubs, museums and even mosques.

In my city (Leiden) there are quite a few old churches, and they really are beautiful buildings. They are only used as churches on religious events, the other days they’re used as exhibition halls or for book-fairs, or for university functions such as the opening of the academic year.
Actually, the largest church of the city was in the 19th century the location where Darwin was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university

Pensee

Turn them into schools.

The Naked Mage

Have 'em dipped in bronze.

ex-preacher

An old UU church in Conneticut was just turned into a comedy club. But will the members notice?

MadMordigan

Do you see a sign outside my place that says Dead Church storage?

Tell me, do you see a sign outside my place that says Dead Church storage?

Do you know why?

Cause it aint there, cause storing dead churches aint my fucking business, that's why!

Seriously, I couldn't care less.