How would this impact you?

Very little? It would make the lyrics much dumber, and i would enjoy this song even less than i already do.

I think it would only affect me in a way that if all this time, someone who was dead set convinced against it, someone who I considered to be rather intellectual and learned, suddenly changed their mind.... It would only make me doubt myself and where I stand. Religion is a bum. It's far too interesting to ignore... But when you get into it... Well when I get into it, it just blows my mind.

Being Christian doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to this song. Some things exist no matter what you want to call them, no matter how you want to see them.

TOOL has never set itself against Christianity, just against the folks who dedicate themselves mindlessly to a dogmatic system that they don't understand. If you consciously decide to be celebate, for example, I believe that's admirable. If you're doing it because your book says so, that's another story.

Either way, I don't know how much of a joke April Fool's day was last year. There's a big difference between mindlessly worshipping an idol and aligning yourself with the proper spiritual currents to access the christ consciousness in the etheric.

In short, get a grip, and to quote Sir Dylan-

"Don't criticize what you can't understand"

I respect him even more already because of this song, because it shows a much more mature point of view since Judith

If Maynard became a Christian it would lower my opinion of him.

Exactly, man.

Good post. I agree.

Whoa whoa whoa... who's being critical here?

I was just seeing people's opinions. Jesus Christ.. chill!

Wasn't intended to be critical, especially not toward you. You merely posed a question, and as we see all too often, people get heated about absolutely nothing.

Okay. Sorry.

I hate how undecipherable internet conversations can be. I thought that was directed at me.

I'm curious. Why is that?

I don't think the song would make a whole lot of sense if it was a declaration of faith on Maynard's part. An important part of the song seems to be the difference between the beliefs of Maynard and his Mother and the love and respect that he holds for her despite (or maybe even because of) such differences.

Not that it really matters. There are ignorant asshole Christians and there are intelligent, spiritually intuitive Christians. Similarly, there are ignorant asshole atheists and there are intelligent, open-minded atheists. Based on his lyrics, I imagine that if Maynard wanted to be categorized as a Christian or an atheist he would be the intelligent kind either way.

To each his own, whatever floats your boat, whatever dries your molasses.

Well he did say, "Blind me with your light and your lies."
Kinda like saul at the road when he was blinded and heard the voice asking him why he was persecuting My (Jesus') people.



Now he says, "Dim my eyes if they should compromise our fulcrum"
Gigantic change.

Personally I'd be awesome. Maynard would never be a prototypical Christian. There is a difference between being a Christian and praying to Jesus.

Wouldn't change my opinon at all...

I'm not even sure if I have an actual opinion on Maynard. I mean Maynard, the man, is not an 'issue' or an event. He is a person, who most of us don't know personally.

To say he must be a Christian because of these lyrics...
Firstly that's a very shallow and naive perspective on the lyrics.
And secondly, where do you start with Undertow? What sort of person is he based on those lyrics??

And besides, so what? If you're going to change your opinion of someone just like that based on the fact whether they're Christian or not then what kind of person does that make you?

This is a silly topic. It's just as well at this point that more than half the votes show that most people have some sense and can think for themselves.

:/

I can almost guarantee Maynard believes in God, but not Christianity. If Bill Hicks is/was is hero, it seems quite fitting. And before some of you say "That's bull shit, how can he believe in God but not Christianity!? LOL." This is a very popular approach. Christinaity= A cult. Which refrains people from embracing Christianity, but the idea of a divine entity that created us all is swallowable (Somehow) to some people. They like it with out all the red tape and drama and bull shit.

I would care as much as I would if Bono changed his sunglasses.

. . .which makes this entire poll well, . . .pointless

true to the last word

and sorry T-13h but i dont think this comment means he was agreeing with you on any level at all, in fact, it sounds like the oposite of what you were saying, your comment was based on your own personal feelings while his pretty much leys out the truth for what it is

"If one were to take the bible seriously one would go mad. But to take the bible seriously, one must be already mad.”

