That puts you in line with the Afghan Taliban who destroyed centuries old, historical statues because they did not represent their beliefs. I am not sure what your sources are for the torture and slaves. Hunchback of Notre Dame? If that’s the criteria for destruction, every plantation mansion in the South should be bulldozed, along with the White House and Capitol since they were provably built by slave labor.

I always see the artisans who were employed and maybe remained in Paris afterwards.

Perhaps because I have a Notre Dame in my hometown. (Very French - and it's cathedral sized) - it brought in crafts people from all over - different nationalities - and they all stayed and settled in the town.

I can't imagine it was any different each time they added to or repaired that cathedral in Paris. Great pieces of architecture bring in crafts people from all over. Losing that art? That's sad.

The religious significance I care not at all - but the craftsmanship? That's sad - that's years gone by that we can't get back.

I understand not liking what happened there in the past - but that to me is not at all what it represented now. I barely see it as religious.

The church in my hometown? It's now a venue for weddings for the most part.
Yes it's still a Catholic Church but I see the day coming when it won't be.

And I'm French by ancestry and I just think "Gees maybe some far distant relative helped tote some of those stones? Who knows.".

Yah.. I suspect to watch others side with ‘tradition.’ I say, let it burn! Then, let them explain to ‘us’ how the god they worship allowed their place of worship to burn… Let this be a wakeup call to reality. Fuckem ~

I can’t agree....it was built by man and is a monument to his creativity and ability to make something of beauty. The fact that it’s a religious building in no way lessens it’s magnificence and beauty. It has stood towering over Paris from its Island in the Seine for nearly nine hundred years, it has been a symbol to all French people for that length of time. Ordinary citizens are crying in the streets watching it burn, so much does it symbolise France to them. Yes, I agree, People are more important than buildings, but without great art and monuments our lives as humans would be so much less enriched. I don’t believe they used slaves in 12th Century France to build Notre Dame, but it certainly was a feat of ingenuity and many years labour, not to mention cost, to build it. I’m not aware of it having any particular connection to death and torture, although I dislike the catholic faith, I don’t single out their cathedrals for my anger, as they are only buildings and buildings don’t damage people, it’s doctrine that does that. I think it sad to see a beautiful and iconic building look like it may be irretrievably lost to future generations to visit and marvel at. By the way, the French are pretty non-religious nowadays, the majority state that they have no religion....all French State schools are secular. If Notre Dame is symbolic, it’s a symbol of Frenchness, not Catholicism.

It wasn't built by slaves nor had people tortured there. It is a medieval Catholic cathedral filled with gorgeous artwork in all mediums. It was built on the ruins of two earlier churches, which were themselves predated by a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter. It just is an amazing place.

I am sad because Notre Dame was a symbol of France and a beautiful architectural masterpiece. I understand your point of view, the socio political meaning, but I have a half-architect heart and if we all felt like that, there would be no architectural wonders in the world, not one. Just plain housing!