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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think there are better things to donate €100m to than rebuilding Notre Dame?

344 replies

Bearbehind · 16/04/2019 09:07

I know no one has to donate anything but 2 French billionaires have reportedly donated €100m and €200m respectively towards rebuilding Notre Dame.

The Catholic Church is not exactly short of money.

It just doesn’t really sit right with me spending all that money on a building when it could be used for so many other things

OP posts:
Heratnumber7 · 17/04/2019 21:07

I'm with the OP. I think it's verging on the obscene with all these multi millionaires vying to out donate each other.

More money has been donated in 2 days than for any other appeal ever, for famine, natural disaster, drought, Grenfel, anything.

France is one of the 20 richest countries in the world, and the Catholic Church isn't short of a few bob either.

Alsohuman · 17/04/2019 21:07

It really pisses me off that people think they’re entitled to dictate how the super wealthy spend their money.

Teacher22 · 17/04/2019 21:16

Rescuing Notre Dame would be at the top of my priority list at the moment. If I had a spare hundred million quid they could have it.

MitziK · 17/04/2019 21:18

I'm guessing that few people know that the building and decoration/furnishing of cathedrals and churches in the UK are also funded by private donation? I don't just mean the 'belltower' or 'organ restoration' appeals that most seem to have going, but even for significant locations - for example, schoolchildren in Coventry raised thousands to pay for one window in the new cathedral. Nobody, to my knowledge, criticised those children that donating their pocket money to pay for a window was stupid/selfish when they could send it to other countries or the Church should pay for it.

MitziK · 17/04/2019 21:21

Every church, minster and cathedral I've ever been in has had statues, rood screens, windows, engraved slabs or some way of visibly acknowledging sizeable donations made by wealthy donors. It's what has always happened.

Why should this one be any different?

NaturatintGoldenChestnut · 17/04/2019 21:38

It really pisses me off that people think they’re entitled to dictate how the super wealthy spend their money.

Or anyone, because from what I can read a fund is open or to be opened for people in France to donate, but the company who created Assassin's Creed, in Montreal, has also donated money. It is a French building in France. It belongs the Republic of France, a free and independent nation.

I walked a long route, hard route alone, paying my own expenses, and asked for donations to two charities close to my heart if people wanted to give. THEIR money and choice. A close friend has done similar and more, walking far further. A choice to give and no one obligated to do so.

It's one's personal business what they do with their spare money.

Notanidiot · 17/04/2019 21:40

Well I seem to be in the minority here with a few others in thinking that it quite obscene that so much money has been donated in just one orctwo days for a building than for humanitarian crises around the world.

But hey ho it there are so many starving people but there is only a few historical buildings.

And then of course there are those lovely tax breaks that Macron has mentioned.

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 17/04/2019 21:44

@NaturatintGoldenChestnut Ubisoft is French company. It's not Montreal in Canada. It's Montreuil in France.

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 17/04/2019 21:50

@Notanidiot you might want to look up donations. Most are private. For example after the Tsunami in indian ocean private donations totalled over 3 billion dollars.
The fact that it's not all over the news doesn't mean it is not happening...

NaturatintGoldenChestnut · 17/04/2019 22:16

Ubisoft is French company. It's not Montreal in Canada. It's Montreuil in France.

My apologies, I stand corrected, still of the belief it is their money to dispense with as they see fit. Smile

It's really funny, all up in arms about French people like Francois Pinault and French companies, donating to restore a building that belongs to their country. Omg how dare they! After England told their European Union to go get fucked. Yet the British taxpayer hands over hundreds of millions a year to 'monarchy' without a quibble, they are a tourist attraction, after all. So many worthier causes than that lot of German billionaires. Alas! Viva la France!

PineapplePower · 17/04/2019 22:19

She couldn't understand why it was so luxurious, yet people begging on the street

I understand why she can’t understand but surely you do?

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 17/04/2019 22:21

My apologies, I stand corrected, still of the belief it is their money to dispense with as they see fit. smile

They certainly do. All of them. 😁

Mominatrix · 17/04/2019 22:37

Natural, you are also incorrect on how the nonarchy is funded. The taxpayer does not j]hand over money to the monarch.

Perhaps you should read and understand exactly how the sovereign grant works.

NaturatintGoldenChestnut · 17/04/2019 22:47

They are an outdated symbol of system of abuse and oppression, Mominatrix. And yet the British scold French people who contribute of their own funds to restore a building that belongs to them? That would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

Mominatrix · 17/04/2019 22:53

Don’t understand your point. The monarchy is not funded by the general public. Confused

RomanyQueen1 · 17/04/2019 23:09

Pineapple

Of course I do, it was the fact it was so obvious to an 8 year old.

Lockheart · 17/04/2019 23:42

@Heratnumber7 that's simply not true - billions were donated to Yemen, and to the victims of the boxing Day tsunami, to think of just two off the top of my head.

mathanxiety · 17/04/2019 23:49

YABVU.

How is that Grenfell rehousing going?

mathanxiety · 17/04/2019 23:50

How much have all the naysayers here contributed to the redress of the many glaring needs in the UK?

KissingInTheRain · 18/04/2019 00:10

This is a peculiar debate.

Of course the French are going to rebuild one of their most iconic historical landmarks. And the fact of it being a religious building is neither here nor there. Nor is the source of the money.

Next we’ll have someone complaining about National Lottery grants that aren’t going to the Brazilian favelas.

GunpowderGelatine · 18/04/2019 00:11

YABU people can donate money to whatever the hell they want, and not how popular public opinion thinks they should donate. I say good on them.

GunpowderGelatine · 18/04/2019 00:13

And I don't know why people are making Grenfell comparisons. Grenfell had already burnt down - it's not like £1 million could bring back a life and it's not a historic monument that would be a huge loss to the city if it wasn't rebuilt. What happened at Grenfell was obviously tragic but donations after the fact wasn't going to bring anyone back

HelenaDove · 18/04/2019 00:18

Its a culture change that is needed towards tenants like a PP said.

@mathanxiety

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3560545-Grenfell-family-face-removal-from-home-RBKC-deny-this-Then-POLICE-knocked-on-the-door?pg=1

HelenaDove · 18/04/2019 00:21

I did see a couple of comments on twitter about how generous the French millionaires were..............

as opposed to British ones who wait until Guy Fawkes and burn an effigy instead.

Commonpeoplelikeme · 18/04/2019 00:29

I half agree with you OP. These billionaires may also (hopefully) already be donating to human causes so if they choose to also donate to the Notre Dame rebuild then why not. But I do agree that the Catholic Church can probably do it out of their own pockets considering they’re one of the wealthiest institutions in the world!! It deserves to be restored.