[SnakeDoctor]

There are certainly bigger problems for Christians to worry about in this world than how pretty our buildings are. No building we can create is near glorious enough, and, honestly, I figure He’d rather we put the money toward better causes than ornate architecture.

Keep your eye on the ball.

SnakeDoc

[duckworth]

In my 50s I’m still an enthusiastic Catholic, but... I remember entering my teens and thinking it was wrong to make us bring money to school to donate to the poor, while up the street at the church they were spending a fortune on remodeling. It shook my foundation and faith and it really took until I was in 30s and had kids to really get back “into” the church. A lot of my colleagues never recovered.

[IbJensen]

He’d rather we put the money toward better causes than ornate architecture.

What, for instance? Beefing up the welfare trough? Blowing trillions on third world nations that will never learn to plant when they get it in UN cans and boxes?

[John O]

There are certainly bigger problems for Christians to worry about in this world than how pretty our buildings are. No building we can create is near glorious enough, and, honestly, I figure He’d rather we put the money toward better causes than ornate architecture.

While you are correct I do not think you are looking at the entire issue.

One reason for the church building is to serve as a place where the church can come together to worship, to experience the presence of God in a corporate setting.

You can walk into an older, more classically designed church and "feel" the holiness. It is obviously a sacred place and instantly removes distractions and gets you focused on God. Even atheists tend to speak more reverently in those sorts of churchs

Now walk into one of the modern destroyed churches and you feel no "presence" at all. They are simply big meeting rooms.

I am Penetcostal, but I was raised Catholic. The Catholic churches inspire a reverence that I have not found in any protestant church (sadly).

The Catholic architectural reformers, in my opinion, are seeking to sever man's connection to God in any way they can. They are neither Catholic nor Christian.

Now this is not saying that the church should be spending all their funds on big buildings. But when we are building we need to remember that the building will be seen as God's house and should be fitting for that purpose.

Feeding the poor does them no good whatsoever if we leave their souls starving. We need to make it as simple as possible for them to connect with God on a personal level. Classical churches are one tool that makes that easier to do.