[extropy-chat] Atheist Hymn Book

[Anders Sandberg]

Damien Broderick wrote:
> At 12:28 PM 11/21/2006 -0800, Avant quoth:
>
>>Here's one to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the
>>Republic"
>>
>>http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/hymn.htm
>
> O my There-Is-No-God!
>
> "From one cell to a primate, to our present bipedal forms"
>
> Must these attempts be so doGgone *awful* and gruesomely comical?

I think so. A reason religious songs do not sound comical is that we have
been conditioned to feel awe for their symbols. Quasi-religious pro-space
songs like Ecklar's _The Phoenix_ are much better at sending shivers down
the spine than fact based. But also, since statistically the number of
atheist songwriters is much smaller than the number of religious writers
there ought to be far more good religious music out there.

Some other suggestions:

The Science Gospel, based on "Golden Stairs" (Mr Lloyd, from the album Hum
THIS!) - not a bad version actually, both pro-evolution and pro-space.

Some Darwinist Dub:
http://www.infection.bham.ac.uk/BPAG/Dub/dub.html

Not quite doctrinal but IMHO on the right wavelength:
http://www.sff.net/people/Julia.West/songs/actscrea.html

And something to deal with luddites:
http://www.roving-mouse.com/lyrics/songworm-parody/MoonIsAlsoaSatellite.html

Maybe They Might Be Giant's "Mammal" also fits in:
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/they-might-be-giants/mammal.html

And maybe some immortalist metal:
http://www.consortiumofgenius.com/lyrics/death.htm

311's Evolution might fit in too:
http://www.lyrics007.com/311%20Lyrics/Evolution%20Lyrics.html

"Evolution has expontential timing it’ll be
Half as long til the next breakthrough that
blows are mind
It’s up to the people to brave on with
experimentation
Move forth the species by using our
imagination"

-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University