Eddie Vedder is an Atheist...and I'm proud of him.

slightofjeff · July 2008

eldarion75 wrote:

exactly...Ed's always skirted around the God issue..he may be Bono's biggest fan but would you really want him turning into him??

and by the way..faithfull is about the lack of God..or anyone out there...read the lyrics..

I disagree. It isn't about a lack of God at all.

It's about religion being too full of different gods, not all of whom can be correct. The song "Faithfull" does not discount the notion that one of these religions could actually be correct when it comes to its concept of God.

It's just that we have no way of knowing which concept is correct.

Faithfull, if anything, seems to point to ed's belief that there is some sort of God or spiritual being out there.

slightofjeff · July 2008

mookieblalock wrote:

I really didn't want to get involved in this thread, but I will say at MSG I '08, Ed said he didn't believe in God, and that is an exact quote, but you can hear for yourself when the boot comes out next week. (Actually, I think he said, God, who I don't believe in)

You shouldn't believe everything Ed says on stage verbatim.
Especially when he's trying to make a funny.

Does Ed believe in the Judeo/Christian version of God? I doubt it.
Does he believe in some sort of god/higher power? I have no way of knowing for sure, but a good bit of his lyrics would lead you to believe he might.

At any rate, I wouldn't take his MSG comment as undeniable proof, one way or another.

Ledbetterman10 · July 2008

primussucks wrote:

Your post #46 is completely correct! Also, a religion is a belief correct??? Well atheism is also a belief. A belief that god doesn't exist. So in fact ATHEISM IS A RELIGION!

before he edited it though he had quoted himself by mistake and responded to something he had already written.

slightofjeff · July 2008

Surf Life wrote:

Are you kidding me?

He also says in the same song..

"But God is nowhere,..... To be found, conveniently"

That line doesn't necessarily mean that God doesn't exist. It just means He has nothing to do with both sides claiming killing in his name. He has nothing to do with this mess.

Rockin Rita · July 2008

EvilRabbit wrote:

Maybe he's proud that Ed has the balls to admit he doesn't believe in a God. Atheists are so hated in this country (America) that it takes courage to publicly express such doubt.

Maybe it is hard for us non atheists to wrap our heads around it

In My Dreams · July 2008

1wrdistillbelieve wrote:

I love your Rush tag...cool!

Thank you, I think you're cool for thinking so!

(P.S. which Rush tag?)

12345AGNST1 wrote:

LIES!!! Given To Fly is about god!!!! Ed is no atheist!

LIES!!! Given To Fly is about Jeff Ament.

In My Dreams · July 2008

Smellyman wrote:

Ed at MSG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoXh-DyNqr0

And of course the classic Carlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

May of both been posted, but it becomes painful to read through religious threads.

Thanks for the Carlin link, I hadn't seen it before.

Stephen Flow · July 2008

I think a lot of people say that they believe in God because it's the easy thing to do. I respect people who question everything in front of them and seek the truth. I just think that people should seek the truth for themselves and never stop questioning a thing... I grew up Catholic, but I'm in a better place right now because I've questioned and sought answers.

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting answers.

Hope that makes sense and didn't offend.

culot4 · July 2008

He is obviously a very spiritual person that doesn't believe in God in a religious sense, but believes in something bigger than himself. I think he believes in a power, or maybe he even wants to believe in God but he is just jaded.

To the people that keep throwing up your Carlin You Tube bits, you're so fucking phony. I'm sure that if the guy wasn't so recently deceased you would be using his comedy as the basis to support your stance on religion. Its so unbelievably tacky.

girlinthewhitepants · July 2008

I am an atheist and so is Ed. Cool! I knew there was something I liked about that guy...

jam_head · July 2008

slightofjeff wrote:

I disagree. It isn't about a lack of God at all.

It's about religion being too full of different gods, not all of whom can be correct. The song "Faithfull" does not discount the notion that one of these religions could actually be correct when it comes to its concept of God.

