hobbesbrundige - 02 December 2011 10:45 PM

MARTIN UK - 02 December 2011 02:05 AM

hobbesbrundige - 02 December 2011 12:13 AM

When I was a kid almost everyone i knew was listening to “atheist music” ...

Can you name a few artistes, I think “Rush” have always been openly atheist, I can’t think of many others. Not that I feel the need, I can happily listen to anything, it’s about the music more than my own views.

Propagandhi and bad religion are pretty anti-religion. Tool has a lot of anti christian songs but I’m not sure if it’s atheist or secular exactly since i don’t really listen to them. There are tons of non religious bands but few that really talk about their secularism. It’s still a taboo subject. Isn’t trent rezner an atheist? I like rush too. I wish fleetwood mac was. I have had conversations with friends about whether the Beatles or Zappa were. The Beatles seem like they just couldn’t pick one religion to sing about.  And Zappa may have just been schizophrenic.

There’s a few I aint familiar with there, are they any good? Will have to google them and find out.

MARTIN UK - 02 December 2011 02:05 AM

There’s a few I aint familiar with there, are they any good? Will have to google them and find out.

Good is relative. I like some pretty plangent music.

Music that criticizes religion is extremely common. But I would urge caution in equating this with a message of atheism. Quite often it is actually endorsing another variation of spirituality or faith. There are some genuinely atheistic sentiments in popular music but you don’t see it very often.

MARTIN UK - 02 December 2011 02:05 AM

hobbesbrundige - 02 December 2011 12:13 AM

When I was a kid almost everyone i knew was listening to “atheist music” ...

Can you name a few artistes, I think “Rush” have always been openly atheist, I can’t think of many others. Not that I feel the need, I can happily listen to anything, it’s about the music more than my own views.

  Speaking of Rush. Here are the lyrics to a song called Witch Hunt. Subtle yet profound, without being anti god whatsoever.  Instead, calling out the mentality of many in his fold.

“Witch Hunt”

The night is black
Without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torch lit hill

Features distorted in the flickering light
The faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us
In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what’s best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand…

I might add the music is no less impressive.

Witch Hunt.

Just as impressive Live. Indeed.

Hello,

I was overjoyed to see this topic, because I recorded a song for that very purpose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM68RyIVewQ

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Tiberius

hobbesbrundige - 02 December 2011 10:45 PM

MARTIN UK - 02 December 2011 02:05 AM

hobbesbrundige - 02 December 2011 12:13 AM

When I was a kid almost everyone i knew was listening to “atheist music” ...

Can you name a few artistes, I think “Rush” have always been openly atheist, I can’t think of many others. Not that I feel the need, I can happily listen to anything, it’s about the music more than my own views.

Propagandhi and bad religion are pretty anti-religion. Tool has a lot of anti christian songs but I’m not sure if it’s atheist or secular exactly since i don’t really listen to them. There are tons of non religious bands but few that really talk about their secularism. It’s still a taboo subject. Isn’t trent rezner an atheist? I like rush too. I wish fleetwood mac was. I have had conversations with friends about whether the Beatles or Zappa were. The Beatles seem like they just couldn’t pick one religion to sing about.  And Zappa may have just been schizophrenic.

Trent Reznor isn’t an atheist. I’d probably characterize him as a deist. He smashed religion pretty good though, like the entire song Heresy, also God Given, and the second verse of Mr. Self Destruct:

  I speak religion’s message clear     And I control you
  I am denial guilt and fear         And I control you
  I am the prayers of the naïve     And I control you
  I am the lie that you believe     And I control you

But he also mentions God in some of his songs, like Closer, “My whole existence is flawed, you get me closer to God”, and Sunspots. I think he mentioned somewhere that he believes in God but follows no religion.

I think Maynard (from Tool) is in the same boat. They also have some pretty good anti-religious songs, Opiate comes to mind. Also there’s Judith, from Maynard’s other band, A Perfect Circle, which is one of my favorite songs. Although when talking about the song Judith Maynard said something to the effect of “When I say, ‘Fuck your god’ I don’t mean the God”, which leads me to think he’s probably a deist.