Ian Andersons religious beliefs....

The Lost Chord wrote: anyone know em?  I notice in his lyrics sometimes he talks abouit religion, but i dont know what he believs, if he is anti or what...seems like it sometimes.

well he certainly dislikes organized religions (his attacks on Aqualung are quite clear) but I do not believe the man is atheist or even agnostic> I think he talks a bit about that in his Live At The Isle Of Wight DVD but he does not really offer a definitive opinion

The Lost Chord wrote: anyone know em?  I notice in his lyrics sometimes he talks abouit religion, but i dont know what he believs, if he is anti or what...seems like it sometimes.

Believe in Something... does not have to embrace a religion...

His solo albums have been axed towards Indian Sacred music! And since Indians are polytheists (plural divinities/gods)

Damn good albums too! except for that dreadful 83 release

Ian isn't anti-Christian or anti-God, although some people got that from the lyrics of the Aqualung album. Ian says there are actually burnt copies of the Aqualung album on bonfires. But the people who think that didn't understand what Ian would say.

He is anti-orginised religion in the way that churches abuse their power to get things happen in the (political) way they want (as the "bloody Church of England" has done in the past). It also isn't against Christianity (Jewish) only, but to all forms of religion. But in the 70's there were not so much Muslims in the Western World.

Also he 'hates' the hypocritics: only pray to God when things are going wrong.

I hope some of these quote's are making things clearer:


My God:

"People what have you done: Locked Him in His golden cage.
Made Him bend to your religion, Him resurrected from the grave.
He is the God of nothing, if that's all that you can see."

(...)

"So lean upon Him gently, and don't call on Him to save you
from your social graces, and the sins you used to waive."

(...)

"And the graven image you-know-who with His plastic crusifix
- he's got him fixed -
confuses me as to who and where and why, as to how He gets His kicks."

(...)

"You'll be praying till next Thursday to all the Gods that you can count."


Hymn 43:

"Oh Father high in heaven, smile down upon your son,
who's busy with his money games, his woman and his gun.
Oh Jesus save me."

(...)

"If Jesus saves well, He'd better same Himself,
from the gory glory seekers, who use His name in death."

(...)


Wind-Up:

"When I was young, and they packed me off to school,
and taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
or if they said that I was just a fool.
So I left there in the morning,
with their God tucked underneath my arm -
their half-assed smiles and the Book of rules.
So I asked this God a question,
and by way of firm reply,
He said: "I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays."
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares):
before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers -
I don't believe you: You had the whole damn thing all wrong.
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays."
Well you can excommunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines -
how do you dare tell me that I'm my Father's son,
when that was just an accident of birth.
I'd rather look around me - compose a better song,
'cos that's the honest measure of my worth.
In your pomp and all your glory, you're a poorer man than me,
as you lick the boots of death born out of fear."


A Christmas Song:

"Once in royal David's city stood a lonely cattle shed,
where a mother held her baby, you'd do well to remember the things He later said.
When you're stuffing yourselves at Christmas parties,
you just laugh when I tell you to make a running jump;
you're missing the point I'm sure does not need making:
that Christmas spirit is not what you drink.
So how can you laugh when you're own mother's hungry?
And how can you smile, when the reasons for smiling are wrong?"

(...)


But also in the more recent era Ian has critics on religion, especially on the Roots To Branches album (which was written before 11th September).


Roots To Branches:

"I hope the Old Man's got His face on.
He'd better be some quick change artist."

* Christians, Muslims and Jewish all calling to the same God and claim He's on their side.


Valley:

"Has anybody seen Mozes?
Get him off that mountain.
Bring back the Tablets of stone.
It's a wise, wise prophet
(who keeps his own council).
Yeah, leave the other man's wife alone."

* Although their are very good things in religion (go back to the fundamental 10 commandments), Ian gives a sneer to the church ("who keeps his own council"), especially when you know this is written during the Yougoslavia-war, and the church supports Milosevic etc.


Dangerous Veils:

"Name of the Father ringing in her head,
thinking over what the Prophet said.
Words and tradition bind her in their spell,
don't drink the water from this holy well."

"(... ) though you might hate me just the same."

* About the hate of (radical) Muslims of the Western society. So their can't realy come contact between these two people in the song (a Western man (Ian?) and a dancing girl from the East).


So, Ian isn't anti-God or anti-religion, but he often refers to it in his songs ('Aqualung', 'Divinities: Twelve Dances With God', 'Roots To Branches') to make clear he don't like the way much people interpret religion, and the way they behave themself to it.