Answer 18

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Question 18

Do you, as an atheist, listen to any sort of religious music and why?

Do you, as an atheist, listen to any sort of religious music and why?

Sure. I'm listening to Jah Wobble's requiem right now, and I love Handel, Bach, and some of the contemporary religious composers like Pärt and Gorecki. Much of Bob Marley's music is overtly religious, and it's great.

> and why?

The devil doesn't have all the best tunes! ;-) (Andrew Haley #970)

Yes. I consider some classical music to be the most amazing and beautiful music ever created. The majority of it is religious in nature. To me, the words are unimportant. It is the expression, the melodies, the harmonies, the suspensions that make it beautiful, not what it is saying. Plus, at the time many of the pieces were written, the musicians weren't allowed to write anything secular in nature. I'd prefer this music be expressed in religious terms than not at all. (The Jester #774)

Well, let's see...Bad Religion, Christ on Parade, Econochrist, Batallion of Saints, The Insaints, Angelic Upstarts, Mephiskapheles, Ludichrist, Jesus Lizard, Crucifiction, The Crucifucks, Hell No!, The Gotohells, Eyehategod, Godless Heathen, The Apostles, 666 Pounds Of Jesus Meat, The Damned...yeah, I listen to religious music. (sieve #155)

I have listened to and enjoyed religious music, Christmas songs, Gregorian chants. But I also like the Internationale. That doesn't make me a Communist. Music is about passion and feeling. Religion (and politics) tend to inspire both, and those feelings are expressed in the music. I enjoy the music as music. This does not obligate me to accept the literal meaning of the words. (nmstevens(

I have quite eclectic taste in music, and I include religous music in what I listen to simply because I don't want to limit myself. Sure, most of the religous music made in the last 20 years or so imitates secular music, but some of it is truly different. And let's not forget "Classical" music [I put the word "classical" in quotes b/c I'm using it in the inacurate way most people do, to refer to any music made 100 or more years ago], where it would be silly and pointless to try to seperate the religous from the secular. (Michael Morgan #1083)

Some atheists are deliberately not listening to certain kinds of music due to that music's religious connection, no matter how tenuous a connection, because they are atheists. That can get pretty silly. Music isn't out to deliberately convert anyone. It's just to be experienced and enjoyed for itself whether it has lyrics or not, whether it was written for a church or not. A co-worker from my old office is Jewish and she enjoys going to Baptist churches to listen to the gospel music. She's been doing this for years, because she enjoys the music. This has no affect on her Judaism. I like a lot of gospel music myself, since it is one of the roots of blues music which I love. This has no affect on my being an atheist at all. Why should it? (Michelle Malkin #1)

Yes. I listen, on occaision to religious-based classical music (such as Gregorian chants), and even some "contemporary Christian" music (primarily Jars of Clay and PFR, although I can also listen to Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline).

Why? Because a good tune is a good tune. "Liquid" by Jars of Clay is one of my favorite songs (although admittedly nowhere near my single favorite). (Charles W. Johnson #394)

Blame it on my Catholic upbringing, but I've always liked old stuff sung in Latin. It can be passionate and moving -- and it really doesn't bug me whether it's all about the Glory of God, the Thuder of Jove, or Carrot of Bugs Bunny.
Some of the carols and hymns are also pleasant -- athough the more brain-dead of them can be annoying. (Like "I have Decided to Follow Jesus," "Jesus Loves Me," or that silly little chant the Krishna- Consciousness folks always do.) I also enjoy gospel immensely.
As for modern popular music, many interesting and talented songwriters who happen to be Christian _do_ produce music I enjoy. But musicians who _bill_ themselves as "Christian Rock" tend, in my opinion, to suck. This is really no surprise -- any group that exists mainly to spread a message, and which has to _market_ themselves on the basis of their message, is unlikely to be doing very much on the musical front.
If there _were_ a contemporary 'Christian Rock' group which was as musically creative as Frank Zappa, for example, I'd have all their albums. (Nick Matthewsen #731)

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