(20/02)FMP- Topic choice- Chester Cathedral

I deliberated doing a topic centred around the cathedral of my hometown Chester. As a relatively small town Chester has a disproportionate abundance of architecturally different buildings. The cathedral being the most striking with its hulking scale. The town also adheres to the old English rule that no building can be built taller than the church. As a result it and the town hall are substantially taller than all other in the area. Also because it is a flat area, both buildings are able to be viewed from miles away.

It is thus no surprise it has been the subject of many drawings from a young age. It’s detailed gothic architecture means that there is so much of it to be discovered every time you visit. Primarily my interest in the building came from an architectural and interest in its details. So one of my first ideas was to compare it to modern architecture, the more minimal glass and concrete that is not built to last, but also is less dictated by the rich one percent. The personal through line being my emotional attachment to both, the sentimentalism that both evoke, with the whys.

Looking more at the purpose of the Cathedral brought me to deliberating religion. Though I wouldn’t say I’m religious, more agnostic, I was raised in a Christian household, so I can’t help but be in awe of a faith that inspires the building of something so grandiose.

Personally, from a young age, what I was taught of Christianity was good morals. Even as my family grew more distant from the church and decided to spend our Sunday mornings together in each other’s company it wasn’t because of my parents loosing their faith but rather their take that God is everywhere.

As I’ve grown up I respect so much of individuals and their faith and what it means to believe even when it is hardest and when you can‘t see the results in front of you. My view has broadened with the more individuals I‘ve met and God and his views and his intent takes on a different perspective with each one. Of all the labels I feel agnostic best represents my view as yes science can explain a lot, but if you’d tried to explain electromagnetism two hundred years ago you’d have seemed just as faith driven as others. With science the more questions you ask the more you do not know, as one door opens to twenty more, in fact something that always holds up is we don’t know everything. So who is to say there isn’t some greater thing beyond our science and comprehension, but whose to say what form it takes.

From this personal perspective I came up with another idea to base my topic on ‘religion for the atheist‘. It would be delve into creating ‘modern gods’, what now takes up what was once faith. This would be character design based. However I would want to find a way to make sure it hits a personal level.