Athiest's Favourite Religious Song

Boo-yah

What religious songs do you like even if the subject matter maybe praise something you don't

Being that time of year I'm going to go for O Holy Night, beautiful song.

sink

Amazing Grace

ChocolateSauce

I don't know the names of any of them, but I've got a few I like.

Dinner

Voice of an Angel written by Liam Lawton. It's a bit too high for him to sing though.

ironingbored

Pie Jesu and Panis Angelicus not to mention Ave Maria. Sometimes it's hard to believe that such powerful and evocative music came forth from the most hideous falsehood.

ChocolateSauce

What's the name of that one that An Post uses in their christmas ads (or used to ages ago anyway) with the boy singing in an extremely high voice?

Tyler MacDurden

Is it the theme from The Snowman, "Walking in the Air"? Or something similar. Aled Jones was the kid who sang it I believe.

Dades

"Walking in the Air"

Not really religious!

EDIT: You got in there first Tyler!

Dave!

Dunno who wrote it, but the Dublin Gospel Choir do a good one called 'The Battle'

"For the battle, is not yours, it's the Lord's, IT'S THE LORD'S!!!!!"

I like alot more religious music than any theist I know, between gospel, Jesus Christ Superstar, and others! Irony!

Gambler

Dave! wrote: »

Dunno who wrote it, but the Dublin Gospel Choir do a good one called 'The Battle'

"For the battle, is not yours, it's the Lord's, IT'S THE LORD'S!!!!!"

I like alot more religious music than any theist I know, between gospel, Jesus Christ Superstar, and others! Irony!

You want irony? I married one of them (The DGC Members) and she's singing it now in my ear.. Thanks for that!

[Edit]And she say's to say it's by Hezekiah Walker http://www.imeem.com/people/aYere_//music/ZBt9G4Gy/hezekiah_walker_lft_church_choir_for_the_battle_is_not_you/[/Edit]

Dave!

Hah, sweet

I used to go to hear them regularly in Church Street -- before they 'hit it big'! Woulda liked to see them in Tallaght recently, pretty sure I missed it though.

Haven't heard them in a couple of years now!

Actually I recall bringing my then-girlfriend to see them a few years ago, along with some family. In retrospect she must have thought we were Jesus freaks!

Tyler MacDurden

Dades wrote: »

"Walking in the Air"

Not really religious!

EDIT: You got in there first Tyler!

Wow, first time I've been addressed directly by a Mod. Permission to feel special your Honour?

I was at a wedding a while back, they had a six-member gospel choir who were pretty damn good. They all wore black shirts with colourful ties, each did a couple of turns as soloist. Can't remember their bloody name though. However, I still have the sneaky pic I took of the very hot Polish singer.

achtungbarry

Dades

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

Wow, first time I've been addressed directly by a Mod. Permission to feel special your Honour?

Permission denied! I'm only a mod when people are bold! The rest of the time I'm just a filthy heathen. :P

Galvasean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=959PQ7QSMdw

rockbeer

William Blake's 'Jerusalem'

(Full of religious imagery, but I suppose it's debateable whether it's really a religious poem)

PDN

rockbeer wrote: »

William Blake's 'Jerusalem'

(Full of religious imagery, but I suppose it's debateable whether it's really a religious poem)

It is indeed religious. Blake actually believed that Jesus did visit England after the Resurrection and wander around with Mary.

PDN

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

I was at a wedding a while back, they had a six-member gospel choir who were pretty damn good. They all wore black shirts with colourful ties, each did a couple of turns as soloist. Can't remember their bloody name though. However, I still have the sneaky pic I took of the very hot Polish singer.

Ha, I know who you're talking about. Those are some members of one of our worship teams who used to have a nice little earner by singing at weddings.

There's a sort of parable here - where the atheist values a sneaky photo they took of someone that they could see for real every week if they bothered to come to church.

Krieg

I guess johnny cash's 'When the man comes around'

pH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVshkVF0SY

Doctor DooM

When you say religious... that includes the devil too, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sixsHSheV4g

(sorry bout the low quality)

Galvasean

SDooM wrote: »

When you say religious... that includes the devil too, right?

