The 10 religious sites every atheist should see

[rug]

Koya San, Japan

Ben Groundwater
Sep 7 2016

Here's a question: if you don't believe in the religion, should you be allowed to gawk at its places of worship?

I've always felt just the tiniest bit uncomfortable when touring religious sites – churches, temples, synagogues and the like – knowing I'm not a believer. It gives those visits an air of voyeurism, that I'm peering in at something I'll never be part of, and maybe it's not welcome.

For all atheistic travellers, that must be something of a problem. But still, there's huge value in visiting these sites. Some have helped to shape the history of the world; others are just amazing artworks or testaments to spiritual devotion. Even for non-believers, these religious sites are must-sees.

La Sagrada Familia, Spain

This is probably the most impressive religious structure in the entire world, and it isn't even finished yet. Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece is stunning both inside and out, from its creepy melted-wax exteriors to its soaring ceiling that looks like the canopy of a concrete forest. You don't have to be religious in any way to appreciate the mastery and beauty of La Sagrada Familia.



La Sagrada Familia: St Peter's Basilica and Notre Dame might hog most of the attention, but by far the most impressive church you'll ever see – in fact maybe even the most impressive building you'll ever see, full stop – is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Gaudi's masterpiece is stunning from the outside, and even more amazing on the inside.

http://www.traveller.com.au/the-10-religious-sites-every-atheist-should-see-gr9ox4

[anoNY42]

1. St. Peter's is nice

too bad the guy who lives there is a looney toon...

[rug]

2. Would a looney toon say this?

Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

[anoNY42]

3. Broken clocks are also right twice a day...

I'm not saying Francis is all bad (he is way better than Benedict), but one has to be a bit looney to believe there is an all-powerful god (or gods, or spirits, or whatever) who loves us all except those children to whom He gives cancer...

And don't get me started on the special craziness that is Catholic doctrine...

[rug]

4. Start.

[cleanhippie]

10. +1

[Angry Dragon]

20. don't forget that their god gave us evil

[rug]

22. Nice trick for something that doesn't exist.

If they don't, whence evil?

[Missn-Hitch]

24. Ah, yes. Let me jump in here.

I don't want to trespass on the author's response but I would say "the idea of God". Now this absolutely exists. Hamas provides charity as well. Cheers to both for helping people.

[rug]

25. That is no different than "the idea of nation".

Or numerous other ideologies that exist.

In any event, if the ideology arises from humans, spending time blaming a god is pretty foolish.

[Brettongarcia]

8. The columns at St. Peter's look like twisting black snakes

The altar no less?

Benini's baldachin; the high altar over the reported grave of St. Peter himself.

[Cartoonist]

5. I look at them

To see the magnificent hypocrisy of wealth.

[rug]

6. What do you see here?

[Brettongarcia]

9. The Church giving away some food

While teaching the people to follow spirit. And functionally to neglect the material sciences, agronomy, that would have fed them far better, and by their own efforts.

[Lordquinton]

11. I think they serve cherries there

Freshly picked!

[rug]

17. It's not a rorschach test, Bretton.

But think you for your very interesting reply.

[Cartoonist]

12. An attempt to assuage their guilt

Why not show the whole building instead of a doorway into some dark alley?

[rug]

18. How's this?

St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan. They've done this daily since 1930.

[Angry Dragon]

21. the red door

[Jerry442]

19. A heap of stones.

Go look for the real cathedrals such as, Principia Mathematica, Origin of the Species, Relativity: The Special and General Theory, and A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.

[rug]

7. Laos temple town excited it's on world map with Obama visit

U.S. President Barack Obama walks from Sim, or main building, which houses a large Buddha statue, with Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Luang Prabang Mrs. Vanpheng Keopannha, as he tours the Wat Xieng Thong Buddhist Temple in Luang Prabang, Laos, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-09-07/laos-temple-town-excited-its-on-world-map-with-obama-visit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Xieng_Thong

[hunter]

13. U.S.A. football stadiums are the weirdest religious sites on the planet.

Baseball, I can almost understand; baseball has rhythms similar to many other religious services, although, just like the Catholic Church, women are excluded from playing in the big leagues.

I've attended a few high school football games, but that's it. The structure of the ceremony is not pleasing to me.

Architecturally, the basilicas of baseball are generally more interesting than those of football.

[Brettongarcia]

23. Football is a fertility religion

Encouraged by beautiful female cheerleaders, very male figures work down field like wriggling spermatocytes, trying to score. The strongest display of male virility wins. All male rivals are vanquished.

[rug]

26. You must like Freud a lot.

[3catwoman3]

28. One guy with his hands up...

...another guy's crotch has always seemed a bit odd to me.

In the interest of transparency, I find football mind-numbingly boring.

[rug]

29. The only thing I like about it is the slow motion one-armed catches in replays.

[okasha]

31. Many decades ago,

there was a Reader's Digest article arguing exactly that. It was a spoof, of course, but apparently some took/take it seriously.

[rug]

33. Who would think you'd find Poe's Law in the Reader's Digest?

[lark]

14. Saw 2 Reubens at a cathedral in Antwerp Belgium.

I remember the paintings well, they were stunningly beautiful. The rest of the church was very nice, great condition, tons of detail work, but the paintings were totally amazing.

[demosincebirth]

15. If it wasn' for religious sites throughout the world many would have to stay home or sunburn in the

tropical heat of familiar places.

[geardaddy]

16. They missed so many awesome places.

Yong He Gong in Beijing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonghe_Temple



It's one of my faves.

[Buzz Clik]

27. A fascinating sight:

[rug]

30. $3.49 gas!

[Solly Mack]

32. I'm an atheist. I visit religious sites all the time. Always have done so.

Love the art. Enjoy the history & beautiful buildings. I find it more than a little silly for anyone to think an atheist wouldn't visit historical buildings simply because they are places of worship. I don't have to buy into a deity to appreciate the beauty of a painting or a building. I don't feel odd or strange about doing so either. Can't think of a rational reason why it would present a problem for an atheist or why anyone would find it problematic.

[rug]

34. Ah, the closest I've come to seeing these is The Cloisters in NYC.

Although as it is, it's more a tribute to a whim of John D. Rockefeller. Jr. than it is to religion.

http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/met-cloisters

[Solly Mack]

36. My favorite to date has been St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy.

The various influences, especially Byzantine & Arab/Islamic, that created most of Venice were beautiful to behold.

A small church in Mannheim, the Jesuitenkirche, where Mozart visited frequently, and there is a in memorial dedication plaque outside the church. Beautiful church. Baroque style/art. I always stopped by when walking about downtown Mannheim. I lived there for almost a decade.

I love old graveyards, too. The older the better. The art and detail work put into gravestones, both humorous and religious, is fascinating.

[Nitram]

35. Artists will find expression for their artistic drive wherever and whenever an opportunity...

presents itself. Michelangelo and hundreds of other artists and master craftsmen have created marvelous architectural designs and other works of art. The church was the center of power and money for so long it is natural that it was the sponsor for many of these. In my mind the fact that a religion paid for the works is irrelevant. The artistry of the artists they employed found full expression under their patronage, and the particular religion involved is tangential. I have no problem admiring the works of art and architecture all over the world that I've had the pleasure to contemplate. I see them as a testament to mankind's incredible creative drive, not to any particular god or religion.