Another brick in the wall

I was interested to read about this project to create a large Christian monument at a mystery location in the UK, made of a million bricks, each representing a prayer that has been answered by Jesus:
https://www.thewall.org.uk/

One of their FAQs is "Why should I donate to The Wall instead of giving to another charity?" and of course the answer (after something I didn't understand about how money used to build it will be invested in social housing) is "We believe that God has an unlimited supply. Because of this, it isn’t a choice of whether The Wall should be built or other worthy causes should be funded; we believe that God has enough to provide for both." And I suppose it's true that if we hadn't built religious monuments in the past we'd be without some of our finest architecture. On the other hand, their answer seems difficult to reconcile with the fact that there's such a shortage of resources to maintain that existing architecture. Should they be so confident that they've got God's priorities sussed out?

I was interested to read about this project to create a large Christian monument at a mystery location in the UK, made of a million bricks, each representing a prayer that has been answered by Jesus:
https://www.thewall.org.uk/

One of their FAQs is "Why should I donate to The Wall instead of giving to another charity?" and of course the answer (after something I didn't understand about how money used to build it will be invested in social housing) is "We believe that God has an unlimited supply. Because of this, it isn’t a choice of whether The Wall should be built or other worthy causes should be funded; we believe that God has enough to provide for both." And I suppose it's true that if we hadn't built religious monuments in the past we'd be without some of our finest architecture. On the other hand, their answer seems difficult to reconcile with the fact that there's such a shortage of resources to maintain that existing architecture. Should they be so confident that they've got God's priorities sussed out?

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7&version=NIV


"8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[e] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Similar principle!  Why should God provide for a silly tacky human project that won't convince anybody of anything?

I was interested to read about this project to create a large Christian monument at a mystery location in the UK, made of a million bricks, each representing a prayer that has been answered by Jesus:
https://www.thewall.org.uk/

One of their FAQs is "Why should I donate to The Wall instead of giving to another charity?" and of course the answer (after something I didn't understand about how money used to build it will be invested in social housing) is "We believe that God has an unlimited supply. Because of this, it isn’t a choice of whether The Wall should be built or other worthy causes should be funded; we believe that God has enough to provide for both." And I suppose it's true that if we hadn't built religious monuments in the past we'd be without some of our finest architecture. On the other hand, their answer seems difficult to reconcile with the fact that there's such a shortage of resources to maintain that existing architecture. Should they be so confident that they've got God's priorities sussed out?

Hell no.

I think maybe I just have a suspicious nature.

When I read an announcement dated February 2017, saying that the first stage of the competition for a design was funded by more than £47,000 of donations, and the second stage was going to cost about £25,000 more, culminating in a public exhibition and the announcement of the winning design in May 2017 - and when I then look at the website and see that the winning design is now going to be announced in March 2019 - I just feel thankful that I haven't given them any money so it's none of my business:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news...05.article
https://www.thewall.org.uk/the-vision

When I read an announcement dated February 2017, saying that the first stage of the competition for a design was funded by more than £47,000 of donations ...

Or to be exact, according to the original crowdfunding appeal, the public donations of £47,000 were going to be matched pound for pound by "an investor". By my reckoning that makes £94,000, of which £57,000 funded a competition for the design, and £30,000 went to pay for a website.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...l-landmark

Quite how they arrived at a cost of £57,000 for the architecture competition I'm not sure. The announcement for the competition says that the shortlisted entries would each receive £4000+VAT. As there were five entries, that sounds more like £24,000 to me:
https://www.archdaily.com/794958/call-fo...n-the-wall

Anyhow, it sounds as though a few prayers have probably been answered by this project already.

Or to be exact, according to the original crowdfunding appeal, the public donations of £47,000 were going to be matched pound for pound by "an investor". By my reckoning that makes £94,000, of which £57,000 funded a competition for the design, and £30,000 went to pay for a website.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/the...l-landmark

Quite how they arrived at a cost of £57,000 for the architecture competition I'm not sure. The announcement for the competition says that the shortlisted entries would each receive £4000+VAT. As there were five entries, that sounds more like £24,000 to me:
https://www.archdaily.com/794958/call-fo...n-the-wall

Anyhow, it sounds as though a few prayers have probably been answered by this project already.

30k for a website?