Here are the Cathedrals.

A local temple in South Africa.

In a recent journal entry I asked the question, more or less rhetorically, about the artistic--specifically architectural--contributions of atheists through the ages.

I had in mind some way of pointing out that religions of the world have left behind what we now consider world treasures, from Stonehenge to the temples of Cambodia to the cathedrals of western Europe. Yet there are no such monuments, no is such cultural legacy, created in honor of atheism.

Continuing to ponder that idea, in creating a recent posting about today's non-theistic religions I realized that in fact we do have cathedrals, temples, monuments created in their honor.

We call them stadiums.

The comparison is not as far-fetched as might initially seem. Requiring vast sums that are paid by the masses, venues for periodic worship services, the focus of community identity and loyalty, these massive structures bear uncanny resemblance to more formally recognized religious edifices. Take a look, for instance, at this baseball stadium in Korea.

Natural light.

Compare it to the widely known Crystal Cathedral, built in the 1950s in Garden Grove, California, and featured in weekly televised worship services for decades.

Heavenly Light.

Once the thought came to me, I began looking at sports arenas in a different light. Here's Wembley Stadium, in England, home court to fans of one team of the most popular communal event on the planet, soccer.

Note the open dome, allowing contact with the Cosmos.

In Dallas, Texas, the Cowboys host their congregants in a structure that calls to mind the speculation that worshipers are actually communing on a inter-planetary level.

Close encounters.

Many of the non-theistic temples feature spectacular domes. Here's Kiev, Russia.

A mosque for soccer fans.

The design of many of today's stadiums emphasize the central place of worship in the life of the community. Here's the Longgang Stadium, in the People's Republic of China.

Evoking another level of existence, even before entering.

In common with all houses of worship, stadiums support, encourage, even command the entrants to put all earthly concerns aside while they are participating in communal activities. Who can doubt there are non-ordinary levels of consciousness within their hallowed walls?