On the Nature of Things | Forum

Folks,

As Pope Francis is visiting the USA, this is a good time to consider his call for abolition of the death penalty.

The attached link considers the changing nature of debate over this contentious issue and gives some hope to those who wish to see rehabilitation rather than killing in the theory and practice of the US justice system.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/24/polit ... index.html

There is no irony in the call for mercy coming from a man of God, as we know that Jesus experienced the cross at the hands of his earthly judges.

Alex.

manolo wrote:Folks,

As Pope Francis is visiting the USA, this is a good time to consider his call for abolition of the death penalty.

The attached link considers the changing nature of debate over this contentious issue and gives some hope to those who wish to see rehabilitation rather than killing in the theory and practice of the US justice system.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/24/polit ... index.html

There is no irony in the call for mercy coming from a man of God, as we know that Jesus experienced the cross at the hands of his earthly judges.

Alex.

Amen.

Nonc Hilaire wrote:

manolo wrote:Folks,

As Pope Francis is visiting the USA, this is a good time to consider his call for abolition of the death penalty.

The attached link considers the changing nature of debate over this contentious issue and gives some hope to those who wish to see rehabilitation rather than killing in the theory and practice of the US justice system.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/24/polit ... index.html

There is no irony in the call for mercy coming from a man of God, as we know that Jesus experienced the cross at the hands of his earthly judges.

Alex.

Amen.

Double Amen.

The other subjects I would like to hear the Pope pontificate about are:
1. The wall around the Vatican will be torn down. Is it there to keep people out, or keep people in?
2. The secret stuff in the Vatican archives will be made available to public view. It could be made into the world's largest non-profit museum, where all proceeds are donated to the poor.
or, the contents of the Vatican archive will be sold and the proceeds go to the poor.
3. Effective immediately, all Catholic facilities world wide are forbidden from turning on their air conditioning systems. The money previously spent on electricity and maintenance will be given to the poor. The resultant reduction in electricity use will result in less greenhouse gas & pollution which will benefit the common good, rather than the rich parishioners.

Everyone loves to talk about how others can do more, which is always true. Everyone can do more. The Pope as well as the rest of us.

Look at the money spent on church architecture over the centuries. Shouldn't these structures be the simplest, most cost efficient structures technology can provide?

Simple Minded wrote: Look at the money spent on church architecture over the centuries. Shouldn't these structures be the simplest, most cost efficient structures technology can provide?

SM,

Credit where credit's due. The Romanesque is a simple structure and lacks the complication of flying buttresses.

Alex.

manolo wrote:

Simple Minded wrote: Look at the money spent on church architecture over the centuries. Shouldn't these structures be the simplest, most cost efficient structures technology can provide?

SM,

Credit where credit's due. The Romanesque is a simple structure and lacks the complication of flying buttresses.

Alex.

alex,

I'm going to have to take your word on this one. Despite being raised Catholic, I've never seen any Catholic churches that would even remotely be considered simple structures.

Perhaps due to the newness of the Catholic churches in the New World?

Simple Minded wrote: I'm going to have to take your word on this one. Despite being raised Catholic, I've never seen any Catholic churches that would even remotely be considered simple structures.

Perhaps due to the newness of the Catholic churches in the New World?

SM,



Many of our small Catholic churches in the UK are like this. The Roman arch is a simple half circle and does not allow for a great deal of structural diversity.

The Gothic arch was a church architects wet dream from this point of view. In combination with the flying buttress we find the many 'wedding cake' cathedrals of the Gothic period.



Alex.

PS - The issue with the Roman arch is that it is a half circle. To increase its height you have to increase its width proportionally. Thus it remains stable. The pointed Gothic arch gave church architects the idea of raising height with straight sides. However, this produced instability in the sides (pushing outwards) which required the bodge of 'flying buttresses' which are just props holding the structure in place. Also, solid buttresses were used, and these were often extra towers or wings which served the purpose of holding the centre structure from falling outwards.

PPS - Apologies for enjoyable thread drift - back to the OP.

Alex,

Still much more expense on a cost per square foot basis than other forms of construction, but the first church is more cost effective than any Catholic church I have ever seen.

For decades I have always been astonished that those who preach to tend to the poor seem to have more money than God when it comes to architecture. The eternal battle between theory and practice. Seems tough for humans to either practice what they preach, or preach what they practice.

Many of the Bible Belt churches are very small wood structures. Very plain, salt of the Earth type people.

IMSMO, while it may offend the purists (Forgive me Father for I have sinned.......) thread drift is what make OTNOT interesting.

Simple Minded wrote: For decades I have always been astonished that those who preach to tend to the poor seem to have more money than God when it comes to architecture. The eternal battle between theory and practice. Seems tough for humans to either practice what they preach, or preach what they practice.

Many of the Bible Belt churches are very small wood structures. Very plain, salt of the Earth type people.

SM,

I'm interested in hospital buildings, and think of the larger ones as secular cathedrals. However we also have modest ones known as 'cottage hospitals'. To continue a religious theme, I think of our NHS hospitals as places where God's work is done.



...and we retain the thread subject "sanctity of life".

Alex.

manolo wrote: SM,

I'm interested in hospital buildings, and think of the larger ones as secular cathedrals. However we also have modest ones known as 'cottage hospitals'. To continue a religious theme, I think of our NHS hospitals as places where God's work is done.



...and we retain the thread subject "sanctity of life".

Alex.

Darwin lives (virtually)!

Simple Minded wrote: Darwin lives (virtually)!

SM,

I almost didn't get that, and then I did get it.

Alex.

manolo wrote:

Simple Minded wrote: Darwin lives (virtually)!

SM,

I almost didn't get that, and then I did get it.

Alex.

Darwin (to be fair people that misused his theories ) was alive and well as late as the 1960's

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