Then the author asks "but will it convince any religious adherent to cross over?" "It's unlikely", he answers. But the same would be true of any atheist visiting a cathedral, wouldn't it? He might enjoy the architecture, but not the message. So why not build a place where he can enjoy both? De Botton is a popularizer of philosophy. [2] This project seems to me to be a continuation of that, with a focus on atheism. I don't think the De Botton is promoting a "narrow" version of atheism, nor that it has "its own unified philosophy" and "set of rules". Isn't the whole purpose of this to see that beauty can come from anywhere? Anyway, I jut don't get the hate. [1] http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/alain_de_botton_atheism_2_0... [2] http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/philosophy-guide-to-happiness...