Notre Dame’s Near-Destruction Is a Tragedy Which Shames Our Civilisation
Breitbart Europe,
by
James Delingpole
Original Article
Posted By: earlybird,
4/17/2019 12:32:17 PM
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what hurts the most about the near-loss of Notre Dame Cathedral: what it tells us about our own mortality, about the unpredictability of the future and about the fragility of even our greatest creations. (Snip)When Lord Clark made his landmark 1969 documentary series Civilisation and famously asked: “What is civilisation? I don’t know. I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet. But I think I can recognise it when I see it.” Then, turning to Notre Dame behind him, he added: “And I’m looking at it now.”
Reply 1 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/17/2019 12:36:17 PM (No. 36680)
OP comment, cont’d. Once he gets past his distress at those who would censor any talk of terrorism, Delingpole sounds ambivalent about cause of fire.
5 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
MainelySane 4/17/2019 12:44:03 PM (No. 36673)
Shames our civilization? Are you kidding? That´s a little over the top. I´m surprised it´s been upright so long...
Exaggeration... I don´t even have to read the column.
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
MeiDei 4/17/2019 1:14:49 PM (No. 36679)
This magnificent building, this engineered marvel, built over a period of 200+ years starting in the 1100´s; without the use of high-rise cranes, power tools or computers. Yes, generations, after should be amazed but so many, give it no thought - there lies the deficit of modern civilization.
I saw a report that the fire started in an attic room well away from the restoration area. Can´t find an official fire report to back that up. I´m with those who are suspicious of a too soon ´no arson, terrorist action´ report as no one could have been up there to witness what is considered to be spontaneous combustion. Will we ever get a true report.
6 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Condor44 4/17/2019 1:18:40 PM (No. 36669)
Terrible tragedy. Delingpole cites the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban, and Palmyra by Isis. He neglected to cite the destruction of Confederate monuments by America´s own leftist Taliban and SJW´s.
14 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
dman 4/17/2019 1:28:10 PM (No. 36672)
With all due respect to Mr. Dellingpole - with whom I generally agree:
Notre-Dame de Paris is a Catholic cathedral, a "super-church" if you will, a house of God. It is not a monument or a museum. The architecture and art were dedicated to the glory of God and the servant who bore His Son into this world, not to Western civilization or France itself.
Let´s keep our priorities straight. The fire is indeed a loss, it is indeed a "shame" to our dependence on things to represent who we are, and it is a reminder of our folly.
This Holy Week is about the Christ who gave His life to pay for our folly, and his resurrection to conquer even death itself. Glory be to Him, not an "idol" built by the hands of men. Glory be to the Father who has the love and patience to put up with us and provide the plan of salvation!
5 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Sam1 4/17/2019 1:31:59 PM (No. 36675)
FTA: "What I think should concern us almost as much as these Islamism-inspired acts of desecration is the reluctance of so many liberal Westerners to acknowledge that there’s even a problem here.
Yesterday social media was awash with virtue-signallers apparently more upset by the outrageous suggestion that Muslim terrorism might have been responsible than they were at the actual destruction of the cathedral itself."
8 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Clinger 4/17/2019 1:33:38 PM (No. 36676)
Our young have been taught to pick at the scabs of their predecessors, condemn them for every human fault, discredit and chastise every step in the progress of human civilization because it was only that one step, not the entire journey leaving steps for the next generations. How dare they.
They have been taught that they are the generation humanity has been waiting for and that they are vastly superior to all who came before them, Aristotle, Socrates, Voltaire, Jefferson, Madison,.... their current elders included. Yet our college graduates couldn´t pass 8th grade tests from the one room schools of 1900. And they sure as hell wouldn´t know to use a hot potato to keep their hands from freezing on the walk in winter.
They are incapable of looking with awe upon the magnificence of Notre Dame.
Of course not all but far too many.
8 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
msjena 4/17/2019 1:40:06 PM (No. 36671)
The out-pouring of grief for a building is a bit much. Of course, it is sad to see such a famous structure burn, but no one died and it looks like restoration is possible.
7 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 4/17/2019 1:42:00 PM (No. 36678)
All the churches in Europe speak to the finest of our Western civilization. The love and craftsmanship of all townspeople were poured out and into the cathedrals, churches, and synagogues in Europe. Whenever one goes to any country or town in Europe the first place one must go is to the major Cathedral in that place, as it always shows the fruit of the community from hundreds of years ago. Always amazing to see, and hear, as the Organs are often incredible achievements, as well.
This inferno should have awoken the French people to the loss of their heritage and culture to the invading hordes of third-world scum, who have no respect for thousands of years of Western advancement, as they bring their hellhole cultures and customs into France.
13 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
mc squared 4/17/2019 1:43:52 PM (No. 36677)
FTA: ´ for the record, I am glad that Muslims had nothing to do with this, for I think the fall-out would have been horrendous.´
Authorities throughout the western world know that too. It why they automatically say terrorism isn´t suspected, and it´s why I don´t believe anything they say.
At this early date, empirical data suggests arson first.
16 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
JL80863 4/17/2019 3:24:09 PM (No. 36670)
I was a fire investigator. I most certainly was never involved in a fire of such magnitude and complexity but reports stating that there was no evidence of arson at this point are ludicrous. A proper investigation would take months not a few days.
6 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Nevadadad46 4/17/2019 4:03:38 PM (No. 36674)
NO! The destruction of that cathedaral build 900 or so years ago is not a shame to OUR civilization. You should recall, that cathedral was there through the French Revolution where people grabbed up priests and nuns and nailed their hands to the gunnells of barges and sank the barges in the Sein! To raise them and ehrd more Catholics onto them and repeat the porcess. Notre Dame stood over the site where thousands were beheaded, condemned by kangaroo courts during the Revolution. Notre Dame stood there when the disgraceful Versailles Treaty was signed and led the world into yet another massive mega millions death convulsion only 20 years later! And now it stands idly by while the entire Western culture is being eroded and dissolved into a third world 7th-century religious disaster- No!. The burning to the ground of a stone and wood and lead cathedral that was poorly designed in the first place does not shame our Civilization at all. Only people who are cowardly and stupid can shame their own civilization.
7 people like this.
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Comments:
Delingpole doesn’t do cliches and platitudes, so this is well worth your time… It is about more than Notre Dame. I’m out of (Snip)s, but he goes on to write of his distress at the failure of western liberals to acknowledge that it could have been terrorism. Read on.