St Paul closes doors to 'Occupiers'

[Lars77]

Run time: 02:05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54R_BZmGWMA   Posted on YouTube: October 23, 2011 By YouTube Member: AlJazeeraEnglish Views on YouTube: 304   Posted on DU: October 23, 2011 By DU Member: Lars77 Views on DU: 1621

 

[Moonwalk]

1. So, essentially, the cathedral is afraid of the poor?

It wants to protect the tourists, pilgrims and parishioners that come to visit and so it's locking its doors on, essentially the poor? I mean, wouldn't Jesus be out there protesting the money changers with Occupy? Shouldn't the Church be urging them all to come in and worship that god who supported the poor against the rich and the meek against the powerful?

Christianity has always confused me but here in the 21st century it seems to have become down right byzantine.

[dotymed]

2. Everything i have read or been taught about Jesus Christ

strongly indicates that this is directly against his teachings.

[bvar22]

3. For the Catholic Church to hoard Gold, Art, and Real Estate

...while somewhere in The World a single child dies from malnutrition
is ALL anyone needs to know about The Vatican's true relationship with Christianity.

[1monster]

4. Isn't St. Paul's Church of England/Anglican? No ties to the Catholic Church at all.

[bvar22]

5. My bad.

Knee Jerk reaction to an OP without reading the link.
All too common these days.

I still stand by my comment about the Catholic Church.

[gtar100]

6. Yes, well-put statement about the Catholic Church.

Thank you for making that so succinct.

[Goldstein1984]

7. It's cliche now, but...

"If Jesus were to come back today, the last thing he would be is a Christian."

[Yon_Yonson]

8. Church officials say that they will keep the building closed until the protesters leave

London's St. Paul's Cathedral locks its doors due to Occupy movement — closes for the first time since World War II
October 23, 2011 By God Discussion Reporter

Joining the United States' Occupy Wall Street protests against corporate greed and lack of economic opportunity, hundreds of Londoners have spent the last few days and nights camping outside St Paul's Cathedral.

They located to the Cathedral because the police blocked them off at the nearby stock exchange. Initially, the Occupiers had the backing of church leaders.

Now, for the first time since the Second World War, St. Paul's Cathedral has closed its doors to the public. Church officials say the Occupy movement's camp out poses a danger to health and safety.

"We have done this with a very heavy heart," said church spokesman Graeme Knowles, "but it is simply not possible to fulfill our day to day obligations to worshipers, visitors and pilgrims in the current circumstances."

The Occupy London protesters say that their tents pose no hazard.

Church officials say that they will keep the building closed until the protesters leave, but the protesters say they do not plan on leaving any time soon.

http://www.goddiscussion.com/83386/londons-st-pauls-cathedral-locks-its-doors-due-to-occupy-movement-closes-for-the-first-time-since-world-war-ii/

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Questions: How many of you gave knee-jerk answers before seeing the video?

How many of you went to the St. Paul's Cathedral website to see the official announcement of the closing?

How many of you have been to St. Paul's or to any other large cathedral in England?

Let's see, where to begin...

St. Paul's is Church of England, not Catholic. Some of you obviously didn't only neglect to see the video; you neglected to read the previous responses.

Like most large English cathedrals, St. Paul's is an architectural and historical monument (one of the most magnificent--literally jaw-dropping with its 17th century ornateness and amazing and sometimes bizarre acoustics) but also a functioning place of worship. When I was in England in 1967, the English cathedrals were open to all for free at any time. By 2006, however, they had lost a lot of their government funding and began charging admission to tourists, although people who were attending services could get in for free, but only for the service, not for sightseeing. This was done because it costs literally thousands of dollars a week to keep these old buildings in shape.

I have attended Sunday or evensong services at St. Paul's, York Minster, Westminster Abbey, Hereford, Salisbury, Wells, Canterbury, and Exeter, and was never charged admission for these, but if I wanted to come back as a tourist, I had to pay an entrance fee.

St. Paul's is located in the so-called City, the oldest part of London. The video showed the protesters camped in a pretty solid grouping around the cathedral, since, as was stated in the video, they are actually protesting the London Stock Exchange, and this is the closest they can get, since the Stock Exchange itself is cordoned off.

By closing the cathedral is actually giving up the potential to earn admission fees from tourists. This is a considerable sum of money, since St. Paul's is one of THE sights on the London tourist circuit. It's also a practical matter, since it would be hard for tourists to access the cathedral through the encampment. Yet it costs a lot of money to keep a huge and ornate building open.

If you're actually interested in the rationale for closing the cathedral, go here:

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/News-Press/Latest-News/Open-Letter-from-the-Dean-of-St-Pauls-Cathedral

(Note that the cathedral staff last week specifically told the police NOT to evict the protesters.)

If you just want to indulge in ignorant bashing, there's no help for that.

[Moonwalk]

10. I did watch the video before posting and I stand by what I said.

This is the time, of all times, for the Church--ANY CHURCH--to "man up" and stand by such protesters. It's very kind of the church not to urge police to evict the protesters--but I'm afraid I read that as a bit patronizing. The one thing the church SHOULD WANT is for tourists and parishioners and visitors to walk among the protesters, to see them, and, in doing so, offer open support if for no reason than because they are Jesus' teaching in action. And yeah, it's not going to be easy or painless to do this. But, once again, it's times like this that try men's souls.

This is the time to show what you're made of. Not when you're flush with money, not when there is no risk to those visiting you, not when you are assured that all will work out fine.

The beauty of the church, it's history, etc. etc. etc....is irrelevant. It won't last. But, according to the church, the actions of men do last, and remain with their immortal souls.

Understand, I'd be fine with the church doing this if it wasn't the voice and emblem of a religion that dictates, however gently, it's message to others. If it was just a museum or a library or anything that said, "We close our doors any time we're worried," I'd have no beef with this. But this church, again, however kindly and liberally, does say that it knows what is moral and good and right and others should listen to it and follow its example...once it says that, then it must show its mettle at the worst times, not the best and most optimal. It must take chances. Including allowing in the sick, the lame, the poor, the outcast.

This is the time. I'll understand if you feel differently, if you have charity in your heart for those in charge--they are, after all, only human--or even if you feel that they have a valid excuse especially because they are doing this with "a heavy heart." But I'm afraid I'm going to have to stand by what I said. They have undermined their message to the world in doing this, however regretfully they did it.