architecture and religion

[no-excuses]

There is a good reason why churches and mosques or any other worship place is a beautiful piece of architecture. windows, doors and chairs are all top notch in most cases, plus of course the high ceiling, which gives the place a majestic appeal. Now, what if churches and mosques where just regular buildings like a school or just a hall, whithout any additions. and people needed to go there every week and spend hours in that boring unattractive place. How do you think that will affect the attendance? Is it the place that actually keep people from detach from their religion because they don't like the representation?... 

[AllPurposeAtheist]

It sells no doubt, but all across the US you'll find strip mall churches with about as much appeal as toilet paper pattern imbossing.

[Shiranu]

Yeah, I know several churches in my area that are just older stores converted into churches and it doesn't hurt their attendance. That said I think given the option between a cathedral and store church, the average new follower might choose the cathedral.

[Hydra009]

Cathedrals are far roomier and the way the light falls through the windows is certainly evocative and gives it a nice heavenly vibe.

Still, plenty of services take place in non-church buildings or even the outdoors.

[SGOS]

Most of the fundamentalist churches I know are box like dwellings with little appeal.  The grand churches were built during the era of wealthy Catholic dominance.  I've known a couple of Lutheran churches that have the architectural appeal too.  But most of the small fundamentalist sects that spring up like mushrooms haven't established themselves long enough to become wealthy enough to build amazing structures.

[Hakurei Reimu]

Unprogrammed Quakers don't do churches. Meetings for worship are done in private homes, though usually you do it in a large home. The architectural appeal depends on the home chosen.

[Hydra009]

But most of the small fundamentalist sects that spring up like mushrooms haven't established themselves long enough to become wealthy enough to build amazing structures.

Or rather, they're wealthy enough to live in amazing structures.  The sheep get the ugly box with stadium seating.

[Solitary]

Even atheists like big majestic beautiful structures and beautiful music, along with beautiful imaginary stories---so why don't atheists go to Cathedrals every Sunday? Did we miss something?  Solitary 

[ApostateLois]

To be fair, though, most churches are not that ostentatious. Some are just small, rented or leased buildings, some people meet in each other's homes, and some rent gymnasiums or meeting halls each week. The Amish, for example, take turns meeting in each other's homes. I used to belong to the Worldwide Church of God, which (at that time, at least) had no churches of their own. We met in a school gymnasium and set up the chairs each Saturday.

When it comes to new church buildings, the trend nowadays seems to be to make them as boring as possible, with hardly anything in the way of adornment. A lot of them have weird shapes, like they're trying to be an origami sculpture or something. I don't see many new churches with stained glass these days. I guess the cost is prohibitive, plus they're going for function rather than beauty. The bigger churches offer a lot more than just Jesus worship; they have daycare centers, classrooms, kitchens, playgrounds, activities for children, teens, and singles, movie nights, all kinds of stuff to attract families. Majestic architecture drew people to church in the past; nowadays it's after-school activities to keep the kids out of trouble and their minds on Jesus.