I love sitting in old empty churches (don't worry, I don't spend all of my time doing this :P)
But I find churches are always locked unless theres a service on.
I know it's to stop vandalism, but don't you think it's terrible we have to shut up what is supposed to be God's house?
Is this what society has come to?
2007-03-28 06:46:41 · 30 answers · asked by Cocobanner 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is terrible, but yes - that is what our society has come to. Makes ya sad, doesn't it?
2007-03-28 06:51:01 · answer #1 · answered by SpiritRoaming 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I can remember going to my old church when I was young, sometimes in the middle of the night, cuz it was so quiet and so beautiful in there. Sometimes I would go there to pray, sometimes just to spend a little time alone with God.
No, church doors shouldn't be locked, but, unfortunately, they started locking that old church when someone made off with the cross behind the altar....I kid you not. I am sad about it, but I can see that it is better to lock the church than to risk that sort of stuff.
Yes, unfortunately, this is what society has come to, and this is why so many of us older Christians keep trying to gain back the ground we have lost. Very few people under the age of 40 or so will understand me, but do you think Columbine would have happened if kids could still pray in school? Maybe if we quit teaching our kids that God is an outdated fantasy in our colleges...but I'm afraid it is too late.
Maybe this is a sign that we really are in the last days. Could be, I suppose.
To those who give angry responses, suppose our vandals/thieves/whatever were to come on a young girl alone in the church in the middle of the night? Would you want to tell someone's mother that their daughter had been found raped and murdered on the altar??
2007-03-28 07:08:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's unfortunate that theynot only need to be locked but shold probably have a camera monitering them at all times. There are allot of extremists these days who feel the need to push their agenda. Just the other night I heard that Elton John says all churches should be closed. He then rented a Huge church to have a party. The following night he was peforming on stage with a large burning church on screen in the background. I hate to say impressionable kids don't need much inspiration some times.
2007-03-28 07:47:43 · answer #3 · answered by Edward J 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree, it's a terrible sign of what our society has come to. But like you said, it almost *needs* to be done.
We had to start locking the doors of our church after some vandalism... unfortunately, the guy just hid after a mass and set the church on fire anyway. We got lucky; neighbors called the fire dept in time to stop the worst of the damage.
2007-03-28 06:54:14 · answer #4 · answered by Church Music Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think they should. Locked doors do not say all are welcome enter here into God's house. They say this belongs to man and I worry about my possessions. If Christians have faith in God and Jesus's plans for them they would not need to lock the Church doors as a church is supposed to be the house of God and open to all
2007-03-28 07:01:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gods homes should be open to anyone, but nowadays the amount of theft and vndalism forces the churches to lock their doors, its a crying shame, but it has to be done because of the dwindling numbers attending church nowadays, church funds are hitting an all time low.
2007-03-28 07:27:20 · answer #6 · answered by DIAMOND_GEEZER_56 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not all churches, and it probably depends on the amount of vandalism in a particular area. In my town, many, or most (of the Catholic churches) are open. Most others are locked.
2007-03-28 09:10:40 · answer #7 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, and you shouldn't have to pay to go into them either.
My father was an Anglican priest and he was appalled at the number of collecting boxes dotted around Notre Dame in Paris. The last straw was a nun rattling a box in front of him as he left. He said, 'Staff', and walked on.
The 'Poor Box' in his church was often broken into and emptied. Convinced it was always the same person, he left a message in it in his best Old English script. It read 'Remember this on Judgement Day.' The box was never broken into again.
2007-03-28 07:39:16 · answer #8 · answered by cymry3jones 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a lack of respect, and us teens get the blame! Our church is trying to find ways round this, by having a key code locking system that members of the church will get given the code and can then enter the church to pray at any thime they would like.
Remember, we can pray anywhere and God will hear us!
2007-03-28 07:12:08 · answer #9 · answered by Cookie_Monster_UK 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are plannning to leave our churches open during daylight hours, having had them mostly locked for years. The main insurance company (UK) is quite happy. Will take some organising for regular supervision, opening, closing, and of course we are going to have to lock some stuff away. I expect we'll have something nicked or damaged, but we'll try to minimise the risk - as you say, it's God's house and we ought to be open for that time when someone is desperate for a moment's peace and solitude to say "Dear God, I don't know if you exist but if you are there, help me!"
2007-03-28 06:58:33 · answer #10 · answered by Paul B 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have thought the same thing. They shouldn't have to be but that is what the world has come to. My own church has been broken into set on fire, and on several occasions pl have attempted to steal the air condtioners, they succeded once. one time some kids ever wrote obcene stuff on the sidewalk outfront., It's horrible but it just shows the state this world is in
don't you wish you could go back to the days when the church was respected?.
2007-03-28 06:55:33 · answer #11 · answered by Air 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