Alain de Botton is a Swiss philosopher living in England. in his new book, Religion for Atheists, he suggests that those who don’t believe in the teachings of the established religions should appropriate some of their ideas. They are good ideas, he says. They include how to:

– build a sense of community

– make our relationships last

– overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy

– escape the twenty-four hour media

– go travelling

– get more out of art, architecture and music

– and create new businesses designed to address our emotional needs.

I respectfully suggest that the major religions long ago appropriated the good ideas of oriental beliefs, plus hunks of Greek philosophy and offered a fine hotch-potch of ideas gleaned from a host of sources, as if they were in supermarkets. By all means be open-minded and take what you can from Christianity and Islam. In doing so also look carefully at the rational ideas of Epicurus, which are based on moderation, friendship, the search for peace of mind, the avoidance of ambition and power, of politics and disagreeable people. You can live your life calmly and ethically without being told what to do by anyone else.