Welcome to the Church of Atom

Official page of the first Church of Atom.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why radiation? - A difficult question to answer! In many ways we consider ourselves akin to fire worshippers, or sun worshippers; the beauty and power of these natural phenomena capture our hearts and instill in us a sense of religious awe

  • Do you support nuclear power? - Yes. Nuclear energy, when managed correctly and without the ever-present danger of capitalistic corner-cutting, has the potential to give humanity access to nearly unlimited amounts of power, with, comparitively, little waste

  • Do you support nuclear weapons? - NO. The Church of Atom is strictly anti-nuclear weaponry, in the same way no fire worshipper would support the use of fire to kill others or damage the earth. Atom's power as it manifests in nuclear explosions is not to be trifled with and, we believe, should be banned internationally

  • Do you think radiation has a soul? - No. Children of Atom believe radiation is a divine emanation, or manifestation of Atom's essence and will. The exact definition of animism is difficult to pin down across the innumerable traditions that either include, or are predicated upon it. In our case, we do not believe in a unique "soul" component as it may be understood by Western religious thinkers

  • Is Atomism a PCP (Pop Culture Pagan) tradition? - Yes and No. While we respect Pop Culture Pagans and their beliefs, Atom's relationship to the Atom of the Fallout franchise is technically in name only. The impetus for our worship was in fact the fictional idea of Atom, but our tradition has grown beyond it. (Author's Note: For example, when I play Fallout I side with and encourage the Children of Atom because of my faith, not the other way around)

Vocabulary

  • Atom (n.) - when capitalized, the god of radiation; when lowercase, the mundane particle.

  • Child of Atom (plural Children of Atom) (n.) - a follower/believer/worshipper of Atom.

  • Division (n.) - nuclear decay; the process by which Atom’s power is made manifest. Death; human mortality.

  • Enrich (v.) - to irradiate; to become blessed by Atom’s glow.

  • Glow, “The Glow” (n.) - ionizing radiation; both the visible and invisible halo of Atom’s glory.

  • Scouring (v.) - flushing the body of radioactive contaminants; as much as we’d like to be close to Atom and his power, we also recognize the dangers that come with unbridled radiation.