THE INTERVIEW: Forging a ‘Godless alternative’... why a Horsham man is helping to found the region’s first atheist church

Simon Clare is a reformed atheist - but he hasn’t found God, far from it.

Instead, he has turned the other cheek, and rather than merely railing against religions and their adherents, he is trying to establish a Godless alternative.

The civil engineer from Horsham, renowned for running Skeptics in the Pub, is helping to found the region’s first Atheist Church.

“Often you hear atheists complain about what churches do,” says Simon, “but then they don’t do anything about it!

“What I have learned over the past couple years is that you can make these things happen if you just do it, rather than moaning about it.”

And the 35 year old non-believer is true to his word, having taken to the streets as an atheist preacher, surveyed the people of Horsham on their beliefs and intentions, attended the ten week Alpha Course with the hope of establishing an atheist alternative, and now founding the Sunday Assembly in Brighton, the nation’s nascent and yet growing atheist church.

“I want to provide an alternative, set these things up, and show people there is a way of doing it without the involvement of God,” continues Simon.

“Atheists are very good at telling people how naturally good and naturally happy they are, but they don’t demonstrate it or display it much.

“We are terribly miserable - that grumpy lot!

“And I think it is time to show people that our view of the world can provide consolation and be a source of joy.”

However, a caveat follows: “Not that kind of ecstatic joy that is based upon false promises,” he says.

“We can’t promise that!

“But we can promise to help you appreciate how amazing it is that you are alive in the first place.

“And, if all you have is one life and conscientiousness, then it is infinitely more than most of the matter in the universe gets and we need to understand that.

“Rather than living your life hoping that something better happens afterwards, you should live your life realising you already have one of finest things on offer.

“It is already yours – only humans would ask for more, having already won the best thing that exists!”

This last statement strikes a chord with those familiar with human history, our wanton greed and quest for power and dominion over others.

But, could it also be at odds with the humanist derivation of morality, and the view religion turns selfless acts into selfish ones?

For Simon, church and religions should not have a monopoly on morality.

“From a humanist perspective your morality grows out of natural human empathy which is something I believe we are all born with,” says Simon.

“If you see someone cut their finger you wince yourself.