Aleister Crowley


Like I was saying, if Maynard became a Christian it would lower my opinion of him. He might as well start buying real estate on Jupiter.

whatever he does or what ever he expressing here..doesn't seem to me like
he is becoming a christian, he is merely accepting his mothers fate through
her death, a hope and a light for her because he eventually accepted that
she needed to believe in what she did. that being said. it doesn't change
the way i feel about his songwriting, profittering he is still a wonderful
extremely emotional artist. who wears more than his heart and soul on
his sleeve

Aleister Crowley, Well I've yet to read anything by him, but to take the bible literally, is to believe, and that is it.
"If you have faith, that size of a grain of mustard seed and tell a mountain to fall, it will."
That is insane, and yet human beings endeavor to levitate, move objects with their minds (telekinisis), and be clairvoyant. So what is the difference? And how are these attempts not mad or insane?
We could have just remained as single celled organisms or monkeys.

Aleister Crowley, is just a man, and a hypocrite. It is a hypocrisy to label anything in regard to "if you believe this you are mad," because doubting the possibility of anything is mad, especially communication with ethereal and transcended light forms, such as Jesus and the Heavenly Host.

I don't believe the bible word for word, or even verse by verse, but to understand that a failure to belief while still acknowledging the possibility of what you fail to believe, is in a way believing that what you originally doubted was true.
"God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
This verse I find as TRUTH, but not the whole verse, and yet even the diminuitive parts I find to be untrue could in fact be true and beyond my perception

My reasons, your perception, perhaps will see as psychotic.

I'd respect Maynard more for a few reasons:

1. My roots were with prayer to Jesus, and I went against him (with the darkness) for a while. I cursed God, and then conceded and absolved.

2. I could sense demons in his words (whether that be through cognitive regressions, or actual demons). It was a valiant struggle.

3. Many of his fans will benefit, because if Maynard truly has repented, and returned to The Holy Army, we've gained a powerful ally.

I would not think of or repect Maynard any differently. On the one hand, i spose i Might think a little less of him should he place himself fully in one religion, to the point where he no longer questions anything suspect to do with said faith. But at the same time it would show that he was a humble enough person to renounce past ways in which he, imo, rather arogantly tried to force apon others (well maybe not force, but certainly attempt to influence while seeming to hold himself superior to others). That would offsett any respect lost due to blindly following any one religion.

But when it comes down to it... it doesnt really matter what i think of him, aslong as he keeps writing good and interesting lyrics.

And its not like he'd give a fuck one way or the other.

It clearly doesn't mean Maynard turned Christian. It means that he has come to understand the err of his ways, because his mom believed in something that he didn't, but she was still a great person whom he lived. It's about acceptance.

This song is merely Maynard stating that if there is a heaven, his mother would deserve to enter. It is a tribute to her love and devotion, even while in pain. It is a magnificent song.

Who the fuck cares if he is religious or not?

It took this thread to work that out?

Well, I think that is a bit short. There are many people that pray to Jesus that aren't necessarily Christians. Please expound upon what you mean, and your thoughts.
I'm a Christian that doesn't go to church. The average Christian probably thinks I'm going to hell.
So please expound upon your thoughts.

Maynard is a genius

I'd find it bizarre and unlikely if Maynard turned Christian. But it wouldn't bother me or change my opinions of the song. The song has in and of itself raised my respect of him though, because up until now I thought it was possible that he had hate for even the purist forms of Christianity, and now I see it's only the corruption by man that he's upset about, which is totally fair.

Well put.

[QUOTE=T-13h]"If one were to take the bible seriously one would go mad. But to take the bible seriously, one must be already mad.”

Aleister Crowley



sweet.

[QUOTE=MypugsAreSmarterThanYou]It's mad to assume insanity or madness from arriving at your own disposition of the disposition of others, because that societal norm which judges insanity or madness is based on humanities particulars and inferiorities.

So fuck Aleister Crowley, and all his clones.

[QUOTE=eslupminoyler]You might say, "Hypocrit, you are saying you are mad too."

My response would be "I'm not ..."

Just because you're saying fuck someone of course doesn't mean you're mad, but you're not really taking into consideration their point of view in this "opinion" forum. You're not mad, you're being blunt.

It wouldn't change my opinion of the music... people are welcome to believe whatever they like.

However, I tend to think Christians are delusional.

What's this you say? A delusional rocker with a Christ complex? Never...