# Atheists & religious works.



## wiganwarrior (Jan 6, 2012)

Now I've settled in to the Talk Classical site, I thought I'd post my first new thread rather than just reponding to existing ones. Apologies if this has been discussed before but I would welcome views on the following question. Do you think someone who is an atheist can appreciate a religious/spiritual work as deeply as someone who is a believer? And, whether your answer is Yes or No, why do you think so?


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

We just had this thread.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

We did indeed have this question quite recently, so don't take it personally if people don't respond with vigour. For reference, we came to a unanimous agreement that atheists appreciate religious works more than religious people do.


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## wiganwarrior (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks for letting me know. I hadn't seen it anywhere. At least now I won't be disappointed with the lack of replies! I'm still interested in the results though - could you perhaps point me in the right direction (when was it discussed etc) as I'm still finding my way around the site.


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## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

*Summary of the entire thread:*

Music cannot communicate any ideas by itself (i.e. a B minor chord in a Bach mass or a Shostakovich tango is still the same thing). The only thing that makes a difference is the context. Without the context, one either has to consider all music to be inherently religious/spiritual/whatever, or none of it to be so. It's just like the famous duck-rabbit:








No context, no agreement. Just different worlds and experiences.

QED.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If it's any consolation I can't really recall the previous thread either but in my case the answer to your question is an unequivocal 'yes' - I don't need to be a believer to be able to appreciate the beauty, profundity and whatever else in a work with devotion at its core. In fact, sacred works amount to a fair old number in my collection, whether they be Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox or Jewish!


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

http://www.talkclassical.com/17199-do-you-need-believe.html


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## wiganwarrior (Jan 6, 2012)

*The right result*



elgars ghost said:


> If it's any consolation I can't really recall the previous thread either but in my case the answer to your question is an unequivocal 'yes' - I don't need to be a believer to be able to appreciate the beauty, profundity and whatever else in a work with devotion at its core. In fact, sacred works amount to a fair old number in my collection, whether they be Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox or Jewish!


Thanks - from an atheist, one of whose favourite works, believe it or not, is none other than Mahler's Resurrection Symphony!.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

i think the chances are an atheist will get more from it than a christian.

the modern christian with their rap music and excessive drinking probably isn't into classical music religious or not.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

LordBlackudder said:


> i think the chances are an atheist will get more from it than a christian.
> 
> the modern christian with their rap music and excessive drinking probably isn't into classical music religious or not.


Oh dear me!


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