Atheism, secularism and their bland and uninspiring nature

Atheism, even by atheists, is often described with such terms as: bland, boring, stale, un-interesting, dull, unmotivating, soulless, shallow and other similar descriptions (see: Atheism and inspiration).

In 1839, Isaac Taylor wrote in the novel Saturday Evening, by the Author of Natural History of Enthusiasm, "This at least may most confidently be prognosticated, that the atheism which now is bland, submissive, respectful, crafty will become a creature altogether of altogether another temper....".

In The Guardian, the atheist Jim Al-Khalili wrote about the Christian holiday Christmas, "living in a secular state should never mean one that is bland and homogeneous. Certainly, it should be one in which those of us who wish to can still celebrate Christmas."

In December 2003, the University of Warwick reported: "Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas are on the whole likely to be happier."

See also: Atheism and happiness

Washington National Cathedral

The atheist philosopher Alain de Botton wrote:

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The museum shouldn’t be a neutral space for laying out the artworks of the past like a giant library or catalogue. It should be a place to convert you to something. Try to imagine what would happen if modern secular museums took the example of churches more seriously. What if they too decided that art had a specific purpose — to make us good and wise and kind — and tried to use the art in their possession to prompt us to be so? What if they gave up on the neutral, bland captions they tend to use, and put beneath each picture a really directive set of commands, telling us, for example, ‘Look at this image and remember to be patient’ — or ‘Use this sculpture to meditate on what you too could do to bring about a fairer world?’”

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For more information, please see:

• Atheism and inspiration

• Atheism and open-mindedness

• Atheism and groupthink

Atheistic cultures, food science and bland food

See also: Atheism and food science and Atheism, culinary arts, inspiration, innovation and food science

A food science laboratory. See also: Atheism and food science

The Institute of Food Technologists defines food science as "the discipline in which the engineering, biological, and physical sciences are used to study the nature of foods, the causes of deterioration, the principles underlying food processing, and the improvement of foods for the consuming public".

Despite the efforts of food scientists in irreligious cultures to develop more flavorful food, there have been a significant amount of irreligious cultures with bland food that is not exciting from a culinary point of view (See also: Atheism and food science).

Claude Lewis wrote in The Philadelphia Inquirer about the food is the former Soviet Union which had militant state atheism: "Many people in the Soviet Union have grown tired of institutionalized food in state-run cafeterias found at state-run cafeterias such as Stolovaya No. 22 and Stolovaya No. 23 where the menus seldom change and often lack variety. Most food in the Soviet Union is unimaginative, tasteless and bland."