Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of the most iconic historic churches in the world. The world was shocked when it was devastated by fire in April 2019. My family visited Paris a short time later, in June 2019. Of course, we couldn’t go inside. Luckily for us, Paris has no shortage of other sights to see.
By now, I have been to many famous cathedrals across a few different continents. Stunning as they are, they all have one thing in common: They don’t feel like churches or religious places. There are tour guides speaking on microphones and flash photography everywhere. In a time when we are always concerned about offending other cultures, it’s strange how little we seem to care about respecting culturally sacred places of the religious. This tends to be the case whether it is a cathedral in Europe or a temple in Asia.
Sometimes visitors are asked to cover their shoulders or their legs in Asian temples. However, it’s very rare that these places feel genuinely religious, even with all the telltale accessories and decor. They are valued for their history, but they seem to belong to the world rather than to the faithful.
It’s both interesting and a little sad, as they appear to have lost their original purpose. Society’s view of these structures is similar to that of any old building or beautiful public place. We respect the architecture, but we often fail to care for, learn about, or respect the religious culture that brought it about.
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