Prince Of Petworth » New Benches Installed Across From Old Soldier’s Home

New Benches Installed Across From Old Soldier’s Home

Thanks to Kalia for sending the info and photos. She writes:

“I drive by the bus stop right across the entrance for the old soldiers home every morning and the last week there have been a couple of guys out there working on those “pegs” out there. Usually I would see people sitting on make shift seats where they took an egg crate and put it upside down on the pegs. They would be out there when no one was there and I always wondered who was the good Samaritan who donated the egg crates for the bus riders there. Some days they would be there, some days not. But just this past week someone was building first a wooden frame around a few pegs, then later were filling it in with cement. yesterday I walked by there by chance and noticed that the benches are finished and that they have crosses cut out of them. Was it a church that donated these benches? Is that public property or does it belong to someone? Do you think they had to get permits? They are wonderful benches and I saw some old soldiers sitting on them today, they looked like they enjoyed them.”

So does anyone know which Church sponsored these benches?

Category: Petworth

By: Prince Of Petworth | 26 June 2008 2:30 PM | 10 Comments

GforGood

Separation of chuch and state at its best… not..

June 26, 2008 at 2:36 pm
cristobal

you shouldnt look a gift horse in the mouth, and i know that religion does a lot for a lot of people, BUT… i have to question the necessity of the cross… if these came from a church, why wouldnt they put their names on the bench to advertise? and if not, then why bother to put the cross on..is it just a guilt provoking ploy? ‘hey, you put your ass on the cross, now you should put your ass in a church pew’… i wonder if they would have been allowed to put in a star of david, a pentagram, or a disney trade marked character of some sort?

June 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm
matt91

Is it OK to sit on a cross?

June 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Kalia

Ok, I am in no way a defender of the church, but I think that putting the name of the church on the bench would be negative because as Cristobal stated it would be advertisement. I mean isn’t the goal of the Church supposed to be peace love and helping their fellow man? I mean advertising for your church is one thing but reminding people of what their religion does for others in a passive way to me would seem less tacky. And Cristobal, I’m sure had it been from a Jewish temple they would have been able to put a Star of David, now a Disney Trademarked character…that’s probably up to Disney…

June 26, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Kalia

Ok, I said the goal of the church, but I think I meant to say the goal of Christianity.

June 26, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Mr. T in DC

I think the crosses make the concrete benches look like some kind of cemetery infrastructure, or geared towards some other funerary use.

June 26, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Anonymous

if you sit on the cross and your ass burns…well then, we’ll just know you’re a vampire.

June 26, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Anonymous

I’ve been by here on the weekend, and there was an outdoor church service assembled in the plaza there, complete with podium, sound system and singing crowd. I figure these benches might be related.

June 26, 2008 at 4:14 pm
PT Varnum

I just moved to the neighborhood last week, and I think the parking lot behind the benches belongs to the church across the street (2nd St). The church itself doesn’t stand out, it looks like a converted apartment building.

June 26, 2008 at 10:36 pm
bogfrog

PT Varnum – great screen name

June 27, 2008 at 9:24 am