Religious buildings can be third places, but the kind Christian churches that have faded out of American public life fail the “neutral ground” condition: there’

Religious buildings can be third places, but the kind Christian churches that have faded out of American public life fail the “neutral ground” condition: there’s usually strong social and community pressure to make appearances, meaning that individuals can’t come and go as they please. This is in contrast with dominant religions (including Christianity) in other countries.