....yeah, the right to choose......you are completely right my dear, favorite singer. This song absolutely hit my soul. In my personal opinion Florence sings about an inner and an outer conflict at the same time. Sehe believes in God. But all the cruelties and bad things in the world made her an enemy. So she is fighting for righteousness and truth. In the End she decides against God, because he messed with her and all the others. So she decides to meet the devil and made a pact.......
I know what she means but how can you say that about the one who created you and gave you every good thing you’ve ever experienced in life? The one who provides for you with food, water and shelter, and continuously protects you from evil and harm
This is a good question, and there are many reasons for that. In the longer recording of the introduction, she says "When everything shut down (during the pandemic) I had a very Old Testament-style anger at the sky. I had this idea that if i was... cast out of heaven, then I would have to go back to where I belong... which is hell, because the devil was an angel at first. The thing is, so many things done in the name of God are actually about domination, and so I would like to dedicate this song to everyone fighting for the right to choose!" While there are several things to unpack here, it comes down to this: when people read the Old Testament without the help of the Holy Spirit / without the context of the New Testament, it gives them the impression that God is a ruthless dictator. This view is then strenghtened by legalistic doctrine ("you have to be perfect before you can be saved"), organised religion (wars, oppression and forced conversion being some of the domination Florence is referring to - in other words, religious abuse) and the lies of the enemy ("you don't deserve to be saved", "you're a sinner (*bad person)" and the combination of all three results in people saying things like "God is going to have to beg for MY forgiviness" because for them, God has become synonymous with the crimes committed in his name; ergo, God is the one to be against. She is right in saying that everyone has to have the right to choose if they believe in God or not, because a relationship cannot be coerced - otherwise it's unhealthy. But of course, none of that matters unless the image and perception of God itself is restored to reflect his actual nature - the God who loves, heals and sets us apart from the things that are destroying us -- and we can't do that by our own efforts. While for Christians, the view could not be more of the opposite (God redeems us onto himself and delivers us from our burdens because he loves us, and we follow Him because we choose to), most people just don't see it this way - because if they did, they would most likely be christians themselves. As for how Florence has arrived at these conclusions -- I believe she has been in the church choir when she was younger, hearing some of the Bible (later reading some of the Old Testament) and receiving the more strict treatment from church superiors at that time. Spiritual and supernatural themes have been prevalent in her lyrics throughout the years, of which she has made her own interpretations, often through the lens of searching for some kind of light while still being in the darkness - but to what extent? Only she knows. I do believe she has an interest in these matters, and that's why I cherish any kind of indication of that interest, even if it comes through anger and questioning, because those are things we all go through, searching for the answers. I hope this little monologue helped answer your question !
@@davidwichman5424 Well, I replied with what I know of the subject, why shouldn't I? Obviously I direct everything to God because that's what I believe in - but we all have our own ideas as to what existence amounts to...
I think she referred to the manipulation of the subject God. Remember that in god name the man had done the worst atrocities. That God is nothing but a white man lie.
@@XnachopMunguia "in the name of God men have done the worst atrocities", yes; I mentioned that under organised (fundamental) religion - war and oppression, and I know she's also addressing the religious abuse against the LGBTQIA+ community
I have loved her for years. Disappointed she’s bringing up “the right to choose” (abortion) some girls are not given an option to choose and their families, boyfriends, husbands force them into something they don’t want and it hurts for the rest of their lives.
She's one of my favorite musical artists, but this song--such a defiant and terrible message. It rages against the wrong thing: it's the self-righteous people who speak in God's name, not the One they ignorantly misrepresent.
@@RyanS-if7ti understood. It's just that anger directed toward God (whether real or imagined) won't do anything to lessen the suffering here on earth. (Speaking from painful experience, I might add.) Peace.
@@Loenthall88 religion AND god have hurt many people. Who are you to tell someone how to feel or what to believe? When someone is hurting you don't tell them you know better and invalidate their very REAL pain. Peace.
@@faithdrake716 I don't believe I said I knew better, nor was I minimizing anyone's pain. To live here any length of time is to experience damage and loss. And yes, religion and things done in the name of God have done their share of damage, along with political systems and ideologies, dysfunctional families, sexual abuse, parental neglect, corporate greed and the usual litany of human and natural evils that inevitablye take their toll on us, both individually and societally. Peace back atcha.
