Sunday, March 14, 2010

Remind me why we need another church

One of the new issues that has come up is the plan to demolish one of the main cinemas in Yerevan, and build a new church.
Unzipped has posted two great posts, in Armenian and English, with the relevant information, as well as a video.

There is also a petition that was started recently, all who agree are encouraged to sign, Petition Here

But, back to the video mentioned. It is an interview with Samvel Karapetyan, who is the head of an architectural society in Armenia. He makes a very, very, strong case, as to why we, we as in Armenians, and specifically, Yerevan, does not need yet another church.

And he goes further. That if the church cares so much for the people, for the wellbeing of Armenians, then they should help build them houses, feed people, build schools, waterways, ... He points out that there are thousands of ways of helping to care for and strengthen the nation, building churches is not the only way.

This point struck home for me, and I have touched on it a bit in the past in my posts, in regards to March 1, to present day problems in Armenia, and our history. I see how so many so-called leaders of the Church live, and I imagine how much they could do to truly better the nation. If, I suppose, it was in their best interest.

Honestly, I see these pictures, and just starting imagining how much wealth I see there,... and how much poverty I see in Armenia.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apart from the wealth the Church has, I have also heard that there is "abuse" as well, like the scandals the other "Churches" are facing now.
It seems that Armenia will be a theocracy soon. Pity.
Aziz 55.5

HH said...

I just don’t see the point. As once the son (or was it the grandson) of Tamanyan said, Armenia has so many churches that would be more than enough for several nations, why do you need to build more? you better build public toilets.

Also, if the communists destroyed churches and built academy of sciences (on Sayat Nova street), and these guys now destroyed the building of the first ever academy of the country for a little church to be seen and, may be, to reconstruct the previous big one, I don’t see the difference between one barbarian and the other.

The church that was where the movie theater Moscow is now was really a great one. But, if they desire to build it back, why they cannot do it in some other place? What if they decide that there has been some church or another sacred spot where now the Matenadaran is, or the Opera building, etc.?