Transatlantic - superb band, but those religious..

b) Whether the artist meant it or not, you can take it as a role/character they're playing for effect, rather than a representation of their world view.

 

For example, Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel has one of the most shocking and irresponsible lyrical messages you're likely to find in a pop song. Yet I don't mind it because sonically it's fairly well constructed. Does Underwood actually think that in times of crisis we should abandon action and just hope things work out? Does she actually recommend that struggling mothers in traffic accidents with sleeping children in the back seat shouldn't even try to do anything but throw their hands up in the air and hope ghosts or other invisible life forms descend from the sky to rectify the situation? Probably not. But she was playing a character to appeal to a demographic who find the notion that in times of crisis, it's all up to Jesus, reassuring. I'm not part of that demographic but it wasn't news to me that it exists and is large enough to market product to, no reason to get upset about it.

 

Here's a good song with a Christian lyrics that I find kinda badass, about a woman whose abusive ex-partner comes back to her saying he's reformed and has found Jesus. Here's the chorus, but you might like to skip to the video and hear it for yourself:

 

"You say I should stay with you

That Jesus forgives you

You pray I will, but I won't

The difference is, Jesus loves you, I don't"

Ouch, I wince every time.