Religion and music
 

I wanted to make a thread about religion and music. I didn't really know where a thread like this should go, but this sub-forum sounded like the logical place to go.

So my question is, do you think your religious views (should) have an influence on the music you like?

I'll explain a bit about my religious views first. Personally, I'm an agnost. Which means that I think: 'I don't know whether or not a deity exists, I'll have another cookie now.' Religion or faith does not play any kind of role in my life. There are people who think agnosts are just wussies that are too afraid to admit they're atheists (or theists for that matter). But they're :crazy:. I don't think it's choosing not to choose or being afraid of making a choice. In my case I just don't care enough about the choice to make a choice. I do believe religion is a beautiful thing that brings a lot of people happiness, joy and a sense of belonging. So yay! :yeah: Also it's a thing that's being misused by a load of people and that sucks. :soapbox:

So enough about my religious views. Let's talk about music. The strange thing is that even though I'm not religious in any way I do love Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky

And I also love Jesus Christ Superstar - Everything's alright. And Petra Berger - When He Spoke My Name. All songs that are pretty religious if you ask me and yet somehow I feel a strange attraction to these songs. vOv

So what do you people think about this? Is this normal? Or is it weird? Are lyrics of a song so important that you would never like a song that goes against your religious views? Or do you think music and religion have nothing to do with each other and all this doesn't matter? Has your religion or have your religious views caused you to like certain songs because of the lyrics?

I guess with me it comes down to the focus of the artist. If they are just using music to push religion that pretty much turns me off but if they are a musician who happens to be spiritual that can offer some insights that might otherwise evade me. I'm not a spiritual person but I can appreciate it if others find some beauty there.

Exactly. As long as making good music takes priority over pushing a religion, I have no problem with it.

I have no issue with religious music. In fact I am christian. Occasionally, I listen to christian music that is pure and has no money behind it. Sadly true Christian artists are overshadowed by opportunist pastors who are no other than Satanic people themselves.

I've not given this too much thought before but it doesn't bother me really, like others have said if they overdo it or try to push a religion then I can't be bothered with it.

Slightly related I guess, I always find it annoying when you buy an album, look inside the booklet or album notes and the first thing you see is "First and foremost, I want to thank GOD", it is then followed by family members, fans (who bought the album) and the production team :confused:

Good point Stephen, hadn't really thought of it like that. The fact that the songs means something to the artist might also be why I like them. :)

And Franco Pepe Kalle, as a Christian would you have a problem listening to satanic music?

I took an acid trip and saw the Jazz Goddess once.

I think that if you go around bashing god and secretly listen to christian music, it's kind of weird. But I'm not going to stop anyone from doing so.

As long as you're not pushing your views on me.

Personally, I'll listen to any music. I don't like music about the devil, really, it just is too much for me. I don't like hellish sounding music. I used to tho, in spite of my mother. ;P

First Religious experience as an adult with some killer blotter, and someone I loved very deeply...I am still trying to recover from it... IT WAS 10 years ago....

I believe in the Christian god but I've gotten used to listening to anti-religious/anti-Christian messages in music. The songwriter shouldn't neuter their message for my pleasure.

Some anti-religion songs that I just love:


****ed Up - Son the Father - YouTube


Propagandhi - Supporting Caste - YouTube


Streetlight Manifesto - We Will Fall Together - YouTube

I absolutely adore Jesus Christ Superstar. I performed in the music at high school.

Tomorrow Never Knows is easily one of my favorite Beatles songs and I can definitely appreciate such a profound, transcendent experience, with or without the blotter.


As someone who considers myself deeply spiritual, yet not affiliated with any one religion, there is a lot of overtly religious music that I love and appreciate simply because the soul and the energy that is put into it really reflects the human condition.

I love southern gospel and many legendary soul singers got their start singing in church and performing gospel music. In fact the birth of R&B and soul can really be attributed to the blending of blues and gospel. One of my favorite gospel albums is Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace, which is a compilation of some of her live gospel recordings:



And then there's John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, easily one of the greatest jazz masterpieces ever recorded. The entire album is essentially a prayer of praise to god transposed to music, and though there is only one verse throughout the entire album-- A love Supreme repeated over and over throughout the first track-- Coltranes intention and inspiration is manifested throughout the entire album.



Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming album is definitely not very high ranking among Dylan fans, but I have an appreciation for it Simply because it was quite a unique tangent for Dylan, who found Jesus long enough to record two Christian albums and went back to business as usual (Saved being the other album). The fact that it was produced by the late and legendary Jerry Wexler, a self-professed, "card-carrying, atheist Jew", and featured the legendary Muscle Shoals Horn Section makes it a great album to me.

Needing art to conform to some particular ideology in order to enjoy it seems like a symptom of brainwashing to me.

I have no interest in religion but I am intensely interested in what makes people religious. It's a loophole in our evolutionary programming that's fun to exploit.

To put a wee bit of a spin on this, I suppose on balance I am an agnostic, but the act of listening to music itself actually gives me something that 'praying' seems to give to other people.

Between 1995 and 2005 I served in the military, and as a consequence lived a pretty austere life for long periods of time, often thousands of miles from home with people I barely knew.

I found carrying a couple of iPods with my music collection a HUGE comfort, especially when times were tough. No matter where I was or what I was doing, all I had to do was pop in the headphones, select a track, close my eyes, and I could instantly be transported to another time and place!
I found a genuine comfort in music and simple routine.

For me I wasn't about the lyrics or 'message' in a track, but more about 'me', and where I was in life when I first heard that song, that made it sound special.

For me, a piece of music is FAR more powerful than the written word.


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I don't really care much if people include religion in their music if it's done well. If it's something too over-the-top like preachy music or shock-value "satanic" lyrics but terrible quality, yeah I'm not into that. If it's something good I'll listen to it even if it has that type of content, mostly because I enjoy learning about religion and people's beliefs.

I first heard this in 1971. I was 12 and whipped on pot and acid in my room laying on my bed and the visuals the chemicals were supplying were not so very different from this--just a lot more "electric" if you know what I mean.


Dante's Inferno, White Noise, An Electric Storm in Hell - YouTube

I'm agnostic...leaning towards atheist and enjoy some religious music, ie Amazing Grace / Jesus Christ Superstar

do not like anything like Hillsong etc... can see its purpose for those who are into that stuff.

In Kanye's "Jesus Walks" he talks about how his music won't get played if it talks about Jesus and God, which is interesting because you don't often hear music like that on the radio.
Ironic enough, the song was extremely popular.

My mom's friend has told me that the music I listen too is "Satanic". So in my defense, I didn't bother saying nothing about her religious beliefs. That's how Jesus Christ taught me how to be humble torwards his people. God can only judge me. Period. Seriously. sorry.

I'm agnostic but love many so-called religious songs. The unconditional love and unbridled joy they often express is rather special.

Now, this is a story all about how My body got nailed up to a cross And I liked to take a minute heres how begins I'll tell you how I died for all your mortal sins

In west Bethlehem I was born and raised In Nazareth was where I spent most of my days Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool And all makin some wood cups, wowin' some fools When a couple of Romans Who were up to no good Said I wasnt behavin; in the way that I should I had one last supper and my men drank wine I said eat my body drink my blood and Ill be fine

I was nailed a cross and when death came nearer The light shown brightly and I saw a little clearer If anything I could say that the roman wins But I thought now forget it, Ill die for your sins

They. pulled. me to my grave about seven or eight And I rose from my tomb yo, home smell you later Looked at my kingdom I was finally there To settle in heaven and listen to prayer

Nice. Jesus says yo in my mind too.

I'm an agnostic, but I don't have any problems with religious songs, if it is good kind of it, I mean, I don't have any problems with artists like Johnny Cash, or Kris Kristofferson or Hank Williams whose songs were often religious.
But some of those gospel songs are too much for me. It is okay if you are religious (if it does not get over the top) but the way you sing about these things matters a lot.

Gospel music is great.

Lovely.