They never did say which religion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHz8ms1TerU

Pompey Magnus

I have recently been listening to the demo version of "Every Grain of Sand" by Bob Dylan (which is better than the album version IMO), I wouldn't say it was blatantly religious but uses subtle religious imagery and a number of Biblical references. I have to say it is one of my all time favorite Dylan songs.

"In the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3dKqm-XPj0

PDN

rockbeer wrote: »

William Blake's 'Jerusalem'

(Full of religious imagery, but I suppose it's debateable whether it's really a religious poem)

Krieg wrote:

I guess johnny cash's 'When the man comes around'

Charco wrote:

I have recently been listening to the demo version of "Every Grain of Sand" by Bob Dylan

And, in true James Burke style (for those of you old enough to remember) today's Connection is that Dylan's song was inspired by Blake's Auguries of Innocence. And "Every grain of Sand" was sung by Emmylou Harris at Johnny Cash's funeral.

And that is a fine excuse, if one were needed, to post Blake's text:

Auguries of Innocence
To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons
Shudders hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his master's gate
Predicts the ruin of the state.

A horse misused upon the road
Calls to heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm'd for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

Every wolf's and lion's howl
Raises from hell a human soul.

The wild deer, wand'ring here and there,
Keeps the human soul from care.
The lamb misus'd breeds public strife,
And yet forgives the butcher's knife.

The bat that flits at close of eve
Has left the brain that won't believe.
The owl that calls upon the night
Speaks the unbeliever's fright.

He who shall hurt the little wren
Shall never be belov'd by men.
He who the ox to wrath has mov'd
Shall never be by woman lov'd.

The wanton boy that kills the fly
Shall feel the spider's enmity.
He who torments the chafer's sprite
Weaves a bower in endless night.

The caterpillar on the leaf
Repeats to thee thy mother's grief.
Kill not the moth nor butterfly,
For the last judgement draweth nigh.

He who shall train the horse to war
Shall never pass the polar bar.
The beggar's dog and widow's cat,
Feed them and thou wilt grow fat.

The gnat that sings his summer's song
Poison gets from slander's tongue.
The poison of the snake and newt
Is the sweat of envy's foot.

The poison of the honey bee
Is the artist's jealousy.

The prince's robes and beggar's rags
Are toadstools on the miser's bags.
A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.

It is right it should be so;
Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Thro' the world we safely go.

Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine.
Under every grief and pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.

The babe is more than swaddling bands;
Every farmer understands.
Every tear from every eye
Becomes a babe in eternity;

This is caught by females bright,
And return'd to its own delight.
The bleat, the bark, bellow, and roar,
Are waves that beat on heaven's shore.

The babe that weeps the rod beneath
Writes revenge in realms of death.
The beggar's rags, fluttering in air,
Does to rags the heavens tear.

The soldier, arm'd with sword and gun,
Palsied strikes the summer's sun.
The poor man's farthing is worth more
Than all the gold on Afric's shore.

One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands
Shall buy and sell the miser's lands;
Or, if protected from on high,
Does that whole nation sell and buy.

He who mocks the infant's faith
Shall be mock'd in age and death.
He who shall teach the child to doubt
The rotting grave shall ne'er get out.

He who respects the infant's faith
Triumphs over hell and death.
The child's toys and the old man's reasons
Are the fruits of the two seasons.

The questioner, who sits so sly,
Shall never know how to reply.
He who replies to words of doubt
Doth put the light of knowledge out.

The strongest poison ever known
Came from Caesar's laurel crown.
Nought can deform the human race
Like to the armour's iron brace.

When gold and gems adorn the plow,
To peaceful arts shall envy bow.
A riddle, or the cricket's cry,
Is to doubt a fit reply.


The emmet's inch and eagle's mile
Make lame philosophy to smile.
He who doubts from what he sees
Will ne'er believe, do what you please.

If the sun and moon should doubt,
They'd immediately go out.
To be in a passion you good may do,
But no good if a passion is in you.

The whore and gambler, by the state
Licensed, build that nation's fate.
The harlot's cry from street to street
Shall weave old England's winding-sheet.

The winner's shout, the loser's curse,
Dance before dead England's hearse.

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born,
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.

Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.

