Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By French churches you mean Roman Catholic, right? The Washington National Cathedral is Episcopal. I don't think the leadership of the cathedral would say it is a consecrated space. In my mind a church as a "consecrated space" is a Catholic idea and has to do with the presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. If the Eucharist is not there, then it's just a room.

I think Protestants would say the cathedral is a space used for "worship and fellowship." Whether or not a prom is an activity worthy of the space is a reasonable question. But I bet it's a profitable activity and the cathedral needs money.

NP, most mainline Protestant churches also have consecrated and unconsecrated spaces.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Matthew 21:13

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’

Yes, thank you! I think of this scripture every time I see those gift shops, especially open on Sundays. No “Keeping Holy the Sabbath Day.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. They clearly have been using this holy space for many secular events — here is the invite to the Greater Washington Board of Trade Gala last March:

https://www.bot.org/event/100th-mid-winter-dinner/


I thought they only rented out the upper floor for dinners/private events. It’s really sad.

Just look at that huge bar set up in the Nave! A lobbyist dream dinner — mix with Dc’s movers and shakers, the invite says. Does the Cathedral leadership approve who can rent out that space?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By French churches you mean Roman Catholic, right? The Washington National Cathedral is Episcopal. I don't think the leadership of the cathedral would say it is a consecrated space. In my mind a church as a "consecrated space" is a Catholic idea and has to do with the presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. If the Eucharist is not there, then it's just a room.

I think Protestants would say the cathedral is a space used for "worship and fellowship." Whether or not a prom is an activity worthy of the space is a reasonable question. But I bet it's a profitable activity and the cathedral needs money.

NP, most mainline Protestant churches also have consecrated and unconsecrated spaces.

So where is consecrated space at Washington National Cathedral if not the Nave?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much money have you donated to the cathedral? They desperately need money to repair earthquake damage. They did not do these sorts of events before the damage. Make a large donation. If enough people to do that, they can do fewer of these events.

That article upthread states that they started doing these events before the earthquake damage. The leadership is failing to attract and retain loyal, generous congregants.

And from what I understand, all the critical earthquake repair work is done. The rest is cosmetic damage that will be repaired when the funds are raised. Hardly a reason to sell out the religious heart of the Cathedral to any group that will pony up the money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can think of no other religion that would rent out its main worship center — would a Catholic Church, Islamic Mosque or Jewish Synagogue have a Prom or corporate lobbyist dinner in its sacred center?


If the NRA wanted to rent out the Nave, they would allow that, right?

My DCs middle school graduation (from a non-religious school) was in a Presbyterian church. I've also been to non-religious music events, with admission fees, in church spaces.

I agree with PP that churches may need to be more welcoming if they want to thrive. Otherwise we will have more beautiful spaces to convert to hotels, bars, etc. Have you been to the Line Hotel in Adams Morgan? It's an awesome space!

Anonymous wrote:I can think of no other religion that would rent out its main worship center — would a Catholic Church, Islamic Mosque or Jewish Synagogue have a Prom or corporate lobbyist dinner in its sacred center?


If the NRA wanted to rent out the Nave, they would allow that, right?

Anonymous wrote:How much money have you donated to the cathedral? They desperately need money to repair earthquake damage. They did not do these sorts of events before the damage. Make a large donation. If enough people to do that, they can do fewer of these events.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By French churches you mean Roman Catholic, right? The Washington National Cathedral is Episcopal. I don't think the leadership of the cathedral would say it is a consecrated space. In my mind a church as a "consecrated space" is a Catholic idea and has to do with the presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. If the Eucharist is not there, then it's just a room.

I think Protestants would say the cathedral is a space used for "worship and fellowship." Whether or not a prom is an activity worthy of the space is a reasonable question. But I bet it's a profitable activity and the cathedral needs money.

NP, most mainline Protestant churches also have consecrated and unconsecrated spaces.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. They clearly have been using this holy space for many secular events — here is the invite to the Greater Washington Board of Trade Gala last March:

https://www.bot.org/event/100th-mid-winter-dinner/


I thought they only rented out the upper floor for dinners/private events. It’s really sad.

Anonymous wrote:Matthew 21:13

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’

Anonymous wrote:By French churches you mean Roman Catholic, right? The Washington National Cathedral is Episcopal. I don't think the leadership of the cathedral would say it is a consecrated space. In my mind a church as a "consecrated space" is a Catholic idea and has to do with the presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. If the Eucharist is not there, then it's just a room.

I think Protestants would say the cathedral is a space used for "worship and fellowship." Whether or not a prom is an activity worthy of the space is a reasonable question. But I bet it's a profitable activity and the cathedral needs money.