This interview was good because Bazan opened up in a very respectful but honest way. I know I wouldn't have the patience. Essentially, there is an intense curiosity as to why he isn't a Christian anymore and it's pretty easy to figure it out if you listen to Curse Your Branches or even just When We Fell. Get over it. He was once blind and now he can see.
I very much enjoyed this interview, in spite of the pool game going on in the background. It is good to hear others going through the same kinds of spiritual transitions that I am going through. Havent heard his music. But I will look him up.
thats kinda true, you can listen to alot of pedro songs and hear similar themes. most of those themes remained anchored in christianity when bazan's solo stuff is really disconnected from that foundation
I wish the people at Sojourners Magazine actually listened to Bazan's music and sent someone to ask some questions related to lyrics/ideas and stuff. It's not like the guy wrote a book.
David son: That's simply not true. Agnosticism isn't a separate belief system. It just means that you don't know for sure (which, let's face it, you can't). So a gnostic theist (let's say gnostic Christian) is someone who claims he "knows" his god exists. An agnostic Christian doesn't claim to know, but still believes (that's where faith actually comes in), similarly a gnostic atheist would claim that he knows there is no god, and an agnostic athiest just doesn't believe because it's unlikely that there is one, or that we can't know, or that there are too many to choose from, and all of them are very unlikely.
That's a self-contradiction Matthew. It's like saying he's a skeptical believer. Distinguish agnostic and atheist. They are two very different things. I would say he's agnostic giving his recent music and interviews. He doesn't deny God's existence, he just not committed to one religion.
@kondiwagle You should listen to his latest album "Strange Negotiations." The only allusions to faith made are done more in character descriptions (such as in "Virginia"). The track "Won't Let Go" is amazing.
I think he was disillusioned because he didn't see the love of Christ in the Christian community at large. When you become disillusioned you lose any sense of purpose you might have thought you had. What's the point of going on. That's the point. As a believer you press on and let God do His work through us. Let God do the judging. God will even avenge His faithful when wrong is done to us. This man seems like just the type of person God uses to spread His love through the gospel. It might not always make sense. And that's the way God likes it. Anyway, it will all makes sense in the end if we see our faith through.
Gnosticism has to do with a claim of knowledge. Theism has to do with belief. Saying that you believe and that you know are two different things. As an agnostic atheist, you don't believe that there is a god, but you don't really know either. There are gnostic and agnostic theists as well. So agnosticism isn't some third option to theism and atheism.
@goodlookinrebel5 - That's normal for anyone that's in new territory. He doesn't want to pretend to know things he doesn't - or to be a seasoned nonbeliever. All he knows is that Christianity isn't true.
I saw Bazan play a house show in Seattle a few years ago and found it strange that he was still wining about Christianity. Then I found out later that he only just recently "broke up" with Christianity. I find this all to be very strange, because all of his albums seem to reflect a general skepticism and angst about faith. I wonder what he would sing about if he didn't have the post Christian theme. That's what I want to hear; an album about other stuff.
Bazan is an agnostic atheist. He refuses to accept any dogma. I heard him discuss this with a fan after a show once. All this means is that he doesn't profess any knowledge of a god. I'm not sure what you mean by spiritual, but he doesn't claim to be a christian or anything else.
I don't think Bazan himself would disagree that he has a strong post christian theme running through his discography. I just don't think its interesting anymore.
This chicks like...yea.....yea......totally...While David in is characteristic melancholy voice talk about religion and politics in round-about terms. I may have gotten my hopes up about this interview. I was hoping David would be more lucid and concrete about his beliefs and the reasons he drifted from the church. I blame the interviewer.
