History Main / ReligionRantSong

* SJ Tucker wrote such a song when a friend of hers was harassed by an allegedly delusional Facebook stalker. She was quick to point out at her performances that 'Go Away, God-boy' wasn't an 'anti-religious' song, it was an 'anti-creepy-Facebook-stalker-who-thinks-they're-Jesus' song.

* Music/JohnLennon's "Music/{{Imagine}}" is about as non-angry a Type 2 example as you can get, as it's mainly a song about peace, with religion and the wars fought over it being a primary obstacle to that peace. Of course, the song seems to imply that all war would vanish if religion (and certain other social forces) did, making [[DaydreamBeliever Lennon]] a bit of an [[WideEyedIdealist Idealist]].

* Music/{{Metallica}}'s "The God That Failed" is a Type 2 rail against blind faith, with the lyrics and song material inspired by James Hetfield's anguish about the circumstances surrounding the death of his mother, who refused medical treatment of her cancer and solely relied on the belief that God would heal her.

Visible, unlike your God above.''\

* Music/TheOcean has two albums filled with this, Heliocentric and Anthropocentric. Mostly attacking the Catholic leaders, the treatment of heretics, and apologetics.

* Heavy Metal band The Showdown's song "Fanatics & Whores" is a rant about televangelists and others who use religion to get money. Notably, this the Showdown are in fact a Christian band ([[NotChristianRock sort of]]).

** The song was originally written in 1980 and aimed at the then-Iranian theocracy, who were holding a lot of American hostages. It has gained a new lease on life in recent years.

* Music/FrankZappa tends to be even more brutal in his Type 3 songs than his Type 2. "Heavenly Bank Account" on ''You Are What You Is'' is about Televangelists in general, whereas "Token of My Extreme" on ''Music/JoesGarage'' is about a Religious Leader name of L. Ron Hoover. [[ChurchOfHappyology Not real transparent, that.]] And then there are the live versions one can find of "Penguin in Bondage" and "Lonesome Cowboy Jim (Nee Burt)" on the album "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". about Jimmy Swaggart and his failure to live up to his own preaching.

* Music/CannibalCorpse's "When Death Replaces Life" is an interesting example, purely because their lyrics are mostly just over-the-top violence and gore and then you have this song, criticising religion.

* Much of Dismember's "The god that never was" album, most notably the eponymous song, "Blood for Paradise" and "Where no ghost is holy", which proclaims all religions adversary.

* Music/{{Samael}}'s "The Cross" is a mix of Type 2 and Type 3, specifically against Christianity: "harvest of love and light, dictated by war and hate, supported by those who hide. It lives in your mind, whatever you may say, whoever you may pray; Christianity worldwide.

"Hate the God": The GodIsEvil[=/=]RageAgainstTheHeavens song consists of attacks on a deity that ''is'' actually believed in (though not necessarily by the singer) and objected to. A subset of these are angry versions of HaveYouSeenMyGod, or demands that the deity explain what they think they're playing at, and/or whether they're really what they say they are. Parodies that are a TakeThat at a deity itself also land here. As do pretty much all musical examples of GodIsFlawed. "You don't exist!" as a TakeThat and "if there ''is'' a God, s/he's a bastard" themes also fall under this heading.

* Music/FrankZappa tends to be even more brutal in his Type 3 songs than his Type 2. "Heavenly Bank Account" on ''You Are What You Is'' is about Televangelists in general, whereas "Token of My Extreme" on ''Music/JoesGarage'' is about a Religious Leader name of L. Ron Hoover. Not real transparent, that. And then there are the live versions one can find of "Penguin in Bondage" and "Lonesome Cowboy Jim (Nee Burt)" on the album "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life". about Jimmy Swaggart and his failure to live up to his own preaching.

* Creator/PattiSmith's ''Set Me Free!" is on one level a straightforward performance of the Twenty-Third Psalm sandwiched with musical verses. one interpretation is that she is saying she is not opposed to the worship of a God - but He had better damn well be worthy of her devotion. She drops the strong hint that so far, He isn't.

1. The GodIsEvil[=/=]RageAgainstTheHeavens song consists of attacks on a deity that ''is'' actually believed in (though not necessarily by the singer) and objected to. A subset of these are angry versions of HaveYouSeenMyGod, or demands that the deity explain what they think they're playing at, and/or whether they're really what they say they are. Parodies that are a TakeThat at a deity itself also land here. As do pretty much all musical examples of GodIsFlawed. "You don't exist!" as a TakeThat and "if there ''is'' a God, s/he's a bastard" themes also fall under this heading.

