Why should we leave memorials to evil men standing? Even for those who oppose the toppling of statues like Edward Colston’s, it’s a hard question to answer. But one reason to stand against the destruction of memorials to those who have come before is because of what it might mean for those who come after us.
While some wealthy people make donations or leave bequests to good causes out of a simple desire to build a better future, others are motivated more by the selfish, vain, and utterly understandable desire to be remembered, or to add a gloss to a life that would otherwise be viewed as without redeeming features. Believing that the future will despise and erase you does not leave a strong motive for donations of this sort.
The concept of buying salvation has a long and chequered history. From the 13th century onwards, the wealthy started engaging in the practice of leaving money for the founding of chantries; chapels or altars where priests would say masses for the soul of the dead benefactor, assisting with the atonement for misdeeds and hastening their time in purgatory.
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