I don't need to imagine, I grew up in the USSR. My daughter and I came to the US with one small suitcase, our "possessions." When people have no posessions, it means they are slaves. And that makes them miserable not happy and joyful.
Funny that today's youth are embracing communism when I was in elementary school in the 1980s that the Soviet Union was ready to kill the entire planet with a nuclear strike. Many forgot the human rights abuses from the Soviet Union and China because of communist ideology. The Soviet Union tried to kill John Paul II because they knew he was a threat because he saw first hand what communism was doing to his people. He survived Nazism and Communism. The older I become, I understand more of his message while at the same time he warned about the dangers of secular materialism.
Thank you for chiming in. My grandfather was from Cuba. I remember how bad it was under Batista, and how things went down (specifically) after that. Cubans are still risking their lives in favor of freedom…. A generation that has never seen freedom is dying for it.
See, while I can understand how the song's lyrics can be controversial to others because it seems to attack their beliefs, the way I interpret the lyrics is that Lennon is trying to change people's perception rather than their belief structure. What I mean is that Lennon is trying to convince others to avoid thinking about the things that divide us: religion, politics, nationalism, money etc. These concepts have been used extensively by those in power to sway public opinion. Lennon isn't saying that the world would be better without religion, he is saying that the world would be better if we as individuals avoided fighting/arguing with those who occupy a different belief structure than us, and instead we focused on our commonalities rather than our differences. This has been my interpretation of the song, and also my personal mentality going through life. I enjoy talking to others with different beliefs and backgrounds because you can learn so much and it diversifies your own individuality. I will always avoid conflict, and show love, peace, understanding, and admiration towards other's. If they don't feel the same then c'est la vie.
See, the problem is that taking God out of things is actually divisive in itself. God and His love for us is the highest form of love. When we take Him out of the picture, we take all of love out as well. Imagining there is no heaven would be a nightmare, the absolute opposite of peace.
I’ve never liked Imagine particularly because I’ve always seen the song as a “Wolf in sheep’s clothing”. It sounds positive and hopeful yet the lyrics are entirely filled with malice.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 Everything you mentioned, is that what Jesus taught, or corruption of man without moral regard? Even the Bible discusses the many corrupt actions of those who believed and worshipped God, but stray due to their personal selfishness and corruption. David was an adulterer and murderer. And consequences came from those actions. It isn’t God or religion that is the problem, it is human corruption and selfishness. That is why when you do a deep dive into all the wars in human history, they almost all stem from human corruption, greed, selfishness, pursuit of power, etc. Religion becomes the scapegoat only because many leaders use religion to unite people behind the unjust cause by falsely stating the end goal. Religion is used as a tool by the corrupt. So when imagining no religion, no heaven, no countries, what you are really doing is leaving it up to humans to not be corrupt and selfish. History has proven time and time again humans do not have the capacity to be scrupulous outside their narrow viewpoint. Your comment also focuses solely on the negatives. Why don’t you also mention the powerful good organized religion does? The Catholic Church provides 1/4 of the WORLD’S healthcare, and a huge percentage of that in very poor areas throughout the globe. They educate more kids than any other single entity, again commonly in areas of poor areas without access to good education. It feeds more people every day than any other entity. It provides support for those who are sick or in distress. There are so many examples of the millions, perhaps billions, of people it positively impacts every day. Imagine all the people, giving of themselves and sacrificing for others like Jesus, and perhaps one day we all could live as one.
