On June 22, the Associated Press published an article titled “In Europe’s empty churches, prayer and confessions make way for drinking and dancing,” the troubling contents of which must be discussed. This article reports on the “repurposing” of churches in Europe, and particularly in Belgium, as follows: “Some [churches] become eyesores in city centers, their maintenance a constant drain on finances. Mechelen, a town of 85,000 just north of Brussels, is the Roman Catholic center of Belgium. It has two dozen churches, several huddled close to St. Rumbold’s cathedral with its UNESCO World Heritage belfry tower. Mayor Bart Somers has been working for years to give many of the buildings a different purpose. ‘In my city we have a brewery in a church, we have a hotel in a church, we have a cultural center in a church, we have a library in a church. So we have a lot of new destinations for the churches,’ said Somers, who as Flemish regional minister is also involved in repurposing some 350 churches spread across the densely populated region of 6.7 million.” So we see that this “repurposing” is actually the result of deliberate government policies.
Referring to one of these “repurposed” churches, Mayor Somers explains, “In the hotel, people sleep in a church, maybe have sex in a church. So you could say: ethically, is it a good idea to have a hotel in a church? I don’t have so many hesitations. [!] I am more concerned about the actual architectural value.” So ethics is no concern of the governments of Europe, which, in a better age, might surprise someone with this declaration. The AP continues, further confirming this: “in Brussels, the Spirito night club has taken over a deconsecrated Anglican church and has a drawing of a priest kissing a nun as its logo.”
Altlutheraner 