2. The AuthorFilibuster ReligionIsWrong[=/=]OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions rant song is about calling out religion as a pernicious influence, or based on false beliefs, or both. Like the first, this one need not imply atheism, though it often does, and is compatible with JesusWasWayCool type sentiments towards particular deities/religious figures, while attacking UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar, the ChurchMilitant, the PathOfInspiration, what [[ValuesDissonance its singers perceive]] as a ReligionOfEvil, or similar things. This one may also come in calmer versions. Parodies that are a TakeThat at a religion as a whole or at its followers usually land here.

3. The Calling Out The Leaders rant song includes songs about losing faith in prophets/gurus/religious leaders and/or specific {{Take That}}s at a specific leader of a PathOfInspiration or perceived ConMan or ScamReligion or KnightTemplar or MoralGuardian, whether or not this also extends to losing faith in the relevant deity/deities or religion. Parodies that are a TakeThat at a leader or a specific subgroup within a religion (e.g. a ConMan or a group of MoralGuardians) are here, no matter how much followers of said religion might insist they are Type 1.

[[folder:Type 1 "Hate the God"]]

[[folder: Type 2: "Hate the Faithful"]]

[[folder: Type 3 "Hate the Leaders"]]

* Most of Judas' numbers in ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar'' tend to fall here, though they could also be read as type 1.

The opposite, of course, is ChristianRock, although it certainly isn't impossible for a Christian band to pull out the third kind, or one of the other two if it's aimed at another religion than their own. Not to be confused with NotChristianRock, which is for songs that are only ambiguously about religion.

Their imaginary friend will tell me what to do\\

---> [[SarcasmMode HALLELUJAH, I'm saved!]]
---> Just a dozen steps and twenty-eight days!
---> It's a miracle, I'll be born again
---> With the lord as my shepard, I will find a way!
---> '''FUCK YOUR FAITH!!!''' No ones gonna save you!

* Music/{{Rush}} has several songs that protest organized religion and superstitions without being atheistic. Freewill protests the concepts of predestination and astrology. Totem pokes fun at various practices of various organized religions. Compare with Prime Mover, which is a Deist song that mentions something (likely someone) behind the scenes in the universe (setting clouds in motion) while allowing humans autonomy.

* Music/CannibalCorpse's ''When Death Replaces Life'' is an interesting example, purely because their lyrics are mostly just over-the-top violence and gore and then you have this song, criticising religion.

--> ''I don't believe in a god, let's leave religion out of all this''
--> ''I don't remember promising my life and soul to bring you all bliss''
--> ''If I am what you say, I expect to be hanging from a wooden cross''
--> ''When all this is done, it's done''

* "Rip" by Music/GaryNuman. "I'll rip the skin from God's face. I'll say I'm searching for the truth. I steal the light from heavens gates, if it can guide me to you."

* Music/{{FearFactory}} did several of these. For example "Christploitation".

* An increasingly favorite subject of Music/TheUsed, who were raised in an abusive, oppressive Mormon community. Their lead singer, Bert [=McCracken=] left the church experimented with a variety of religions before deciding that none of them worked and is now an atheist who believ;es that we as a society have moved beyond a need for religion . Songs relating to this include "Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)", "On the Cross" and "Make Believe".

* Everything by ''Fleshgod Apocalypse.''

* Music/MitchBenn did an homage to "With God On Our Side" updated from the UsefulNotes/ColdWar (where the enemy was atheist) to UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror (where the enemy was ''also'' claiming a religious justification): "These Days It Seems God is On Everyone's Side".

* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': Orel was cast as Judas and had to do a song about hating Jesus. He ended up giving such a blockbuster performance that people began singing "I hate you Jesus, you rotten little fink!" ''in church.''

* Connor Oberst's "When the president talks to God" (type 2, by way of TakeThat, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush).

--> ''I hate this prudish troop that believes that they are perfect\\
Who swears that their sect is the only correct\\

* Music/MitchBenn did an homage to "With God On Our Side" updated from UsefulNotes/TheColdWar (where the enemy was atheist) to UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror (where the enemy was ''also'' claiming a religious justification): "These Days It Seems God is On Everyone's Side".

* Derek Webb's "Wedding Dress" is one where the singer takes aim at the "prosperity gospel" doctrine by asking if having only the Lord is all he should want in this life or should he go after "other lovers" (namely having cash) before his WeddingDay to the Lord.

* Music/{{Madonna}}'s "Oh Father", which is not only a rant against her abusive father, but also against God the Father, as she was raised without her mother in a strict Catholic home.