best use for a church, ever

[RussBLib]

Note that this is happening in Canada. The U.S. is a little slow to the game, but church attendance continues to drop in this country, too, thank the universe. From closed minds, to open minds.

Midcentury Church in Quebec is Converted to a Library

When Jean Marie-Roy built the St Denys du Plateau church in Quebec City in 1964, it was a modern wonder. At the time, almost 90% of Quebecois attended church regularly. Now it is barely 8% and churches are being desanctified and converted all over the Province; Arcade Fire turned one into a recording studio. Now Dan Hanganu has turned this one into a library. It is a wonderful demonstration of the adaptive reuse of a mid-century building for more modern uses.

Original

[AlbertCat]

1. We could turn ours into a restaurant...

.... where you can get anything you want....

[Curmudgeoness]

10. +1

[awoke_in_2003]

18. I'll have body of christ...

medium rare.

[NeoGreen]

19. Excepting...

...Alice

[merrily]

21. I once read of a church that had been converted to a pizzeria.

I think they would lend themselves to restaurants beautifully. There are bathrooms. There is almost always a kitchen. Lots of space for diners. And they are usually well built and beautiful buildings.

[onager]

2. And a welcome change, historically speaking...

...from the all-too-common relationship between religion and libraries.

"Eleven Book-Burning Stories That Will Break Your Heart"

http://mentalfloss.com/article/50038/11-book-burning-stories-will-break-your-heart

[Warpy]

3. There are also a few iffy conversions

like this one from people who didn't consider what the windows would look like when they put the upper level loft in:

[AtheistCrusader]

6. It's ok if your doorbell goes DINGDONG

[Lordquinton]

7. that's how I like to wake up in the morning

With a great big Dong

[AtheistCrusader]

8. I find it an incovenience.

Because usually, in the morning, I need to piss.

[Arugula Latte]

9. You can ring my belllllllllll, ring my bell ...

[deucemagnet]

4. I respectfully disagree.

http://www.churchbrew.com/

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Been there, drunk that! (nt)

[deucemagnet]

12. I thought about visiting the last time I was in Pittsburgh,

but I didn't have the time. I first tried their brews about 10 years ago at the Buffalo Beer Fest. They had a caramel lager that was heavenly, so to speak.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. Is that statistic correct?

In 1964, 90% attended church regularly, and it is now down to 8%? That is mind-boggling.

[Cartoonist]

13. The Beatles changed that.

More popular than you know who.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. OMG, hair-on-fire!

I can't believe you said that!

[Cartoonist]

15. They changed everything

If you weren't around in 1964, then you don't know.

[Curmudgeoness]

16. I was there.

In line waiting to buy the "Meet the Beatles" album. In stereo----woohoo.

[Cartoonist]

17. I can't speak for Canada

But John sure messed with the Nun's minds back in my parochial school days. I lost my faith, but never my love of the Beatles. My first album was Beatles '65

[onager]

22. Funny thing about that quote...

Lennon originally said it in an interview with a British newspaper. There was absolutely no reaction...until the interview ran in an American magazine NEARLY A HALF-YEAR LATER:

Lennon had originally made the remark in March 1966 during an interview with Maureen Cleave for the London Evening Standard, which drew no public reaction.

When Datebook, a US teen magazine, quoted Lennon's comments in August, five months later, extensive protests broke out in the Southern United States. The Beatles' records were banned on the radio and publicly burned, press conferences were cancelled and threats were made. (Wikipedia)

So even 50 years ago, the Brits were already way ahead of us in ignoring religion. And probably baby-eating too, those privileged bastards.

Lennon sort of learned a lesson, I guess. I remember reading an interview where he was asked about the song "Imagine." He said his real feelings about religion were a lot more negative, but he thought he should lighten up in the lyrics.

[mr blur]

23. It's true -

you couldn't go to a party anywhere in London in the late '60s and '70s without being offered baked baby. Of course you had to be careful in case someone had spiked it ("Don't touch the green babies, man!&quot

[Cartoonist]

24. In my Parish

Though I went to a Catholic school, there were no uniform requirements. This meant kids could wear Beatle buttons and Beatle t-shirts. When that quote hit the fan, all the kids wearing cool clothes were sent home to change.

[merrily]

20. Former Catholic monastery used in part for library and grounds used for low cost housing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery_and_Church_of_Saint_Michael_the_Archangel

Nearby nunnery abandoned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Chapel

Other beautiful churches that have been converted to secular use.

http://io9.com/beautiful-churches-that-have-been-converted-into-secula-583156045