It's just that we have no way of knowing which concept is correct.

Faithfull, if anything, seems to point to ed's belief that there is some sort of God or spiritual being out there.

exactly

walkthamile · July 2008

The Long Road wrote:

This is from wikipedia in regards to eddie's religious beliefs. And I agree with this statement 100%. How many people have died and will die in this world in the name of Religion? My two friends would still be alive and working in the World Trade Center right now, if it weren't for religion playing such a major part in the destruction caused on 9/11. There is nothing wrong with being an atheist. Some people believe in God....and some don't.

[edit] Religion
Eddie Vedder is an atheist. There have been several instances in which Vedder has made athiest statements. At a concert in July 1998, he stated, "I would thank God, but I don't believe in it."[45] When asked in a 1998 interview about his feelings on God, Vedder responded:

"I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet -- [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the Earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me."[46]

I have always found it funny that Eddie regularly uses words like "prayer", "church" and "faith" quite favourably. All of these words have close ties with religion in some shape or form, particulalry Christianity and Judaism to some extent. He may claim to be athiest, however, I think he is clearly influenced by religion in a lot of ways.

People have such a negative view of religion, however, I believe if more people actually "understood" it from the perspective of the time that the Bible, for example, was written, they would understand that it is so much more than "5000 years of semi-recorded history", as Mr Vedder claims.

He's entitled to his opinion, however, Eddie, all of your good deeds, charity, care for the planet etc...all been said and done before in the very 5000 years of semi-recorded history that you refer to!

fuck · July 2008

walkthamile wrote:

of the time that the Bible, for example, was written

and which one of the (what is it, over 50?) versions are you referring to?

Lizardking · July 2008

I'm an Atheist also, Really...I Swear to God!!!

(really I am, I will say if there is a heaven, I'm sure I will have much better chance seeing Ed there and not Bush!!!

walkthamile · July 2008

_outlaw wrote:

and which one of the (what is it, over 50?) versions are you referring to?

Well, Old Testament scrolls found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls are almost identical to the last word of any current version, including the NRSV.

Not to sure what you're getting at...whichever version you pick up, you must take into consideration the time and circumstances that the they written in.

Smellyman2 · July 2008

culot4 wrote:

To the people that keep throwing up your Carlin You Tube bits, you're so fucking phony. I'm sure that if the guy wasn't so recently deceased you would be using his comedy as the basis to support your stance on religion. Its so unbelievably tacky.

boohoo

yes I always like to bring up dead people to support my beliefs.

catefrances · July 2008

Brainofdz wrote:

He certainly mentions God in his lyrics pretty often for someone who doesn't believe in one.

and in what context does ed mention him? is he questioning? are his words definitive in a belief in God? i dissect God a lot and im an atheist(as you know)

ed's a writer. if hes anything like me(and you i imagine), his head is full of all kinds of shit. he writes what he thinks has some weight of substance, what he thinks needs to be said. things that come from within himself. and things he sees in his world. and sometimes he writes songs like lukin. fun shit that probably means nothing of much depth.

Stone Irons · July 2008

catefrances wrote:

and sometimes he writes songs like lukin. fun shit that probably means nothing of much depth.

Lukin has depth if you know what was going on in his life at that time...

You can take a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukin_%28song%29

ajedigecko · July 2008

if the statement is true, it is these type of statements that only perpetuate the intolerance from both unbelievers and believers.

i for one do believe and have close family members that do not believe.....no big deal. at family gatherings we all just enjoy each others company. my uncle says there is no god, i happen to think there is.

so when it comes right down to statements about there being "no god" i would listen to my uncle, who would lay his life down for me and is not a believer, before i would listen to a singer.

fuck · July 2008

walkthamile wrote:

Well, Old Testament scrolls found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls are almost identical to the last word of any current version, including the NRSV.

not really...

Eddie Vedder is an Atheist...and I'm proud of him.

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