An Atheist visits a Cathedral

While I was in the UK for the past 3 weeks, I visited several old churches, the most grand of which was York Minster Cathedral.

Now, despite being an Atheist, I LOVE visiting old places of worship, whether they be pagan, christian, or whatever. (I visited some old temples of Mithras while I was there too) Most normal houses of worship are small, humble buildings, but cathedrals are enormous, bold structures. They stand out along the skyline; they are built as a statement of god’s power, and the power of those who commissioned the work.

I must admit, when I walked in my jaw dropped. I was just in awe of the sheer size of the place. I felt insignificant and fleeting in the face of the enormous stone pillars which have held this monument up for centuries. The beauty and intricacy of the artwork and statues took my breath away. I was reduced to a small child, wandering around aimlessly, captivated by it all.

And that is exactly what the cathedral was meant to do. That is exactly the affect the builders wanted to illicit. Cathedrals, unlike regular churches, are propaganda machines in their very structure. They are meant to overwhelm the visitor with their size, complexity, and beauty. They are supposed to make the visitor feel insignificant in the presence of god.

I admitted to my self that if I went to church every Sunday in a place like this, I would feel more compelled to believe. ( I still wouldn’t believe, but I can see the allure of the place) Here is the twist to think about. Believers who are amazed by the place as much as everybody else see it as a symbol of god’s might and the insignificance of mankind. What they don’t stop to think about it who built the place. Humans built the place. Humans carved the artwork, cut the stones, and constructed the intricate stained glass windows. No one ever stops to realize that cathedrals are just as much a monument to human engineering, to the human spirit, as they are to god.

So who wins? Religion or Atheism?

So in the great debate who wins? Religion or Atheism? Which makes a stronger case? Well obviously I side with Atheism, but why, when many more people side with religion.

Religion has no evidence to back up its claim that god(s) exist. The religious argue that surely we must have come from somewhere (see Unmoved Mover), but then make a completely unwarranted exception for god when someone asks where he/she/it came from, thus making the logic ad hoc. (The above link has a list of just about every argument for the existence of god(s) and rebuttals)

The religious also argue that things look designed, and therefore they are designed, presumably by their choice god who then takes a keen interest in his creation’s daily lives. Yet science has consistently debunked this idea:

(The “Made Easy” series has a LOT of really great educational videos that explain all types of scientific things on youtube.com, just search for them)

Religion also relies on its position of authority. Many of the religious were raised by religious parents, who in turn were raised by their religious parents. To them belief in god(s) is just natural, something they were raised with, and few ever think to question it. This position of authority is reinforced with elaborate costumes and large, imposing structures:

The whole point of these structures is to overwhelm the visitor with their grandeur, to make them think “Surely, the people who reside in this place cannot be wrong!” Yet they can be, for they are exactly that, people. The believers are also comforted in their belief by the existence of a great many like believers. (See ad populum fallacy)

So, what about Atheism? Well personally, I feel Atheism is strengthened through the weakness of the religious arguments, their total lack of evidence. The thing that really does it for me is the fact that science has a steady track record of discoveries and breakthroughs, religion has a steady track record of being proved wrong. Science has consistently provided natural explanations that are testable, repeatable, and thus proveable, whereas religion just makes claims based off of authority.

For some people, religion’s weak arguments and heavy reliance on arbitrary authority are enough, but for me and a growing number of people they aren’t.