I am Free to Run.....RUN!

Yesterday, I was musing to myself as I often do and a Newsboys song popped into my head.

I used to sing it all the time in church.

As the lyrics ran through my head, I began to really analyze them. In church I would just repeat them without much of a second thought (that is, until I really began to question the tenets of the religion which I followed and stopped singing in church altogether). Here they are, if you are unfamiliar with them and/or you are curious:

Through you the blind will see
Through you the mute will sing
Through you the dead will rise
Through you all hearts will praise
Through you the darkness flees
Through you my heart screams
I am free
Yes, I am free

I AM FREE TO RUN
(I AM FREE TO RUN)
I AM FREE TO DANCE
(I AM FREE TO DANCE)
I AM FREE TO LIVE FOR YOU
(I AM FREE TO LIVE FOR YOU)
I AM FREE
(I AM FREE)
YES I AM FREE
(I AM FREE)

Through you the kingdom comes
Through you the battle's won
Through you I'm not afraid
Through you the price is paid
Through you there's victory
Because of you my heart sings
I am free
Yes, I am free

[Repeat Chorus]

WHO THE SON SETS FREE-IS FREE INDEED
(WHO THE SON SETS FREE)
WHO THE SON SETS FREE-IS FREE INDEED
(WHO THE SON SETS FREE)

[Repeat Chorus]

When they say they are "free," I assume that this has to do with their belief that being "saved" will free them from death. Firstly, though, there is no way if knowing what will happen after we die. Secondly, they lyrics are extremely ironic and a bit twisted: "I am free to live for you." Living under the rule of some deity (who seems to have a habit of remaining hidden) is far from freedom. One might say, "but my dear atheists, we made the choice to believe, so it is freedom!" However, this choice is predicated on belief of two possible outcomes: eternal life or eternal torture. Is that really a god saying "I am giving you all the freedom to make a choice?" It's like me saying, "Okay, either you can believe that everything I say is the truth and live, or you can speak out against me--but if you speak against me, I am going to torture you and then shoot you in the head."