Only a dimwit would not care about culture,great works of art or architecture .It has nothing to do with the religious aspect but about the great architecture and history involved .This is like stating you do not care if the Sistine Chapel had a fire and destroyed the last Judgment by Michelangelo because it is religious oriented. Appreciating and protecting great works of architecture is the sign of a civilized society.

Beautiful architecture, religious or not, needs to be preserved as an account of what greatness humanity is capable of striving towards.
From strictly an economic point-of-view, Notre Dame draws millions of tourists, etc. to Paris, so it definitely makes sense financially for the city to acquire the funding necessary to rebuild.

The monies being raised is from private donations not public money. This is not just a religious institution, it’s a cultural and architectural gem. 13 million people visit it every year.
It’s owned by France and leased to the Catholic Church making it a historical landmark.
I would expect if a similar situation happened at the Statue of Liberty or White House, we would want it rebuilt.

I disagree. To the French this is far more than a building, it is part of their national identity and a point of pride. I would visit it just for the architecture; the artwork and religious aspects are a bonus from a historical perspective.

I'm with you. You could feed a lot of hungry children with the money that will be spent on that building. Human beings just can't get their priorities straight.

I think it a culturally significant architectural monument in French history owned by the French government. They are free to rebuild it. It's their money and a huge tourist attraction.

it is a beautiful piece of engineering and has played an important role in western society. But it was built to demonstrate the power of the Catholic Church over everyone in France and that power was often used to brutally suppress any dissenters

I find it interesting how obsessed we are with rebuilding the past and yet how easy we choose to forget/ignore the lessons of the past.

It’s an amazing piece of architecture and it’s the heart of the Parisians. Money is spent all the time and everywhere for different things valued by all different types of people.
This is a historical and cultural icon.

Well, it’s much like when the Isis Caliphate destroyed all the ancient Sumerian Statues & Mountain Buddha as pagan & idolatry. I felt considerable loss from an antique, cultural, artistic point of view and not the religious truths they gave. I feel the same way about Notre Dame. Medieval Cathedrals are striking works or art and from that perspective, I feel a loss. Better things to spend money on? A vast array of opinions on that. An historic, cultural loss? I opine yes. With all the money the Catholic Church has looted over the aeons, they should repair it themselves.

I find it sad that Flint still has poisoned water and that American citizens in Puerto Rico still lack the basic necessities for everyday life. That billions are be donated to an organization that is worth billions and can pay for it's own reconstruction.

While II may choose not not to contribute, I can't not ever question someone else's decision to contribute to a cause even if it's a reconstruction of the church.. ND will be reconstructed with largely private monies. The Statue of Liberty was also restored with private funds, as anyone alive during that time should remember Lee Iacocca on television begging for funds.

What's important is that ND is an 800 year-old structure that is as important architecturally as religiously. There are elements of ND that may not be restored simply because the craftsman's skills are lost. Maybe they can convert photographs into 3D files and the 3D printed piece can replace all or part of a damaged piece, but it won't be the same as a replacement piece made with the same tools and skill sets as 800 years ago.

To spend millions of dollars to restore a building is completely lacking in humanity. Building should never take precedence over people. With millions dying from lack of food and clean water with no shelter, the church should be ashamed to even consider restoring the church.

Rebuild it with a sprinkler system.

From the perspective of a wanna be archeaologist, I am sad that a piece of physical history has been damaged. I think the monies being donated coulld be better used elsewhere. A sad reflection of who we are.

We would rebuild stupid things like stadiums for the tourist dollars. At least theirs has historical and cultural significance.

I know the world mourns this great edifice and all the art, etc. and this religious creation. For me, when I see the inner walls I feel oppression, torture that was done to heathens, stern narrow mindedness, people being used, anti-semitism and priests molesting children and being above the law. That's just my gut reaction.

I'm okay with rebuilding the church. It's more than just a church, it's an icon. Especially for those who live there.

Where I'm troubled is how easy it was for rich people to donate billions of dollars to rebuild a building, but the human beings suffering just underneath from lack of resources... lack which obviously doesn't exist, it's just that those who hold the resources prefer buildings over people.

Many of these buildings were built on the backs of the poor and that's troubling. Still, it doesn't have to be that way. We have the resources to rebuild the building AND to take care of the poor. But we don't seem to have the will.

Word. If We Cared that Much about The Hungry and The Homeless as We Do about Old Buildings!!!

I will not be donating. If others want to donate that’s alright with me. It’s their right.

There's always something more important to worry about. Why worry about petty crime in a world that has murder? Yet we still do. People have the capacity to care about multiple things. The fact that one thing is less important than another doesn't mean it has no importance or value at all.

There's nothing wrong with caring about Notre Dame. Though when people care more about loss of history and architecture than they do about loss of life, you have to question their priorities.

Giving any amount of money to that church is like me handing Amazon a $20 bill. Sure, it's a nice thought, but......

Stuff the religious crap that brought it into being. It's a piece of history and beauty and a window to the past in how it was built and what it was built with. The place was hand crafted from bottom to top. For some of the craftsmen this was a lifetime job. My problem is all the private money pouring into the rebuilding fund-People trying to buy their way into good graces, a sainthood, or make themselves look good to the people, but most importantly get a massive tax deduction. The catholic church has enough money it could pay for the rebuild out of petty cash, it doesn't need the extra money. The private money could feed and house a huge number of the poor and homeless and actually do something positive for the world.

Notre Dame is an icon. It is not owned by the Catholic Church but by the City of Paris.
It means more than just a big church, that being said I don’t know if you can repair an 850 year old icon and have it be the same as it the same as it was or will it be a new copy of an 850 year old icon.
I don’t know what to feel about the repairing of Notre Dame, I don’t think it will ever be the same.