@@NotSureIdiocracy you can ramble all you want about the good the catholic church does but it's supposed to do good. It's not supposed to be one of the most deplorable institutions in history and yet it is. This bishop is concerned about Lennon's lyrics but will tell you not to masturbate, not to partake of consensual pre marital sex, not to live as a gay person, not to look at another person sexually, not to use certain words, etc. He'll tell you it's a sin but the lyrics of imagine are bad lol get real. He'll tell you Imagine has bad lyrics but rather than imagining Lennon's lyrics, accept that a man disappeared into the sky 40 days after rising from the dead and had walked on water and was born of a virgin. You're expected to believe the miracles of the bible that are literally impossible by the laws of nature, I mean actually accept that they really happened no question but to think lyrics to Imagine are bad. Do you see how ridiculous that is? Maybe not. You would literally kiss this guys ring on your left knee. If you.kissed his ring on your left knee and called him Your Excellency, he would pat your head, but the lyrics to Imagine are bad
@@80steen44 Thank you for acknowledging Catholics everywhere do great deeds and how much they have done to help and advance human society. Millions if not billions helped daily to improve their lives. That should not be taken lightly. Then back on the negative, which is not a problem in itself. Corruption should be challenged and eradicated everywhere, including the Catholic Church. But unfortunately it seems you want to cancel the organization which would have the consequence of destroying all of the daily good it does. That would be tragic, and is a very narrow viewpoint. In addition you miss the point of sin. The examples you gave in itself isn’t necessarily bad, just as the example given in the video where having possessions is not a bad thing or sinful. The sin comes from the consequences of such actions where individual wants are taken at the expense of others, i.e. morality is thrown out the window for individual selfishness. Let’s take consensual pre-marital sex as an example. Many times per-marital sex between partners who do not really love each other and are not committed to each other leads to consequences. One of them could be spreading STD’s where one partner does not care to share that with the other partner and transmits it. Another consequence is a pregnancy, and all to often in today’s society the man leaves the woman. The woman, unfortunately, can be left in a very difficult situation, especially if she has financial difficulty. She also has to deal with the emotional impact of the rejection from her mate. Now she may choose to have the child. Research and statistics have shown children raised by a single parent have a higher risk of depression, suicide rate, substance abuse, criminal convictions, etc. Obviously it does not always happen, but the risk is far greater, much like the risk of cancer for a smoker. The woman may choose for an abortion. In this case, an innocent life has no choice on whether or not it can live, therefore it truly is not pro-choice from the viewpoint of the life that was conceived. But furthermore, abortions lead to higher risk of physical and emotional effects on the mother. For all of the Pro-Choice advocates who say it is a woman’s health issue, why do they not care about the health effects of abortions? There are many women who become barren after an abortion, and later in life cannot have children when they are fully ready to have them. There is a higher probability for women who have an abortion to suffer from depression, suicide, and substance abuse. Why is this aspect ignored? Anyway, this is why certain actions are frowned upon, because selfish and corrupt actions can have extremely negative consequences on many people and not just themselves. The narrow, individualistic secular viewpoint has enormous negative social consequences. And the response of the secular is to destroy religion, and of course the moral foundation that comes with it. Why? Because then their cruel actions that hurt others has no moral code to measure against, and it is easy to justify the action. Not much different than inquisitions when you think about it. Same root cause problem, similar negative consequences. Interestingly in the historical volumes by Will Durant, specifically in “Our Oriental Heritage”, the historian notes when a civilization rejects their religion and moral code, the civilization falls apart. He was not a believer in God, nor the Bible, but he points out that not having a common moral code leads to a civilization’s destruction……always. Then the cycle repeats itself where people take on religion again, agree to a moral code, and out of the ashes comes a new thriving civilization. Moral relativism has never worked to advance people throughout history, and has also led to widespread death and destruction, far more than the Catholic Church has ever done. It is yet another important lesson history teaches us, and too many either forget, ignore, or ignorant of it.
"Imagine no possessions..." Yeah, it's called first-order Franciscans, and they thought of that 700 years before John Lennon was born, and it's not because they listened to 20th century pop music, it's because St. Francis believed in the Gospel of Christ and took it seriously.
St. Simeon the Stylite lived on top of a pillar for decades with no possessions in the 4th century. The surface area of a celebrity’s breakfast table was more spacious that the top of some of those pillars. Both St. Francis and St. Clare wouldn’t even permit money to touch their hands for fear of being contaminated by it.
Finally someone of power says something. I’ve never liked that song because of the lyrics, even as a child, I knew that I wouldn’t want to live in a world without Jesus.
It's because you're scared of death, or what comes after it. That's why religion exists, to give humans an idea of what life after death is, if there is life after death. No one knows what comes after death, except the dead. Religion is just a way of comforting ourselves. Humans don't like to not know something, and when they can't get to that knowledge, they make their own.
@@jeffg.8964when people say this I think people are so superficial, then why tf you even uphold the belief of it, it still is just for your own personal gain.
Lennon wrote this song while living in The Dakota in NYC, one of the most expensive and exclusive places to live in the world. “Imagine no possessions?” Indeed. (I am adding that I got the sequence of events wrong, but I stand criticism of Lennon’s song, which is full of cant.”
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song. he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY ! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!! and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
No one advocates for poverty and we spend a lot of time preventing it! This is about not defining yourself by your possessions, ie you get your sense of worth from spiritual values, not from what you own. There is a big difference in awareness.
@@deeanderson4164 God helps those who helps themselves. Working does several things for the person, including giving them dignity. To not work is to be idle... And idle hands are the work of the devil
@@medman83 I never said that you do nothing, but there is nothing in the Bible that says that God helps those who help themselves. Of course, you work and you take steps forward. The trouble is we often are led by our own emotions and will, myself included.
I 100% agree, it is a TERRIBLE and BLASPHEMOUS song! In Jesus name AMEN! It is RIGHTEOUS to love Jesus and his big hairy holy phallus along WITH God’s big green Wiener schnitzel! Let them thrust their members within us for HOLY fortification in all three of our saintly holes!!! Praise Allah!
