Morrissey an atheist?

[Virgil Tracy]

A question I have often pondered when listening to the great man. I think some of the Smiths work shows some disdain for the church and it's institutions, Vicar In A Tutu being the obvious one. However as he has got older we have had I Have Forgiven Jesus and Dear God, Please Help Me.

Thoughts.......

 

[I am a Ghost]

He is braised with Catholicism.

It never really goes away..

 

[No Place Like Rome]

He is braised with Catholicism.

It never really goes away..

I was an alter boy believe or not Mr G And i don't suppose it does go away as i insisted on getting wed in a catholic church.

 

[Kewpie]

FYI, Mozzer7 asked is Morrissey religious?

Also in Theo's therad we had heated discussion.

 

[Virgil Tracy]

FYI, Mozzer7 asked is Morrissey religious?

Also in Theo's therad we had heated discussion.

Sorry Kewpie - lockdown then!!

 

[Kewpie]

I don't mean to stop the discussion.

Those links are for people who missed them in the first place.

Good time to talk about religion, next week we have Easter holiday.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

i doubt Morrissey is an atheist

 

[Mozzabillie]

I heard he was going to be a priest in the Catholic Church before he decided to go into the music industry.

 

[Virgil Tracy]

He is braised with Catholicism.

It never really goes away..

I don't disagree with that but does he believe and if so what degree. I have flicked through most books but can't find anything solid.

 

[Kewpie]

I heard he was going to be a priest in the Catholic Church before he decided to go into the music industry.

You mixed up with Paddy McAloon (Prefab Sprout).

Morrissey had never been to a boarding school like Paddy.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

I heard he was going to be a priest in the Catholic Church before he decided to go into the music industry.

and he kept

the outfit

 

[noiseannoys]

He is braised with Catholicism.

It never really goes away..

Although being raised as a Catholic undoubtedly makes a profound impression on a person it's still possible to be an atheist in later life - this is the situation of me and lots of people I know. I think sometimes people overestimate the power of Catholicism on the individual. Also, I swear I remember reading in an interview that although his family was very Catholic, at some point during his childhood something happened and they turned their backs on religion. If so the situation might be more complex than simply him being raised Catholic and unable to escape it now.

Personally I don't get the impression from Morrissey's work that he's an atheist, perhaps agnostic though. My mind jumps to a comment he made during the recent Zane Lowe interview regarding 'You were good in your time'. Lowe asks "Do you believe in that [the 'next world'/afterlife]?" and Morrissey replies: "I have a trouble believing in it sometimes because if we aren't aware of life before we're born how can we be aware of life when we're dead?"

Put simply I think that Morrissey felt great anger towards the church and the oppressive effect it has on people's lives when he was younger, lots of it due to his experience at school. However with the passing of time and distancing from this area of his life this feeling has subsided and he now explores the idea of religion more openly as in ROTT. I know there's lots more to be said but I can't be bothered to analyse lots of songs here, you all know them.

I may be way off the mark here but without talking to the man directly about the subject I think it's highly unlkely that any fan will be able to accurately sum up his religious views. Faith, or lack of it, is such a complex and personal thing that I don't expect to be able to understand it through a few interviews and lyrics. Morrissey might not even be sure about it himself so what chance have we got of understanding it?

 

[I am a Ghost]

I don't disagree with that but does he believe and if so what degree. I have flicked through most books but can't find anything solid.

Hmmm...well, he does say "God Bless" a lot at the end of gigs. Not that that indicates anything really.

 

[Voodoo Doll]

I think you can despise the church and still believe in god. I dont, but I know some people who do.

 

[Jones]

Well if he believes in God then he believes in one that doesn't offer an afterlife as he made it clear in the Zane Lowe interview that he has no belief in that.

Just because an artist uses the imagery of religion on their work, it doesn't mean they believe in it.

 

[Comtesse]

In a perfect world, Morrissey would be an atheist. (Well, in a perfect world, EVERYONE would be an atheist.) But, sadly, I think Morrissey does still buy into some of the nonsense.

 

[jackson]

I don't mean to stop the discussion.

Those links are for people who missed them in the first place.

Good time to talk about religion, next week we have Easter holiday.

Yes and the Mozzer should take into account Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.. All the gigs that happen to be in my neck of the woods.

Luckily, I'm all over Holy Saturday.

My opinion is that Moz is good ole Catholic boy. Perhaps he favors post Vatican II. Atheist.. nah.. Agnostic.. nah.

 

[Black Cloud]

Morrissey is a Morrisseyist.

I'm surprised I'd have to mention it.

 

[suparni]

whatever my grandfather and my father were raised catholic... Irish Catholic grandfather... He left the church and went atheist... my father is also atheist and raised us with no religion at all. My dad says "the bad parts" don't ever go... Shame is the Name! but it does not mean that the belief in god does not go...
Moz could easily be atheist
I hope for his sake he does not believe in the catholic church and all it has to say about the likes of us.

 

[columbula]

I think he doesn't believe in the church and organized religion, but I don't know if he's spiritual or anything. There is a big difference though.
He does reference things like it in his songs, but I'm not sure if it's just cultural tradition instead of actual belief.

But then at the Buffalo show I went to he said "God Bless You. God Bless ME!" in a very lacking-of-humility way. So the social construct of god isn't such a big thing with him.