The Power of Notre Dame...

[Cypress]

Part 1: Background and Context

[Cypress]

Part 2: A Look Inside Notre Dame Cathedral

[ThatOwlWoman]

I'm not Christian but even so, this cathedral is a work of art that contains priceless other works of art. Am still in shock over what has happened. I hope that the artifacts and treasures can be saved.

[Cypress]

I'm not Christian but even so, this cathedral is a work of art that contains priceless other works of art. Am still in shock over what has happened. I hope that the artifacts and treasures can be saved.

My sentiments as well.

I was raised Eastern Orthodox, so while I am not Catholic, I have a deep appreciation and respect for religious iconography, religious art, ornate religious architecture, and the human ingenuity, devotion, and faith that when into creating, engineering, and crafting it. The Medieval Catholic cathedrals of Europe are, in my opinion, a priceless heritage shared by all humankind. .

[ThatOwlWoman]

Even if we're not of a faith we still feel horror at the destruction of history. Remember when ISIS went around blowing up priceless antiquities? Horrible.

[Cypress]

Even if we're not of a faith we still feel horror at the destruction of history. Remember when ISIS went around blowing up priceless antiquities? Horrible.

Too right you are.

That was a criminal act, as far as I am concerned.

Can we even be fully human without history, without tangible connections to our past? Probably not - every culture that has ever existed indulges in creation stories, ancestor worship, oral traditions, etc.

Notre Dame, the Great Pyramids, the Acropolis, Machu Pichu seem to me to be much more than remarkable feats of human engineering and human creativity. I believe there is something intangible about them that we can all feel, something in them that speaks to our shared humanity, or collective consciousness. Well, that's my story and I am sticking with it!