What a bunch of fakers and hypoctites I see on this site!
I don't believe you can genuinely call yourself a "folk singer" if you do not passionately believe (and not just at that moment) in all the words you are singing. These words may be your own or old or new but they have a message from someone who experienced the time and events in each song that can only be passed on by genuine emotion. In a public concert, if you are an atheist, don't sing religious songs. If you are religious, don't sing songs out of your faith.
Folk music had more than its share of fakers in the 60s "Folk Scare" when we had right-wing singers recording negro spirituals and Jewish performers singing Christian music. Just to make money. I don't believe real "folk" music will ever again be commercial because of the record companies inability to be able to regain control of this type of music. God (or your own deity or lack thereof) bless us!