Bay Ridge Methodist Church, in the 1960sToday was one of the worst days in recent Bay Ridge history.
For more than 100 years, this lovely green building graced the corner of Fourth and Ovington Avenue.
Today, major demolition was completed. Only a part of the side wall remains, like the jagged edges of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack. As I walked up the steps of the Bay Ridge Avenue subway station tonight, I could smell the destruction. A burning odor, dust in the air that shouldn't be there. Again, like the days after 9/11- you can literally smell the crime.
We know that the congregation had dwindled, that it needed money. Offers of help were made, with Councilman Gentile acting as an honest broker.
But Pastor Robert Emerick was pig headed. He resented any and all efforts to save this lovely building. If more money was to be had by destroying this building, he was determined to grab the cash. His mind was never going to change. I hope the son of a bitch is proud of himself tonight.
I was going to take a picture of the ruins today. But I can't bring myself to do it.
7 comments:
What a sad story bro. Has the pastor been led astray by the love of money?
He probably has, and is probably not smart enough to realize it. The love of money is at the root of all evil.
A great evil was committed yesterday.
It's so awful walking by that site and seeing what's happened to that beautiful church.
I'm trying to recall a quote that said something like "you don't judge a society but the monuments it keeps, but by the monuments it destroys."
A rather sobering thought on a day like today.
Personally - I think they probably did what was best for them, because (amazingly) a church isn't just a building for the neighbors to look at.
I also think it's cheesey to play More Religious Than They and attack these guys via E-Z bible quotes like 'love of money." Because the bible also sez not to judge others, and not to overvalue 'stuff.' And some people were more interested in the bldg than in keeping that church (the whole operation, I mean) in Bay Ridge.
Also have a funky feeling that many of that bldg's fans weren't purely into esthetics, but viewed it in terms of their own property values & anxiety about parking, neighborhood change, etc. ... in short: money.
Blogger said "like the days after 9/11- you can literally smell the crime."
WHAT?!? No matter how strongly you feel about this issue- ain't no WAY you can make it 9/11-ish. Unless you've lost all perspective & critical reasoning.
That was the first, emotional response.
I don't feel that way now, but I certainly don't take it back.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now. Keep it up!
And according to this article, I totally agree with your opinion, but only this time! :)
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