GOD HATES CHURCHES

[snousle]

Got into Christchurch yesterday. Life seems surprisingly normal despite widespread, if spotty destruction. We were in town less than an hour before the first noticeable aftershock - there are still several table-rattlers per day. There has been very little crime and disorder. Soldiers are present all along the perimeter of the downtown cordon and an imported Australian police force occupies the art gallery. Most citizens seem pretty chipper, But some older people still seem a little shell shocked.

Older stone buildings have the most visually dramatic damage, and here that means churches. The sometimes-successful attempt to remove the steeples intact hints at an intention to repair them. Less visible, but more devastating, is that nearly all high rises have been condemned and will have to be demolished. Most single family homes seem OK, but exceptions are numerous and sometimes dramatic.

Comments

[putzmeisterbear.livejournal.com]

Wow, very dramatic stuff.

[qnetter]

I've been to all those places. Very sad.

[albear-garni.livejournal.com]

Very sad. I'm not sure what could have been done to save those stone buildings. The high-rises are another thing....

[broduke2000.livejournal.com]

Our fundys would be quick to point out that the reason those churches sustained damage is because their congregation was too liberal leaning and/or didn't bash Gays enough.

I mean ... just look at Rev. Phelps. No quake damage whatsoever!

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

That last pic really tells the story.

I too was surprised that the newer high rises failed. I'm assuming they had lax building standards ... something I would not thought possible in NZ. It will be interesting to see if that assumption holds true.