"sacred" spaces - just musing

[abaris]

A clearing (to use your word), on the other hand, served the community - which, in modern times, is logically made up of a diverse group of people, including those from different religions. This is why we have community buildings now. However, all that said, there is still a difference between a clearing and a church building. 

In this case, no. Look up what celtic and germanic communities used them for. Sacred places to congregate in the name of their gods. I guess, many, if not most of us, come from that kind of ancestry.

Also, I've got no problems with churches. In Europe they're often very old and certainly part of our cultural heritage. I know that's a bit different in America, since the whole country is very young in comparison. But, in the middle ages, as well as now. They provide jobs and revenue, when being build, since the money has to go somewhere. So it's not a one way street. What's happening after they have been built and how the community is used or exploited, is written on a different paper.