I recently heard a Christian song called “Oh, What A Reason”. When the song began, it sounded to me like many other Christian songs, and I kind of tuned out. Then the line “There’s nothing in this world worth living for” caught my attention. This didn’t sound like a lyric from a Christian song, more like some depressing emo band.

After a couple of google searches, I was unable to determine who wrote the song; the closest I found was a link to a youtube video of someone named Lauren Talley singing it. Here are the lyrics I found online, reproduced without permission, since I don’t know who to ask:

I’ve been blessed with so many things, God’s been good to me

I have family and friends who share in all I do

But if I lose it all and I am left with nothing

If I have the Lord I know I’ll make it through

 

He’s the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

He’s the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

There’s nothing in this world worth living for

It only leaves you empty and longing for more

Oh, He’s the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

 

Now you may have tried a lot of things to find real happiness

But if you’ve looked very long, then you know it can’t be found

Until you find the Lord, in the power of His Spirit

Jesus will be your reason to live and He’ll never let you down

Now, I’m an atheist, but I’m not one of those uppity atheists that think that Christians are all moronic brainwashed sheep. So be aware that when I question these lyrics, I’m not questioning them because they refer to God. I’m questioning them because they have implications about the Christian faith that I cannot imagine are true for the vast majority of Christians. Many Christians believe that their faith in God is the most important thing in their life, and that’s fine, I get that. But that’s not what this song says. It does not say that God is their favourite reason to live, or a very important reason, or even the most important reason. It says that God is the only reason to live. The only reason.

“There’s nothing in this world worth living for / it only leaves you empty and longing for more” – is that really what devout Christians believe? That their family, their friends, their career, they’re all meaningless? Real happiness “can’t be found”? At all? Ever?

If this is really how the songwriter feels feels about his/her life, well, quite honestly I feel sorry for them. Personally, I believe that real happiness can be found, because I’ve found it. I have many reasons to live, and that’s without faith in God. Maybe whoever wrote this song should try give atheism a try.