Atheist Temple: Nonbelievers To Get Place Of 'Worship' In UK

Atheists have long criticised devout followers of faith. But now it seems Atheism is stealing from that very religious tradition by erecting a temple of worship.

Author Alain de Botton announced plans to build an Atheist temple in the U.K., reports DeZeen magazine.

A collaboration with Tom Greenall Architects, the structure will be built in the City of London.

Dedicated to the idea of perspective, the black tower will scale 46 meters (150 ft), with each centimeter honoring earth's age of 4.6 billion years, notes Wired.

But a place of worship isn't the only attribute from organized religion that Atheists can benefit from, says de Botton. In his newly released book "Religion For Atheists," the author points to design, art and community to inspire and attract a following.

Though de Botton has yet to announce a final date for opening the temple, he hopes to create a network of such buildings across the U.K., according to BLOUIN ARTINFO.

Comments

[metaphysicalsquirrel]

06:52 AM on 02/23/2012

If you don't like it, you could have some sort of insecurities somewhere deep within you, like a bishops rod or something.

[Debra Martinez]

06:55 PM on 02/19/2012

It look more like a rocket..

[Peter Hulme]

03:50 PM on 02/19/2012

New Atheism, it's a religion and the building of a temple is testament to that.

[Bob Bitching]

12:46 PM on 02/08/2012

A church for us? How brilliant. I need to do that here in the U.S. I mean why let religious businesses, er sorry churches get away with not paying taxes.

[Kiri the Unicorn]

09:16 AM on 02/05/2012

Gee, if you publish a book, open a temple, and start recruiting followers... Well, then you've started a religion, haven't you?

[canamrock]

04:00 AM on 02/08/2012

Technically, atheism is only the lack of belief in a god / the active belief in the absence of any god. Given how many hardcore members of various faiths excoriate other religions for being godless, I don't see any reason why they can't just make a religion of their own that's godless from the ground up.

[Paula Regine]

01:45 PM on 02/25/2012

You're right, except you don't have to deity and you answer to yourself, not to a God or to a higher leader. This ironic temple is just a way to form a community among people with similar beliefs of the non existence of a God.

[MightyYowp]

09:17 PM on 02/04/2012

Atheists already have 3 temples in the UK, the Footsie Stock Exchange, the Banking District and Harrods.

[Dan Covey]

11:47 AM on 02/04/2012

The article says it is to be a place of worship. I am just wondering what it is they will worship, in the true sense of the word worship? Just asking, not implying nor insulating. Just really curious. Thanks.

[whirlpool]

07:51 PM on 02/04/2012

Maybe they will do un-baptisms, reverse communions and counteractive exorcisms. And they could worship photosynthesis and gravity. These are things we do at the walnut tree congregation but we don't have a temple.

[rosalie11228]

06:44 AM on 02/04/2012

Not sure why so many think that being Atheist means having no belief system. Just because one does not believe in God, does not mean that he does not believe in kindness, charity, love, etc. A meeting place could provide wonderful opportunities for lectures on these very subjects, not to mention a place where respect and care for Mother Earth could also be a priority. Amazing how many ignorant people there are!

[djerome]

02:26 PM on 02/02/2012

Sounds like a great place for mixers. I would date an atheist chick and accept her beliefs if she accepted mine.

[jokamachi]

12:39 PM on 02/02/2012

A 2007 Pew research poll found that while 43% of the electorate would be uncomfortable electing a Muslim, 67% were uncomfortable electing an atheist.

Speaks for itself.

[showland711]

03:53 PM on 02/01/2012

If atheists begin to organize and worship together.....1. What would they worship, if they don't believe in anything? 2. It would be a waste of space to go organize together and talk about how much they don't believe in heaven or hell. 3. Once they begin talking about religion more and more, they are no longer atheists, because they are focusing on religion. If you don't believe it exists, then why continue to talk about it, because it obviously does if you talk about it. Atheism is all about stating that one doesn't believe heaven or hell exist. What more is there to know or care about what atheists think anyways? It's plain to see that they are very confused people who care too much about what others think.

[zmberg]

09:24 AM on 02/02/2012

1. Nothing. We don't worship any more than believers think.

2. A building for atheist philosophy is a waste of space, but a million churches around the world isn't?

3. Jesus wept. Religion DOES exist, genius--we don't believe in gods.

"They are very confused people who care too much about what others think."

Go back and read your post again. Then look up "projecting" in the dictionary.

[drhub71]

01:15 PM on 02/01/2012

Where do I sign up!

[zmberg]

10:38 AM on 02/01/2012

suebeedue: "we do have evidence, you just reject it."

And it's so cool that you took the time to list that "evidence" for us in your post.

Oh, wait....

[Tanya Dpw]

10:17 AM on 02/01/2012

Why not just build it as a community center? I don't need a "church", or anything close to "organized religion". I don't worship anything! I DO enjoy helping my fellow creatures, and the planet, but I don't need a temple, church, stupa or "holy" book to tell me right from wrong!

[YeOldeSnark]

01:47 AM on 02/01/2012

Atheism always was a faith. No surprise to learn they're building a place of worship.

[zmberg]

10:28 AM on 02/01/2012

Might try looking up the definition of "always" and "faith" in a dictionary. You also might want to take a refresher course on pronouns. One person does not qualify as "they."

Not believing in God is an act of faith the way not collecting stamps is a hobby.

[DanSmooth]

10:56 AM on 02/01/2012

People who are sarcastic, overly critical, and condescending, are generally unhappy people. You need a little love and happiness in your life.

[detroitblkmale30]

04:25 PM on 02/01/2012

It takes faith, by definition, to believe something doesn't exist when you have no, nor can you prove that is the case. Faith works both way, unrelated analogies not withstanding.