On Atheist "pilgrimages" ---namely, visiting sites associated with the great men and women who helped raise atheism from obscurity. What suggestions can be made?

Do atheists make pilgrimages?  Well, of course, not in the sense that god believers do.    
The Oxford English Dictionary says that a pilgrimage is "a journey made by a pilgrim" or "the action of taking such a journey"; while 
a pilgrim is (among alternatives) "One who journeys (usually a long distance) to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion".
.
And yet YES, in the sense of making a mission of undertaking an excursion or tour to visit sites associated with major figures who contributed much to the rise of atheism out of the cerebral morass of religious dogma.
.
My most appreciated figurehead is certainly Charles Darwin, recognised in Britain by his appearance on a £2 coin
 
and a £10 pound note    
.
Born in Shrewsbury, England,  
he lived and worked most of his adult life in Down House, Kent, where he died in 1882.
He is celebrated with a huge statue in the Natural History Museum, London -- for which refer to the photographs on My Page
That's my suggestion. What are yours please---naming the appropriate sites?  

Tags: Darwin, pilgrimages

Views: 265

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I might add that Charles Darwin's burial place is inside Westminster Abbey, London---quite near to Sir Isaac Newton. 

 

 

I take my overseas guests to the Natural History Museum because it all makes sense except for the souvenir shop. The bus journey makes it a kind of pilgrimage.

Are there any sites with strong association with G. B. Shaw, H. L. Mencken or Robert Ingersol? They deserve some “pilgrims” and gift shops.   The Jefferson Memorial would come close - I've always suspected that Jefferson was more of an Atheist than a Deist.

There is a tour, if not a pilgramage for "The Great Agnostic": Robert G. Ingersoll.  Ingersoll was a 19th Century champion of Freethought and famous orator and critic of religion. He toured the US and delivered over 1,300 speeches on this topic as well as  women's rights, civil rights, (and DC voting rights).

 

Ingersoll lived and worked in Washington, DC for 7 years working as a lawyer where he argued cases before the Supreme Court, lobbied Congress and consulted with Presidents.  He is buried across from DC in Arlington National Cemetery.

You can a link to a woalking tour on the blog on secular DC activities http://secularhumanist.blogspot.com/2011/04/earthy-scientific-and-t... and also

http://www.ingersoll.wash.org/pdf/ingersoll_tour.pdf

 

Gary Berg-Cross

That is excellent news.
That's great information - thanks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ma%CA%BFarri

-epic blind rationalist, Id like to visit his statues sometime in the future

"There are two types of men, intelligent men without religion and religious men without intelligence.

Al-Maʿarri taught that religion was a "fable invented by the ancients", worthless except for those who exploit the credulous masses.

Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true; they are all fabrications. Men lived comfortably till they came and spoiled life. The sacred books are only such a set of idle tales as any age could have and indeed did actually produce.

-Believed that is was better to not bring children into the world if your area was ruled by religious people.

RSS

CONNECT WITH ATHEIST NEXUS

Latest Activity

Randall Smith posted a blog post

The Rednecks are coming, the Rednecks are coming

Actually, the rednecks are here and everywhere. Let me say, I'm not a big fan of these people. That's putting it mildly. Need I describe them? You know who I mean.This seems to be the time of year when they come out of the woodwork. Here in Indiana, as the weather gets nice, the motorcyclists are out in full force. I hate the noise cycles make. Then there's the Indianapolis 500 fans, the majority of which are rednecks. Interview them or a typical Pacer fan (big news as they face the Miami…See More
35 minutes ago
Loren Miller commented on Joan Denoo's photo
Thumbnail

Tunisian Women 4

"War is Peace.Ignorance is Strength.Freedom is Slavery.and...Rape is the woman's fault?  No, sorry, too much of a stretch, even for George Orwell."
1 hour ago
Dennis Michael Pennington commented on Debra Stevenson's blog post Pope's 'exorcism' caught on film video
"Maybe so. Ad that the Pope has no power over anything or anybody except for the power given to him by the office and the world at large today."
1 hour ago
Dennis Michael Pennington commented on matthew greenberg's blog post War on Christmas in May
"Happy Holidays is a good enough saying for anyone at Christmas time. I support the phrase "happy holidays" rather than the bullshit most Americans were taught. Let's go back in time to look at meanings here. "Holidays"…"
1 hour ago
leveni commented on Joan Denoo's photo
1 hour ago
leveni commented on Joan Denoo's photo
1 hour ago
leveni commented on Joan Denoo's photo
1 hour ago
Loren Miller replied to Loren Miller's discussion Latest Activity?
"And now I see that Latest Activity has been restored to my profile page (and, I presume, everyone else's).  Thanks for the effort, Richard."
2 hours ago

Photos

Loading…
  • Add Photos
  • View All

© 2013   Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service