Mumford & Sons

A few months ago, one of my sons gave me a CD by a group he liked, Mumford & Sons. I thought the album entitled Babel was a lot of fun. It reminded me of my old folk-rock favorites like the Byrds. Then I came across an article that said the album has proved to be controversial for its religious allusions. That intrigued me.

Apparently the leader of the group, Marcus Mumford, first circulated in the scene around the Vineyard, an international network of evangelical Christian churches (Mumford’s parents are leaders of the community in the U.K.). One review, which was supposed to be about the album itself, focused more on the Christian elements in the songs. The critic sniffs  that Mr. Mumford’s parents “are big on the God thing.” When the piece gets around to the album, Spin informs: “that Holy Spirit and Satan stuff winds all through the band’s music.” If you missed the writer’s condescension toward God and everything religion related (and few did), he adds: “Pope rock will never die!” Har, har.

The article went on to note the hypocrisy of these critics who are clearly uncomfortable with the religious aspects of the group. It points out that Rihanna can sing that “Sticks and stones may break my bones/But chains and whips excite me” in “S&M.” Madonna can make a play on the club drug ecstasy in titling her latest album MDNA. Snoop Dog can rap about killing undercover cops. Just don’t dare talk about Our Father. good point. Critics celebrate the breaking of social and moral conventions, but they are quick to posture against any signs of religious roots.

The article concludes with a good point. In a world without taboos the only taboo is God. Why do so many of today's rebels dislike the idea of God? Pretty simple: "A higher power reminds of limitations, authority, and that something greater than number one exists. The rock star imagines himself as a human deity, and his many worshippers treat him accordingly. God’s a real buzz kill in that anthropocentric universe."

You might want to see the whole article. It's titled "The Father, Mumford & Sons, and the Holy Spirit," and the author is Daniel Flynn.