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deucemagnet

(4,549 posts)
21. "Dear God" is my favorite,
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 08:51 AM
Apr 2014

but I like the message in pretty much everything by Bad Religion.

From their Wiki page:

Religion

Faith in your partner, your fellow men, your friends, is very important, because without it there's no mutual component to your relationship, and relationships are important. So, faith plays an important role, but faith in people you don't know, faith in religious or political leaders or even people on stages, people who are popular in the public eye, you shouldn't have faith in those people. You should listen to what they have to say and use it.

— Greg Graffin[78]

Despite the name of the band, or the band's logo, the members do not consider themselves antitheist. Singer Greg Graffin states that more often than not, the band prefers to use religion as a metaphor for anything that does not allow for an individual's freedom to think or express themselves as they choose. In this way, their songs are more about anti-conformity than anti-religion.[79] Contrary to popular belief, Greg Graffin does not identify himself as an atheist, but chooses to identify as a naturalist.

Wired Magazine came out with a big exposé of "the new atheists". I was interviewed for it—and yet I think I was included as a sidebar but not as a main feature and I think the main reason they did that was because they noticed that I wasn't that happy billing myself as an atheist. To me it just doesn't say that much; it doesn't say much about you. Instead I bill myself as a naturalist, which I think says a lot more. Because a naturalist is someone who... first of all—they study natural science, and they have a hopeful message—I think—to send to the world, which is... we can agree on what the truth is... and it has to be through experimentation, verification, and new discoveries, followed by more verification. So... if we can agree on those terms, we can agree that the truth changes, based on new discoveries, and the structure of science is such that you can never be so sure of something, because a new discovery can rework the framework—it can reconstruct the framework of your science and you have to look at the world differently. That makes it a very dynamic and exciting place to be. And if you say "you're an atheist", it's not really saying much about how you came to that conclusion. But if you say "you're a naturalist", I think it says something. You've reached that point because you've studied science, because you believe there's a fundamental way of looking at the world that is part of a long tradition. And so, I prefer naturalist.

— Greg Graffin[80]

Despite this, he did co-author the book Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant?, which is based on a series of lengthy debates about science and religion between Graffin and historian Preston Jones.[81] In 2010, Graffin released Anarchy Evolution, in which he promotes his naturalist worldview.[82]

The band's bassist Jay Bentley has stated that he has spiritual beliefs.[83] Brett Gurewitz is a "provisional deist."

On March 24, 2012 Bad Religion headlined the Reason Rally in Washington, D.C., sharing the stage with the likes of Eddie Izzard, Richard Dawkins, Tim Minchin and James Randi.[84]

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Either Red Red wine, or Sweet Jane by that Canadian gal ChairmanAgnostic Apr 2014 #1
Did not know either of those songs Beearewhyain Apr 2014 #2
Don't know any songs about A&A. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2014 #3
I prefer "42" as said by the prophet Douglas Adams Beearewhyain Apr 2014 #4
Mose Allison-Modest Proposal skepticscott Apr 2014 #5
I likely Shelley Segal's "My Morality" TxDemChem Apr 2014 #6
Nine Inch Nails - Heresy Act_of_Reparation Apr 2014 #7
I remember back when I was 8 or 9 or 10, a couple of lines from Sweet Baby James kinda struck me. Iggo Apr 2014 #8
This message was self-deleted by its author Bryce Butler Apr 2014 #9
I like that one. LostOne4Ever Apr 2014 #28
another little bit of musical history I'd never heard RussBLib Apr 2016 #57
God Will Fuck You Up frogmarch Apr 2014 #10
One of mine because it made me spit coffee Duppers Apr 2016 #53
Dead Kennedys, "Religious Vomit" onager Apr 2014 #11
I also a bad religion fan LostOne4Ever Apr 2014 #29
This message was self-deleted by its author bananasplitbaby Apr 2014 #12
One of my top faves... bananasplitbaby Apr 2014 #13
white wine in the sun Rainforestgoddess Apr 2014 #14
Arrghhh! That made me cry! PassingFair Apr 2014 #22
Oops, sorry n/t Rainforestgoddess Apr 2014 #24
"Dear God" is my favorite, but here are two new ones getting airplay: Arugula Latte Apr 2014 #15
liked that Portugal. The Man song. progressoid Apr 2014 #18
"I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground" greendog Apr 2014 #16
You just had to ask... Warpy Apr 2014 #17
Praise the Lord! ... eom Kolesar Aug 2017 #60
I don't know that this is atheist, Curmudgeoness Apr 2014 #19
Imagine edhopper Apr 2014 #20
Lennon, nuff said. AlbertCat Apr 2014 #35
Great as well. edhopper Apr 2014 #39
Yes, " Imagine" for the win! n/t oppressedproletarian Sep 2017 #61
"Dear God" is my favorite, deucemagnet Apr 2014 #21
Don't know if this song counts, but the lyrics seem atheistic to me.... PassingFair Apr 2014 #23
Freewill by Rush Rainforestgoddess Apr 2014 #25
Vatican Rag - Ton Lehrer intaglio Apr 2014 #26
Finally, one I've heard of! Jgarrick Apr 2014 #27
Sorrow by Bad Religion LostOne4Ever Apr 2014 #30
A recent lounge thread asked for protest songs OriginalGeek Apr 2014 #31
Frank Turner - Glory Hallelujah AtheistCrusader Apr 2014 #32
A little tune called "Atheists Don't Have No Songs"... NeoGreen Apr 2014 #33
"Hallelujah"... NeoGreen Apr 2014 #34
Wait.... No one likes...? AlbertCat Apr 2014 #36
Because there's bugger all down here an Earth... uriel1972 Apr 2014 #38
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life... NeoGreen Apr 2014 #37
My namesake, as it were.. opiate69 Apr 2014 #40
Hymn Number 43, Jethro Tull iwillalwayswonderwhy Apr 2014 #41
Old Time Religion (Pete Seeger) NeoGreen Apr 2014 #42
"Nietzsche" by The Dandy Warhols wavesofeuphoria Apr 2014 #43
Also "Where The Birds Always Sing" by The Cure wavesofeuphoria Apr 2014 #44
Die Gedanken Sind Frei (Thoughts are Free) NeoGreen May 2014 #45
O Lord, please don't burn us, NeoGreen May 2014 #46
Question - Moody Blues NeoGreen Jun 2014 #47
Ain't It The Truth NeoGreen Jul 2014 #48
Jerry Falwell's God NeoGreen Jul 2014 #49
200 Atheist Songs NeoGreen Apr 2016 #50
Excellent list! nt mr blur Apr 2016 #54
Yep! Found the list after following your link to the "rebuttal" article... NeoGreen Apr 2016 #56
In the Name of God – Ziggy Marley pokerfan Apr 2016 #51
Cathedral – Crosby Stills and Nash pokerfan Apr 2016 #52
“Fuck the creationists” by MC Hawking mr blur Apr 2016 #55
Eagles - The Last Resort drm604 Apr 2016 #58
St. Peter's Cathedral - Death Cab for Cutie progressoid Apr 2016 #59
Imagine no religion...... LakeArenal Sep 2017 #62
God Isn't Real-Robbie Fulks utopian Sep 2017 #63
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