As more Dutch turn their backs on organized religion, vacant churches are avoiding the wrecking ball by hosting new congregations devoted to alternative pursuits, including gambling, nightclubbing and even motocross, Radio Netherlands tells us.
As a result of what the national broadcaster calls “increasing secularization,” an estimated 2,000 of the 13,000 “religious buildings” in the country are expected to become available for alternative use in the next few years.