Why I'm not religious, but why I would quite liked to have been.

I have always thought that the protestant church missed out on a great opportunity by not having veered towards becoming a philosophical movement, rather than staying as a doctrinal one.

I don't think many people truly believe in all religion's invisible spooks and spells; I know that most priests certainly don't. The small amount of people who still attend Sunday services, go for the ceremony, the pantomime, and the camaraderie; not for gods and devils. There is a feel-good factor amongst church attendees. It makes them feel like 'good people'. They certainly don't attend for the mumbo-jumbo.

Personally I love the architecture, the music, and much of the ceremonial, but there is no place for me within the established church because, like most, I can't accept the nonsense about gods, devils, heaven, hell, souls, angels, goblins, and virgin births; as well as one of the most off putting rites, the quasi-cannibalistic ceremony of eating flesh and drinking blood, which I find to be quite evil and disturbing.

When first visiting towns or cities, one of my favourite initial destinations is the church or cathedral; on the strict condition that they are ancient. I have little time for modern churches, although there are one or two rare exceptions.

An ancient church will tell you more about a locality than any museum, and therefore becomes the essential hub of any community.

The lovely church in my illustration is in the Surrey village were I was born. It is where my people were married, and also where I sang in the choir. This church, as well as the cathedral where I was at school, had a profound effect on my earlier life. I loved both of them (and still do), but their adherence to all the mumbo-jumbo keeps me from their doors.... other than at Christmas when I might still attend a Carol Service, simply for the pleasure of singing.