No one showing up to worship? Sell it!

...funny

But it is also happening very frequently in the U.K.  where Chapels are being converted into living accomodation, especially with the recent housing boom. People dont seem to mind, as long as any historic issues are dealt with sensativity.

 I dont think it matters much, as unused, dilapidated buildings are a real eyesore. Better to have fewer buildings with larger, more concentrated congregations.

Having said that, where they serve as a central focus for the community, maybe the regulations should be more stringent, even with reduced attendence.

There's every reason to respect a church or mosque or temple or synagogue or meeting-house or .... while they are still in regular use.

At least the Catholic churches however have a ceremony of deconsecration, after which any church is no longer a holy place, and therefore can be used for any purpose, or torn down and replaced.

I rather think it is a legal requirement in the UK that such a ceremony be carried out in regard to an Anglican church, since it is established. I don't know what the rules are with regard to other denominations and religions.

It seems to me quite reasonable that if a church declares that a particular building is no longer consecrated for religious use - is therefore no longer holy, it should be treated like any other building. (Though they would tear down Notre Dame in Paris over my dead body )

Forcible deconsecration would be of course a different, unacceptable, matter.

The selling of Churches is becoming common practice in the UK.

The example that iam going to show however is the selling of a Synagogue. The buyers were Muslims and thus turned the Synagogue into a Mosque. It is now called Masjid-E-Umer.

Above: The Mosque for many years kept the same charecteristics of its former Synagogue years.

Above: With the overwhelming increase in the Muslim population in the UK, esp. London the Mosque's comitee members decidede upon the demolition and reconstruction of the Mosque. This alowed for the maximisation of the space as well extentions being made. The cultural Islamic dome and minaret were also added.

For more information on Masjid-E-Umer check http://www.masjideumer.org.uk/

But you can only desecrate a consecrated building. If it isn't consecrated it cannot be desecrated. And once it has been deconsecrated it's no longer consecrated.

It's a bit like remarrying after divorce. You can't be divorced unless you are married, and once you are divorced you are no longer married.

Of course it is possible to believe that you cannot be divorced, and I suppose one could also believe that a building cannot be deconsecrated. It's difficult to see why however. The reason divorce is held to be impossible derives from the marriage oath containing the words 'till death do us part'. But the consecration ritual doesn't consecrate the building 'forever'.

What God (or the Church) gives, surely God (or the Church) can take away?

Catholicism used to rule in Quebec. Not anymore. As a matter of fact, it's not just churches being converted into condominiums in Montreal these days. Nuns and priests are also selling their properties to developers. Hey, even godly people need to eat!!!

The college where I teach used to be a nunnery. There is also a cementary nearby. Very spooky ... Some old nuns are still living in a modern building next to the college campus. They constantly complain to us about walking into horny teenagers having sex on their lawn and having to pick up used condoms , both of which (pre-marital sex and the use of condoms) they do not approve ...