I love sacred music, Palestrina, Allegri, Tallis - all that good stuff. I love visiting churches of all faiths as well. I'm an atheist - not an uncultured brute.

Naw. Sing whatever tickles your fancy; there's no "atheist god" to condemn you.

I LOVE the beautiful polyphonic music of Handel's Messiah.

Honey, you can sing anthing you want to...Just because I sing about Purple Rain it doesnt mean I have a belief in it !

Music is a language of it's own. Melody, harmony; the words do not have to resonate for the music to do so. I love the song Vince Gill sings,"Go Rest High" even though I don't believe in an afterlife. It speaks of the values and ethics of a man who lived his life and his work. It evokes an image. Amazing Grace has an amazing sound, especially when played on the bagpipes. Silent Night for me is about pure clean vocals and melody.

It's ok for an atheist to sing anything they like. Ding Dong Merrily On High hardly makes you a rampaging hypocrite no more than singing Smoke On The Water makes you an arsonist.

No a lot of religious music is beautiful. Every rock, soul, jazz, or blues musician in the south probably grew up on protestant backwoods church music and was hugely impacted by it. I know I was. Amazing Grace, to me, is still about the beautiful realization of a former slaver understanding how wrong he was. Just a Closer Walk at the end of White Men Cant Jump or the Soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou? can still make me misty. I saw Johnny Cash’s last appearance and he sang Angel Band in memory of June, not a dry eye in the house. When Mad Men used George Jones’ “Cup of Loneliness” Ill admit I was drunk, but still bawling, it moved me so. Just because we don’t believe literally in their symbology doesnt mean we can't be moved by the themes of faith and redemption.

A huge swathe of the history of European music (and art in general) has been dominated by the Christian churches, either because that's where the money was or because you would be endangering life and limb to do otherwise. We cannot reject so much beauty because we reject the politics of the sponsorship. Handel's Messiah has been mentioned. I'd add Bach's B minor mass, Mozart's Requiem and Hildegaard of Bingen's Feather on the Breath of God as music we should not be without. (That's a tiny selection of religious music I love. I could add whole swathes of plain chant, for example)

As a musician, I think music is a universal language. It's someone else's emotions and feelings put to song and interpreted (sung) different ways by people who cover it. While I am Atheist/Agnostic, I still enjoy Christmas music because I like many of the holiday stories (keep in ind I said "stories" ). Probably my favorite traditional song is "Silent Night". Interesting fact that I absolutely love: During WWI there was a mutual cease fire between German & British/French troops in a place called "No Man's Land". It's a story of how one piece of music, recognized by both sides, allowed men to come together for that one period and celebrate their beliefs. There is a monument to the troops kicking around a football (soccer ball) in Paris. Check out the story if you have time. [time.com]

Nah, Sing if it makes you happy. There's no chance of spontaneous combustion.

Mozart's Requiem is, for me, one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. I don't see the hypocrisy in enjoying beautiful sounds, which by themselves, are merely beautiful sounds, and I am a full on athiest. Bring on the Bach!!

I'm a choir boy too.

Obviously, there is no "atheist god" who could send you to "atheist hell" for doing it! Enjoy your life and obey your own morality not anyone else's.

Yes I think it might be a sin. Although, who could resist "addicted to jesus" by Carman?

I love singing choral pieces too and Faure's Requiem is great isn't it? Enjoy and don't overthink it

Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it be?

No it is not hypocrisy cause most choirs sing classical pieces, and well back in the day, a lot of it was composed for religous reasons. I mean, I'm not against a choir singing Warren G's "Regulate", but it wouldn't seem appropriate.

Many have said the words have no power and as long as they don't for you, and you enjoy singing, do it.

For you making the music is the end, not just a means as it would be to the religious. Keep that in mind and have no guilt. You're fine!

It's "okay" for an atheist to do anything -- even believe in a god, and therefore no longer be an atheist, by definition.

In order to qualify as an atheist you have to lack belief in even one god. In order to qualify as a hypocrite you have to consistently espouse moral standards that your conduct doesn't conform to. Atheism isn't a moral standard. It's the lack of a particular belief. Since singing religious music may or may not reflect belief, then whether it's hypocritical to sing it depends on your motivation. If you are singing it to worship a god, you're a hypocrite. If you sing it because of its musical merit, then you're not.

After all, does a theist demonstrate hypocrisy by singing "Happy Birthday" or the national anthem or "Danny Boy"? No? Then don't worry about it.

I love "O Holy Night." And I'm an agnostic who was raised Jewish, so that's a double no-no!

Yes! Sing anything that brings you joy!

I think it’s fine! It’s just like a child singing nursery rhymes. They don’t think those things actually happened. Its just for fun.

Some gospel songs are great. Regardless of the supernatural trappings, the best religious music comes from people who have endured suffering and sacrifice.

In my opinion, absolutely. I just listened to Pentatonix singing "Mary did you Know". Regardless, of belief it is a beautiful song.

Just remember these songs/ditties are only sacred to those that believe in such nonsense. To you they are just a collection of words put together to make a pretty (sometimes) sound. I happen to think “the devil went down to Georgia” is a great song, but neither believe in the devil nor Georgia... well, maybe Georgia is real, so maybe the devil is ??? Arrrrrggghh. I’m going to hell forever !!!!!