Can Religion Move An Atheist?

[Duncer]

I would have thought not, but I watched this woman sing live many times. It didn't make me religious, but the sheer quality and beauty of her voice made me well up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6vR-TQ7n68

[FredPuli43]

"Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?" asked William Booth, on hearing the tune of "Champagne Charlie is my Name". And that's the point, surely, it is the tunes that are attractive, properly performed. Only someone impressionable would be persuaded to believe in the truth of the lyrics because the song was good. Beethoven's Choral Symphony is a great work, but the lyrics lose me when they argue that there must be creator above the stars who is helping us, the evidence being that the world is essentially happy! But for all that, it's intensely moving.

[Zacs-Master]

Move them to what?

[Duncer]

Believe.

Fredpuli, I was brought up to believ, , (then something went wrong), but I still love the likes of Judy Collins, and still find it uplifting, but there is no religous involvement whatsoever.

[bestdriver]

What about Susan Boyle eh?.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JtAz1gnvBM

[Duncer]

What about her?

[baza]

What went wrong Duncer or is it too painful or personal or both?

[Duncer]

Nothing wrog baz - I have an awareness of religious music, thanks to my Presbyterian upbringing, but I long ago leant towards atheism.

[Duncer]

If you're asking can a religious person's acts, deeds and writings cause a non-believer to be moved to tears then yes, of course they can.

Just because a religious person can sing beautifully or write the most amazingly moving prose does not validate their beliefs.

Birdie, my thoughts were more, would those of an atheistic bent disallow/disavow a beautiful song like this purely because the connotations were religious?

[Quizmonster]

Can humming be beautiful? I'd say it could, so the meaning or intention of a song might be largely inconsequential. A song is generally just words set to music, so I am sure someone could compose a 'hate-song' that sounded wonderful, especially if it was in a language other than his/her own.
In musical and religious terms, Gregorian chant is beautiful, but I would never allow that to persuade me that those singing it are right to believe in a supernatural god who loves me...and I too had a Kirk of Scotland upbringing.

[Quizmonster]

When I wrote "his/her own" above, I was of course referring to the listener and not the composer!

[FredPuli43]

Would an atheist disavow a piece because it was religious ? They shouldn't . That's reminiscent of people banning Wagner because of he was anti-semitic and the Nazis liked his works, or Stalin's banning Sibelius's work because of the Finnish patriotism in some of it. Even the Horst Wessel song has quite a good tune and is enjoyable at that level, though the sentiment of the words is hardly agreeable and they have unhappy connotations.

Who would refuse to listen to the Hallelujah Chorus, or not be affected by it, because it celebrates something they don't believe in or regard as corrupting? That's as bigoted a stance as that of any 'relgionist'.

[modeller]

Most of the great operatic arias that move us are in Italian ! Their content is totally irrelevant and frequently irreligious. .

[argorstran]

For me it wasn't religion or beautiful singing that moved me but the living world that I see around me , particularly insects and plants . Something "clicks" one day and it dawns on you - the complexity and interdependence of the living world .
I've read many answers and seen very good points made by atheist contributors , but I can't see how life occurred randomly or created itself .

[modeller]

argorstran #but I can't see how life occurred randomly or created itself . #

OK ! But neither can you say, that God did. Unless you claim God created himself. ?

[sandyRoe]

It's moved a few here in R&S to anger.

[China Doll]

Well it won't move me to belief but of course I can be touched by religious music, art, buildings etc... You don't have to believe to appreciate the good stuff. But it won't make me believe in God or some other deity.

[Infomaniac]

As an atheist, religion does not move me, and I find it incredible that someone should think that just because I don't believe in the existence of a god or gods that I should be immune to the beauty of music, whatever its context.

[naomi24]

Religion has been known to move me to tears.