Investigating The Sacreo In Architecture (Page 8)

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The Sacred/profane or alternatively the sacred/secular divide now reads differently. It is not about the religious and the irreligious. That's irrelevant. The divide is now between those who are responsible residents of this planet and those who are not. Therefore, 'Sacred"/and "profane" are no less interchangeable in their extra avatars than they were in their orthodox forms.

Then again, among the committed, there is possibly a shift in focus where the good of humanity and the planet is more compelling than religious services. In this case, it is the erstwhile profane that is sacred now. More than ritual and religion in the traditional sense we need to acknowledge the fact that we need a 'religious' following for a new ideal- a new set of values or more correctly priorities. But who will or can put the fear of our new god into us now?

It is known that the superstitions sustained by the texts often prevail over reason and rule, possibly because of the 'unknown calamity' that could befall one in disregarding superstition whereas the fine or penalty payable on not conforming to say, building regulations, can be handled in more tangible ways. As a result, there are more subscribers for superstition than bland building regulation.

The very freedom of thought and action that allows us to commit the blasphemy of introducing the concept of replacing old gods with new, releases us from any society-enforced commitment to an "accepted' or 'appropriate form of behaviour or building.

Thus, because of our 'modern' Secular tradition we rely more and more on the individual's convictions and commitments that have been progressively less and less concerned about long-term goals for the general good of society, city, planet and more and more involved with short-term individual gain. Ironically and tragically we are in our 'secularity' wilfully committing sacrileges against man and earth in spite of our wealth of information and knowledge. Sacred is that sacred does. And today the sacred in architecture ... in life, is that which will help deliver us and our planet from the ecological disaster we are headed towards.

The End.

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