I’m an atheist but grew up Christian/catholic. I attend a Christian college (long story) and I constantly have to listen to Christian music. However, some artist I actually like. I love some of needtobreath songs and I love Racheal Plattern (she sang fight song).
I’m just curious on where other nonbelievers stand.
I listen to music based on a lot of mythology, I don't see why the christian mythos can't be one of those. If I happen to like it, I like it. One of my favorite metal bands, Corrosion of Conformity, regularly sing about god, but hey it's good music.
It usually depends. I do think it’s kind of silly and close-minded to auttomatically day “I don’t listen to anything like that.” Are you afraid you’re going to convert? If the lyrics are eye-rollingly stupid or annoying, I change the song, but as others have commented, if the song itself is good, sure I’ll listen.
Atheist and 30 year Stryper fan. The lyrics are positive and the music is great. Kinda like the Satanic Metal bands. I like the music but ignore the lyrics ?
Choir, organ, brass: I just like the sound. As another poster noted, it is uplifting.
I don't need to swallow the message to enjoy the broadcast!!!
That said, I have much less time for most contemporary religious musicians. I like my atheism old-school.
Once in a great while. For example the hallelujah chorus is "religious" but it is a great work of art by Handel. If you enjoy classical music, you will hear some music of religious nature.
I’d pop a CD in half if I’d missed a religious song; remember doing that to the beach boys greatest hits (god only knew).. Though surrounded by bluegrass groups, I won’t chance purchasing a cd unless I’ve heard and determined there’s no religious bs on it. Religion is wrong, even in a song ~
Hell no. Can't stand to hear the poor deluded fools going on about their love for a dead guy, and how they think they'll meet him in heaven. Saddening and depressing to think humanity still hasn't grown out of this nonsense.
Well, I used to listen to skillet before I realized they were all jesus freaks. I guess the songs i liked the most were the only ones i would have paid any attention to, lyrically speaking, and they were sort of ambiguous with regard to their religious connotations. It pisses me off no end that just knowing that a work was religiously-motivated can sully it like that, much the same way I can no longer watch a Mel Gibson movie (well, except the end of Braveheart where he gets his small intestines pulled out and wound around a spiked wooden spindle....that part I like now)
I don't very often; but there are some religious songs/music I like. I was not raised Catholic, but when I hear Ave Maria (in Latin, of course) I enjoy it. I also like Gregorian chants.
There are also some some church hymns from my childhood I like ('In the Garden', for example), but, also, I think some are despicable because of their message (like Amazing Grace--seriously, I'm a wretch?).
Usually, when a religious song from my childhood pops into my head, I change the lyrics to reflect my non-belief.
As far as any contemporary Christian music--no thanks!