We are led to believe a lie
When we see not thro' the eye,
Which was born in a night to perish in a night,
When the soul slept in beams of light.

God appears, and God is light,
To those poor souls who dwell in night;
But does a human form display
To those who dwell in realms of day?

robindch

PDN wrote: »

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

And while we're James Burking, that Blake verse was encrypted within the code of one of the first computer viruses to hit Ireland, back in 1991. Yours truly carried out the initial code analysis.

More here. It was an elegant piece of work, I must say.

Handsome Bob

Jesus Christ Superstar.

*Amazing Grace

Phototoxin

Aled Jones was the kid who sang it I believe.

common misconception... but it wasn't him !

Sangre

he sung on the released single but not the original snowman cartoon afair. i think the original kid's voice had broken.

Tyler MacDurden

PDN wrote: »

Ha, I know who you're talking about. Those are some members of one of our worship teams who used to have a nice little earner by singing at weddings.

There's a sort of parable here - where the atheist values a sneaky photo they took of someone that they could see for real every week if they bothered to come to church.

I prefer my women two-dimensional you see. In any event, my compliments to your worship teamsters.

Now if my local church did this sort of thing I might consider taking a look. From a safe distance...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-HgBrVLv5I&feature=channel

Gambler

Dave! wrote: »

Hah, sweet

I used to go to hear them regularly in Church Street -- before they 'hit it big'!

Hehe they're still in Church street two weeks a month for most of the year They actually had their last church street performance of the year at mass tonight!

UU

LZ5by5 wrote: »

Jesus Christ Superstar.

*Amazing Grace

Oh my god I love that musical!!! I starred in a production of it before and I was Pontius Pilate! hehe But the great thing about it is it gives more than one side to the story like it gives Judas' a lot as well as it showing the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Even at the end of it, it doesn't really make Jesus out to be God but it doubts the story! When it was launched, there was uproar over it. A theatre showing it was even bombed! It was deemed blasphemous! But it is a brilliant musical, the music is fantastic. I love 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' also!

kiffer

I can't decide between

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ftld7Ohojg

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbzuzSbCyfQ

Dave!

Gambler wrote: »

Hehe they're still in Church street two weeks a month for most of the year They actually had their last church street performance of the year at mass tonight!

Ah sweet! Not forgetting their roots eh?

I presume they performed at your wedding yeah? They did at my brother's last year, as the bride's sister is in the band :cool: Pretty nice

Tar.Aldarion

What if god smoked cannabis?

robindch

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

What if god smoked cannabis?

He made creationists, didn't he?

'nuff said.

Tar.Aldarion

Anyway, apart from my zany weird al answer, I like Gloria, in Excelsis Deo or whatever it's called.

Nick_oliveri

My very favorite christmas song happens to be very offensive to just about everyone except maybe christians. Although i could be wrong.
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/55380/detail/
and from the same episode.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/151729/?tag=I+Saw+Three+Ships

SkepticOne

condra

Christmas - I always liked "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". There is something almost apocalyptic about it. Hearing it is a bit like dying all alone, of cold and starvation, in a good way, because it's not real.

Religion/Classical - I don't know if it was supposed to be religious or not but I must mention Sarabande by Haendel.
******* AMAZING if I do say so myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfqpGT3_X7U

or if you already know and love the song, listen to how beautifully it translates to the guitar for extra "rip-out-your-heart-and-cry-for-humanity-ness".
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/misc-lessons/handel-sarabande-theme/

apoch632

Abide With Me

Mostly because of it being sung at the FA Cup Final.

seanybiker

Krieg wrote: »

I guess johnny cash's 'When the man comes around'

Excellent choice. Great song.

barfizz

I love Ave Marie, love the scene in the godfather.

Also was at a wedding recently and a girl with a harp sang it in the church, I had goose bumps on the back of my neck, she was just brilliant.

bnt

Probably In Dulci Jubilo, particularly the Mike Oldfield version where he plays every instrument himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4uLZcaRXcU

Dades

Heard "Down to the River to Pray" again yesterday.

Forgot how much I love that song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htSXKYs8sQM

Red Hand

Joy of Man's desiring (or whatever it's called) by Bach.