The very first biological pilgrimage will be staged along the length of the Quantock hills on the 19th June this year. The event celebrates our survival as a species, our shared origins with all life, the International Year of Biodiversity and the life and works of Charles Darwin.

The Ancestor's Trail, inspired by Richard Dawkins' book 'The Ancestor's Tale', will take the form of a shared walk along the Quantocks culminating in a celebration at Kilve beach.

The main trail, representing the path of human evolution, totals about 13½ miles but walkers can choose to join this secular pilgrimage from other branches which meet at specified rendezvous points. These converging footpaths correspond with the branches of Darwin's Tree of Life, with each group of walkers representing different groups of living things. The ever-increasing band of 'pilgrims' will arrive at the 'dawn of life' (Kilve beach) together, where they will celebrate the 3.7 billionth birthday of life on Earth!

Food, drink, music, storytelling and even evolutionary rap will ensure we send a memorable, if somewhat belated, 'many happy returns' to life on earth!

For details, visit the Ancestor's Trail website:
www.ancestorstrail.net.

Hope to see you there.

How is that specific to atheists?

Wiðercora wrote:How is that specific to atheists?

Why does it have to be specific to atheists?

orandj wrote:

Wiðercora wrote:How is that specific to atheists?

Why does it have to be specific to atheists?

The title of the thread is "A pilgrimage for non believers" so why would this be a pilgrimage for atheists? There are believers who accept evolution.

Does the Dawkins Ancestors Trail end with everyone lost, angry and abandoned due to disorganization, feeling rather like the followers of RichardDawkinsnet? Ah nostalgia aint what it used to be.

The title of the thread is "A pilgrimage for non believers" so why would this be a pilgrimage for atheists? There are believers who accept evolution.

However, the word pilgrimage assumes religion. This could be called a "non-religious" pilgrimage because it does not have a religious goal. Since it's arranged by the British Humanist Association, presumably an organization containing mostly non-religious people I don't think the title of this thread is a stretch at all.

I think this is a great idea.

7. First school Ancestor’s Trail scheduled for the 18th June.
“This whole project has, rather appropriately, developed a life of its own, and is now growing wings (and probably legs, fins, twigs amongst other appendages). We have just acquired an educational grant (thanks to the Ernest Cooke Trust) to run a school’s version of the trail at Heathfield Community school near Taunton.

<snip>

It will then be my job, dressed as Dr Who (you need a Time Lord at moments like this) to explain what ‘on earth’ has been going on for the last hour or so. Up until then the students will have received no explanation about what is happening around them, and we hope this will add a sense of intrigue, excitement and profundity. To finish up we will all sing happy birthday ‘to life’ and blow out the candles whilst making a wish; a wish to preserve the wonderful biodiversity of life on earth.”

Ahahaha! I hope this works.

orandj wrote:

Wiðercora wrote:How is that specific to atheists?

Why does it have to be specific to atheists?

It appears to be hosted by the British Humanist Association.

Hugin wrote:

orandj wrote:

Wiðercora wrote:How is that specific to atheists?

Why does it have to be specific to atheists?

It appears to be hosted by the British Humanist Association.

Depends on what you mean by specific I guess. There are some religious folks coming as well.

Sadly, being a Taunton resident, I will be away on the 19th, otherwise I'd be interested. Best of luck with it

Teshi wrote:
However, the word pilgrimage assumes religion. This could be called a "non-religious" pilgrimage because it does not have a religious goal. Since it's arranged by the British Humanist Association, presumably an organization containing mostly non-religious people I don't think the title of this thread is a stretch at all.

Pilgrimage definitely started out as a religious thing, but I think it is often used today without the religious connotations. For instance, performing a yearly pilgrimage to your family home or to visit a grave.

wikipedia wrote:A cultural pilgrimage, while also about personal journey, involves a secular response. Destinations for such pilgrims can include historic sites of national or cultural importance, and can be defined as places "of cultural significance: an artist's home, the location of a pivotal event or an iconic destination."[3] An example might be a baseball fan visiting Cooperstown, New York. Destinations for cultural pilgrims include examples such as Auschwitz concentration camp, Gettysburg Battlefield, the Ernest Hemingway House or even Disneyland.[3] Cultural pilgrims may also travel on religious pilgrimage routes, such as the Way of St. James, with the perspective of making it a historic or architectural tour rather than a religious experience

Living just outside Taunton means I'll have to give it a go. The route seems to follow the old drovers' road, and Kilve beach is a great place - interesting geology & lots of ammonites

chairman bill wrote:Living just outside Taunton means I'll have to give it a go. The route seems to follow the old drovers' road, and Kilve beach is a great place - interesting geology & lots of ammonites

For some reason, maybe remembering something from the old RDF, I thought you were more Mendips way.

Cotford, just t'other side of Norton Fitzwarren

Right on my birthday! Nice.

Pilgrimage definitely started out as a religious thing, but I think it is often used today without the religious connotations. For instance, performing a yearly pilgrimage to your family home or to visit a grave.

This is kind of a neither-here-nor-there argument, and I don't have much invested in the meaning of the word pilgrimage, but I think that the cultural pilgrimage is still derivative and referencing the religious bent of the original kind-- I don't think it's so secularized that making the distinction when you're being deliberately humanist is really that much of a surprise.

It happened..about 60 people came from far and wide (London, Wales, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire). Baba Brinkman was excellent. We'll be running a bigger event next year.

chairman bill wrote:Living just outside Taunton means I'll have to give it a go. The route seems to follow the old drovers' road, and Kilve beach is a great place - interesting geology & lots of ammonites

Good to meet you all. Glad you made it. Hope you had a good day.