With regard to imagining "no possessions," that was very much a fantasy for Lennon, whose 1971 promotion video/film for the song shows him playing it on his white Steinway piano at his stately home in Berkshire, which he traveled to and from in his custom Rolls Royce.
Hahaha, yes it's nearly always rich people who bang on about "no possessions" but I never heard of any of them giving everything away to the poor and living a simple life, have you? Nah, it's only US they think should have no possessions! They can think on! Hypocrites, the lot of 'em!
Hey btw a French Theologian called Arnaud dumouche said that this song is anti Christ because it is hell itself (be a God, choose what is good and bad, and be free to do whatever you want to do with no limits) so basically a world without God himself even if this is the most beautiful garden it will be quickly transformed to a hell
And the reason for this is we lack the true capacity for this responsibility. The book of Job comes to my mind on this one. Where God shows Job the cosmos. The world we live in is all apart of this cosmos. And every action is as well.
@@edmundburke8490 hey this theologian talks about the Parousia and the coming of Christ in his Glory and this si so interesting he even have an international chanel in English and so many languages
When I was a kid I always thought the song was about after Christ returned and we all were with the Lord. We would all be in heaven, so it is not above us and imagine no hell below us which I thought was a hope that we all made it to heaven. No countries or religion because we are in Gods kingdom and their wouldn’t be religion since we all now follow the Lord. No possessions since it all belongs to God and he gives us all our needs. A brotherhood since we are all children of God.
I am a huge Beatle fan and I loathe "Imagine" so much that it's impossible to put into words. I love his Beatles songs but "Imagine" is nothing but blather.
@Void maybe he's saying it because it's a vacuous philosophy that actually tends to lead to very bad outcomes. Or maybe he notices that it doesn't really make sense and is inherently nihilistic.
I think more has been made of the song than John himself thought of it. At the end of the day, it's just another one of his daydream songs. i.e. "Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields..." or "Picture yourself on a boat on a river..."
I was born and raised a Catholic but I wasn't devout until two years ago, learned and understood so much about catechism and really practice it by heart. Only then did I recognize false virtues everywhere. From songs, sayings or so called inspirational quotes which would've impressed me if I didn't know better. Some have no true wisdom, rather temporal and self-centered meaning in them.
This song is literally the paradigm of humanist secularism: "we love so much the human race that we want to simply erase entire dimensions of its existence to make it perfect in an universalist way , which is culturally contingent by itself"
It reminds me of those classical musicians who go into the jungle and rainforests and play Mozart for the indigenous tribes... or as Mike Tyson said... everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
@@alexanderangelo7284 Vet the stranger first, as Jesus did with the Syro-Phoenician woman, and beware those who ostentatiously "help" the poor as a way of accruing narcissistic supply (e.g. the Pharisees and Judas, the original SJW).
@@BrObstreperous I don't think you know the definition of SJW or SJ. Neither Judas nor the Pharisees believed in SJ. And I say that as someone who finds SJW really annoying.
We definitely aren't all the same lmao. That's the delusional leftist view. That humans are all exactly the same and interchangeable and there are no fundamental genetic differences between them. Pure idiocy.
@@neo-filthyfrank1347 every human is a human so in that way we are all the same and at the very least should treat all other humans the way we would like to be treated
Not everyone is the same. I am me, you are you. I'm not you, you can't be blamed for my wrongdoings and vice-versa. You may know more than me on football or tenis, but I might know how to make a good pancake. We're all different actually, but we are all (non equal) sinners and deservers of hell.
@@BrendanBeckett It’s called practicing what you preach. Instead of whining about the Government not taking other people’s money to give to the poor, commies should give all they have to the poor and live simply. If they feel so strongly about greed being evil why are they all so greedy? One thing is saying nobody who’s communist should buy anything, it’s another thing entirely to say that maybe multi millionaires with mansions shouldn’t be telling other people to give up their possessions.
@@keymaker2112 Generally, socialists advocate for a broad scale societal change, and them behaving separately individually would have no impact on that goal, while sabotaging themselves. It's like in sports, if you think there's a rule that's dumb, you try to get it changed - you don't just start playing with different rules because that's incompatible with participation in the sport. So it is with society at large. You can take that to a smaller scale too and just talk about people who advocate higher taxes. A rich person who thinks they should pay more taxes is saying that in the context of everyone else of similar wealth would also pay higher taxes. They don't want to do it alone - that wouldn't help anything and would hurt their own interests. But if it's the law and everyone pays that, then in aggregate it becomes a positive. Otherwise, they are just giving away money for no discernable benefit to anyone. TLDR: If someone wants the way society works to change, that doesn't have anything to do with their individual participation in the current way society works. It's a different level of analysis.
Yes, that was my philosophy when I was an atheist. That is simply what results from making yourself the highest moral authority. Morality is no longer obligatory.
