Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Apr 10 - 07:07 PM

I like to say that if it's a murder ballad I will deliver it as mournfully as I can feel it, if it's a love song- for those few minutes I will be in love, if it's a gospel song, for that moment I will enter as deeply into belief as I can manage.

For me, it depends a great deal on the music itself, how the words fit and the ambiance they create together.

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Stower
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 08:23 AM

Some years ago I sang an arrangement of Down In Yon Forest / Corpus Christi Carol / Bells Of Paradise, which has the refrain, "I love my Lord Jesus above anything". I'm an atheist and was happy to sing it. After all, I sing shanties and I'm not a sailor, I sing murder ballads and I've not intention of killing anyone, I sing lots of stories in the first person about things I've never done. Strange thing was, the folk club audience - who are always lusty singers - were strangely muted in this song and seemed really uncomfortable singing the refrain. I'd never seen them like it before, and I didn't sing it again.

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 08:40 AM

'Down in yon forest' would probably never be sung if the singer had to believe in all the imagery.

But the idea, at the top of the thread, of an atheist teaching his children all the 'Jesus' songs he was brought up with sounds strange. Seems like setting him up to believe. Very emotive, those songs and prayers learnt at a mothers knee.

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 09:05 AM

Ever since it was founded in 1897, the Yiddish newspaper Forverts (Forward) has run a column called "A Bintel Brief"--"A Packet of Letters", one of the first advice columns in any newspaper, and the forerunner of "Ann Landers" and "Dear Abby."

One of the classic Q&As:

Q: Can a freethinker go to the synagogue?
A; Of course--Izzy goes to the synagogue to talk with G-d, and I go to the synagogue to talk with Izzy.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 02:46 PM

I think an atheist can sing whatever he wants to sing--like anyone else.

I've underlined the word THINK because I most always never use the word believe. ""Believe" infers a leap of faith--an irrational act -- I think.

Yes, I do try to THINK things through. Pretty much I don't merely believe anything.

Art

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Genie
Date: 02 Apr 10 - 03:18 PM

Barry Finn did a right fine, convincing job singing the prison song "Ol' Dollar Mamie," but I don't think he ever lived that life.   As has been said, lots of people play roles - in songs, plays, film, etc. - that are totally unlike their own lives and personalities.   

I also think a singer can connect, spiritually and emotionally, with the underlying feeling of a religious song without having to believe in the particular icons and dogma that some lyrics may refer to.      

Now, the question arises: Can a hellfire and brimstone 'fundamentalist' Christian (who thinks all gays and "infidels" can and should burn in hell) convincingly sing songs about the unconditional love of an omnipotent God?

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 10 - 07:08 AM

Hello there, Mr. Baum, Charlie--
I'm writing you here because at about 6:30am my late cousin Susan (Garber) danced down my brain again, as she often has in the nearly 10 years since her death. She was likely the best friend I may ever have, I met you only a couple of times.
I googled her name and 'Sacred Harp' and found your most beautifully written tribute to her that you wrote just 3 days after her death in the year 2000. I know it would have made her cry with happiness and gratitude. She loved you a lot. Many times she would somewhat breathlessly mention 'Charlie' to me and I know that your friendship meant so much to her.
I wish I'd seen your gorgeously heartfelt tribute to her 10 years ago, but I'm just as happy to see it now, when she popped into my head.
She and I spoke every day, and I had spoken with her just 4 hours before I got a phone call from my Dad that she was gone. One of Susan's favorite aunts, Theresa, just passed away last month at the age of 105. How I wish that Susan could have had such longevity.
In your writing of Susan, you most certainly were spot-on about the inseparable 'Dot-Susan' bond. My Aunt Dot outlived Susan by nearly 7 years, she died in June of 2007 and I truly hope that she and Susan are somewhere beautiful together now, chatting happily as they often did, and, once again, your name was one I often recall that they mentioned with great happiness at having such a good friend in you. So, I bet they're still talking about you, and when I read your obituary/tribute, I said outloud 'Oh, Susan, you won't believe what I just read'. Thank You so much, Mr. Baum.
Susan called me 'Kolya' usually, most of the family called or calls me Nick, I first met you when I was about 19 years old at a party Dot and Susan had at their house, I know I was annoyingly vacuous. Sorry. 19 will do that to you. I think I finally outgrew it somewhere around 35. Susan was very dear to me, always, and I thank you again for your most touching, wonderfully written tribute to her.
Best Wishes,
Nikolaj Mikita

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 03 Apr 10 - 06:37 PM

Sure. A pacifist can sing a song about war. A non-killer can sing Sam Hall. Any song can be sung by anyone anywhere. I wouldn't sing the Wessel-Horst song without a helluva lot of context to explain why I sang it. The same would be true for Dixie (which is a great tune corrupted by Southern bigots).

African-American spirituals and gospel music are beautiful and don't require any belief in them.

Amazing Grace is a lovely piece of music and requires no belief in it whatever except that
I like the anti-slavery sentiment and agree with that part of it.

Can a non-political person sing a political song? Is there any such animal as a non-political person? (Questionable).

You don't have to be a Calvinist to appreciate the majesty of St. Mathews Passion by J.S. Bach.

I can't get into sacred harp shape note stuff, though. It sounds like a lot of yelling
signifying nothing but that's my take. Others may not agree.

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: buddhuu
Date: 03 Apr 10 - 08:20 PM

As a very staunch (but not evangelical) atheist, believe me, I can sing whatever the heck I like - believer, atheist, pop...

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 03 Apr 10 - 08:30 PM

Beeliner:
"Can blue men sing the whites?
Or are they hyp-o-crites?"

That would be Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell on bass guitar, then :-)

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 04 Apr 10 - 11:17 AM

Well, Bach wrote some pretty good masses, though he was never a Catholic...

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Cruiser
Date: 09 Apr 10 - 09:49 PM

Interesting new comments. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: Rowan
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 12:02 AM

At the (Oz) National Folk Festival, every Easter, Sunday morning is the occasion for a Hymn Singing session, scheduled to occur at the same time as the Poets' Breakfast and the judging of the new dances in the TSDAV Dance Competition.

I'm sure there are a few believers there but I can assure you that many of those who lead the singing are atheists/agnostics/non-believers. Some years ago a few preachifiers sought to proselytise but were politely asked to take their proselytising elsewhere, as this was a singing session where love of harmonies was paramount.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Can An Atheist Sing Believer Songs?
From: GUEST,Steamin' Willie
Date: 10 Apr 10 - 02:03 PM

if you have issues, then it is simple...

As there is nothing to believe, there are no such thing as believers. Hence, anybody can sing anything...

For instance, I did that old Stan Crowther classic The Vicar and the Frog the other night. I changed it slightly to call it The Priest and the Frog, to make it a) topical and b) factual...

Ok, not a believer song, more a song about believers...

In a free society you can sing about anything, superstition included. And the best bit is, blasphemy is a victimless crime.