Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing

andoneheadcanneverdie:

The Wonder Years - I Won’t Say the Lord’s Prayer

It’s a series of bars, thrift stores and churches lining the streets
While women with gold crosses push kids into half-formed beliefs
If Lot was righteous, I think I’d rather not be
We lean on fences built from out-dated morality
It’s a gang mentality
It’s a dangerous thing
They don’t ask you to think, just to repeat after me
And assume you’re too careless to look at it critically
You’ll stop progress if it contradicts what you’re told to believe
I refuse to spend life on my knees

These billboards that flaunt these scare tactics
Make me think you’re only good if you’re afraid of being punished
Every single Sunday, church bells wake me up
But it’s never enough to pull me out of bed

The church on Main Street has got its doors painted red
And I guess it’s so the Angel of Death passes over it
On its way to get gas
The church over on Broad Street has got a neon sign that says Jesus Save Me
And I guess it’s so God can see from where he is in the cheap seats
I refuse to spend life on my knees
And I won’t let somebody else make my decisions for me
If we’re all just Christians or Lions
Then I think I’d rather be on the side with sharper teeth
I don’t need saving

I like this album a lot, but this song presents a disappointingly shallow view of religion and faith. If you’re going to write a song about your beliefs and criticize the beliefs of others, you should be awfully careful about stereotyping - and I think Soupy fails in that regard.

I’m fine if people don’t believe what I believe…and there are certainly Christians out there who I don’t agree with and who I feel misrepresent what Jesus stands for and present a picture of Christianity that I’m not personally comfortable with…

That said, what bothers me most about this song is this sense that Christianity is some kind of oppressive force telling me how to live my life. Are there Christians out there who present Christianity the way Soupy’s portraying it? I’m afraid there probably are. And if that’s been Soupy’s experience with the church, I find that really, really sad. Because to me, Christianity isn’t some oppressive code of conduct - it’s a belief in love and kindness and looking out for each other; a belief that our lives have meaning and purpose; a belief that God is present in my life and in the lives of those around me - it’s a way I want to live my life, not a way I’m forced to.

And yeah, you can love others and look out for each other and not be a Christian - and if that’s your choice, I respect that. But don’t misrepresent my faith as scare tactics or a gang mentality. I’m a Christian - but this song doesn’t come close to presenting a picture of the God I know.