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

[Bearbehind]

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

Yabu.

Don’t understand these types of comments, especially when it is people choosing to donate their own money. Such buildings are important and it is a wonderful thing for people and future generations to see them still standing centuries after being built and despite the changes humans and society have gone through. It’s history that we can see, touch, experience. Walking through such places gives you a glimpse of their/our histories and is better than reading it or seeing a wee picture from a book.

Buster

Really hate the term "doesn't sit right with me"

I think it's an amazing donation, it just shows how loved the cathedral is to the nation. I'm sure they won't be donating whatever they can afford.

Also again - Notre dame belongs to the French state - not the Catholic Church - has done since 1907. The building is the states responsibility !

I am so sad about Notre Dame. If I were a multi zillionaire I would pay towards it's restoration.

OP it is OK that you don't place a value on art/culture/history. However, it's one of your business if other people do and want to put their money into it.

I'm not Catholic or even religious. I have seen the Notre Dame however and it needs to be re-built. If it did not get re-built it would say something unpleasant about human beings as a whole.

You have no idea how much they donate to other causes. They may give nothing but we don't know that.

People weren't aware of George Michael's funding of IVF for childless couples untiil after he died. Keith Flint gave most of his money to various charities without publicising it - the stories are emerging now.

And anyway, people are free to give money where they want.

FFS Lockheart it was a joke. He can still afford to pledge 100 million euros overnight without it breaking the bank.

I don't understand why people aren't more up in arms about multi billionaires hoarding that kind of cash when there are people sleeping in the streets myself. Takes all sorts.

This is what's is wrong with charity, private individuals decide what can and can't be done according to their wealth, or in the case of live aid etc their misguided appeals to sentiment that persuade ordinary people to give to causes which sometimes do more harm than good. Still plenty poverty sir bob/bono.
Shame we can't trust governments to prioritise properly either but pay heed to big pharma, capitalist business, press and popular (selfish, racist, ignorant) opinion.

No one cares how it sits with some random. Go ahead and scrape together 100m euros and do what you'd like with it

I'm good with this.

I'd like to see the building saved and it is clearly enjoyed by a lot of people, so there's a common good.

But also a lot of that money will be going to highly skilled craftspeople and specialists in renovation of ancient buildings. It will provide work and help keep skills alive.

Probably better for the commonweal than a billionaire blowing their cash on the latest superyacht or private jet and the aviation fuel required to pootle around.

I suppose they could always bulldoze it and build a Wetherspoons instead.
Who cares about religious and cultural heritage, ffs?

Thank you @spingiscomming

And of course there will be tax breaks on donations

Ba-doom-tish Buster!

Thanks for that, that has given me a laugh on an otherwise shitty and stressful morning.

I think this is a great use if the billionaires' money. Usually we hear about people like this squandering their money on trying to one-up their peers with ever-bigger yachts and the like. I am of the persuasion that people are more important than money, but Notre Dame is so important a part of our European culture that rebuilding is justified. And it's great that it takes the pressure off the taxpayer.

OK, so maybe IABU 😂

It's such another sign that we live in a world where 'things' are valued more than human life
There's no shortage of human lives though is there? There's only one Notre Dame though.
Valuing history, culture and spirituality is valuing the best of our humanity.

Good fitness them, it's an amazing thing to do.

Out of curiosity, what do you think it should have been donated too?

@missingstreetlife

Tax breaks have been announced at up to 0,5% of total tax due for corporations and 90% tax credit for private donations - i.e I pay tax in France - I can donate 100€ and reduce my tax bill by 90€

God for them, damn autocorrect!

TaMereAPoilDevantPrisu because it won't be in cash! It would be stupid to hold that much money in cash. It will be held in investments in businesses and so forth, allowing those businesses to grow and generate employment. The €100m will come from the dividends and interest payments on those investments and will likely be pledged over a number of years rather than one lump sum.

Yes it's historically important but I for one want to see the pope put his hand in his pocket.

It's not owned by the church

I think it is perfectly reasonable that they want to spend their money building a symbol of their country, which probably does a lot for the tourism industry of Paris and supports a lot of businesses in its area.

There is no absolute hierarchy of needs. It’s only possible to determine what is most valuable to you as an individual. That won’t be the same for everyone, because everyone has different priorities. So yes, YABU, because your idea of what’s important isn’t universal.

FFS Lockheart are you being deliberately obtuse? He has that. much. money. spare.

I know it's not owned by the church, but if the church doesn't put its hand in its pocket then it shouldn't expect to be allowed to carry on using it as a religious building. Turn it into a museum instead.