I am cursed really because one of the varied genres of music I really like is classical, not opera but choral music..and the best of that music especially the Baroq is generally but not exclusively dedicated to religion ..love the music..hate the dogma. Just bad luck really...

Not the lyrics.... perhaps jus the music itself.

I was out with a friend for a VA fund raising lunch that is held each year. They had a small group of musical performers doing different kinds of songs. They performed I'll Fly Away which is an old religious song. I told my friend that as an atheist I really find those songs to be very entertaining.

Always been a fan of Abide with me.
And regardless of one's beliefs, Handel's Messiah.

I can almost still hear my mother playing Ave Maria on the piano decades ago. She's been gone for many years. We rarely sang it, but heard it regularly as she played it beautifully while we were putting ourselves to bed as youngsters.

Religious songs in Latin are easier for me to handle than in English. My mother was raised by atheist parents, but attended a Catholic boarding school, and that's the only religious song that seemed to have stuck with her, perhaps because it's praising a female mortal, fictional or not.

Oh, of course. If a song is good, I'm not hung up too much on the topic. I don't tend to find much of the syrupy stuff very good. Amazing Grace is one of my favorites.

Much of the classical repertoire was composed for religious services, rites or occasions. Much of true American bluegrass music pulls from old time gospel. Just because I'm not a believer doesn't mean I can't enjoy the music. I can't understand Italian but I still enjoy opera.

Yes Ave Maria is a great song
Hallelujah from Leonard Cohen (although refers to the Bible King David, it is more about a painful dark love... maybe. Afterall LC was born Jewish, became a Buddhist monk not a Christian.)

I'm cool with most Christmas songs.

I also like Ava Maria. I think its beautiful.