I'm glad that you asked this question, Brother Bill. You can sing with the Gospel Messengers anytime. We've often been at Festivals when our tenor wasn't able to make it, and we've had someone else sing the tenor harmony on a few songs. The most memorable occasion was at a NOMAD Festival, when Sandy Paton came up and sang a whole concert with us, with Frankie teaching Sandy the tenor parts on the spot. Joe, Frankie and I all knew that Sandy is an Atheist when we asked him to join us, and we had a great time. For us, we were singing a message. Sandy was singing a song. And that was fine.
On another occasion, we had someone we'd never met before sing a couple of songs with us, because he heard us singing in a stairwell, and was enjoying the music so much. For all I know, he could have been Jewish. We don't check credentials. This fall, when the Shellbacks Chorus comes over here, if we can get together with them, I've asked Colin, Sussex Carole and Noreen to sing with us, doubling up on harmonies with Joe, Frankie and Derrick. We're all excited about the possibility.

You and I come at this question from opposite directions Bill. And just as you are honest and straightforward about your beliefs, I will be, too. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and I am trying to live my life in as Christ-like a way as I can. You believe in honesty, generosity, the brotherhood of man, and in trying to live the most decent, loving, unselfish life that you can. You are a fine man, and someone I greatly respect and consider a friend. We may indeed come at life in a very different way, but I see the commoness in us, as I do in Sandy, Art Thieme and countless others who I have been blessed to know in my life. I see our common commitment to live the most honorable, selfless lives that we can, and at the heart of all of our lives is the desire to love and be loved. For me, God IS love. For you, and Sandy and Art and many others, love is love.

Does it make any difference whether or not you belive what you are singing, when you sing gospel? I believe it does. I've seen Frankie reduce people to tears, when he sings, "He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs." People are moved because they see the sincerity and depth of faith in Frankie's singing. He is often reduced to tears, himself and there are times when we can hardly keep singing because we are so deeply moved. And yet, we'd sing that song with you, Bill, and be happy to do it. We would sing what we believe, and you would sing what you believe.

So, for me the question isn't can you sing what you don't believe. The question is can you sing with someone if your beliefs are different? My answer to that, and the way that I live is, absolutely.

My wife and I watched one of our favorite movies the other night..Oklahoma. One of many favorite songs in the musical is The Farmer And The Cowman Should Be Friends. I think we should get Amos or Micca to write The Atheist and the Christian should be friends.

I've been in this forum over a year now, and even though I am here as a folksinger, I often feel that I am identified more as a Gospel Messenger. I read the endless threads on the desire for peace in the middle east. And yet, there are times when I don't see much peace in Mudcat. Sometimes, there's so much backbiting and bitching that I have to step back for a couple of days, because it can get so poisonous. Peace is everybody's business. It's easy to blast Bush and Blair (and I agree with just about everything that's said on here... except for some rather fuzzy conspiracy theories.) I am as upset and angry as the next person. But, where is the peace on Mudcat? What are each of us doing to bring peace here?

Can atheists sing gospel? Should Atheists sing gospel? Sure... sing what you enjoy singing. My only problem would be if someone is ridiculing what they're singing. But then, I'm not a great fan of ridicule. Someone could get hurt, doing that.

So, sing gospel and enjoy it. Christ was vilified for associating with the "wrong" people... even eating at their homes. I see us all as one, Bill, and I am proud to know you.

Jerry