@@chriswinchell1570 Personally I considered atheists who thought there was a moral obligatory higher than individual human as little bit similar as religious people. "They refuse to see the bigger picture because it makes them feel better".
@@ReasonAboveEverything That’s what I’m talking about. I can’t speak for every atheist (and most would say that atheists just don’t believe the case for a god has been proven, that’s all) but I would guess that most atheists neither believe their personal morality is paramount nor believe there’s some universal morality that is somehow given by an authority who they don’t even believe in. Morality can be derived/ explained simply from social contract theory. I can’t imagine how our species would have even be the species we are without the morality required to be a social creature. Humans have essentially evolved to incorporate a morality born from cooperation to achieve common goals more efficiently. Morality is merely utilitarian. The reason why morality seems innate isn’t because god imbued us with a sense of right and wrong, it’s because the sense is incorporated into our genome.
I am Catholic. And a former Beatles fan, I kind of parted ways with them during my adolescence. But I see this song as a human creation that shouldn't be easily dismissed. I think when he says: imagine there's no heaven, above us only sky, John Lennon really means: don't stick to that distorted version of heaven all of us are torturing ourselves with. And when I hear: imagine there's no countries, I don't think of erasing nations, but of reminding ourselves that despite all our differencies we are children of God, and therefore, brothers and sisters. And with posessions, that they should serve our purposes, and not the other way around. That is what I think of when listening the song. So I don't think it was meant as some communist manifesto but a reminder of the deepest truths of our existance. And I think that is the real reason why it entered hearts of so many people becoming one of the most popular songs ever. Things that don't contain love cannot do that. It is just how the world functions. 🙂
Hi, Ivana. The deepest truth of our existence is that we are alienated from our Creator and Sustainer, that we are all guilty of violating His holy commandments, and can only be reconciled to God and to each other by the atoning Sacrifice of His Beloved Son. If we try to bypass this truth we make matters worse.
the world will function either we warship the god created by hebrews, or the god invented by vikings, its the same faith... milenias have been passed way before the god of israel was even thought byt the hebrews, they created and made themselves the chosen people, reason enough to create a god, but we are so donb, that we wage wars with our belives.
I was in New York City when John Lennon died. I heard Imagine over and over. And I felt it was totally dishonest. They should have played the songs God, or Working Class Hero, which were honest confessions of doubt, closer to his heart. Imagine has always struck me as a romantic version of the same nightmares that had filled the 20th Century. And indeed so it is proving to be. Thanks for casting the song into its proper setting Bishop.
It's like playing Stairway to Heaven at the funeral of an addict, simply because the addict liked Led Zeppelin. The message is dishonest to the deceased.
@@TheAnadromist Ahh okay. I've never heard "God" so from my perspective it seems as though it never really got much attention. I suppose that "optimism" went pretty strong.
Good points made here, but Lennon might’ve been just musing. Imagining isn’t necessarily the same as wishing….no one really knows what his intent was..or do we? I can’t stand Lennon’s arrogance when he said ‘We’re more popular than Jesus Christ’
@@tdioxin2658 I agree - Lennon was too self aware not to notice the irony. Perhaps it was just 'wishing.' I don't think it was limousine liberal hypocrisy - I think Lennon was too smart to fall into that....
Lennon's 1971 video shows him playing the tune on his white Steinway piano at his stately home in Berkshire, which he traveled to and from in his custom Rolls Royce.
C. Watts: superb drummer, unassuming. When on stage he was one with his music, his band, his instruments. Not interested in creating a dazzling character, or persona in the jungian sense. So, not prone to becoming full of himself, pretentiously pseudo intellectual. Unpretentious, innovative, gifted musician. RIP he will.
'Let it Be' and 'Eleanor Rigby' are Paul's masterpieces, but George is my favorite of the Fab Four, his solo work like 'My Sweet Lord' is deeply personal.
What in "Imagine" suggests meaninglessness? Remove religion, nationality, and possessions, and there is _so_ much left in human experience to make meaning from - and you remove the impetus for the vast majority of our conflict. There are practical reasons this is a pipe-dream, but it's presented as an thought experiment, not as a mandate.
Actually if you live like this song says, you are closer to God than this guy thinks he is. Saying Imagine there's no heaven, is just telling you to live in the now, appreciate/love life, it's a gift don't take it for granted
As Catholics we should not be focused on earthly matters, rather devoting our life to God and preparing to greet him at the gates of heaven. This is why you would be FARTHER than God, not closer. If you were focused on this life, the life less significant than the everlasting paradise we look forward to, God would be farther than you could ever imagine. God is not bound to this earth, and neither should we be.
@@18skeltor Incorrect. God, classically defined as life/existence itself, would mean that there would be no life whatsoever if He were not to exist. It wouldn't be 'real life', it would be no life/non-existence
@@Joeonline26 But God is just a made up symbolic representation of life. It's not life itself. Life exists without any humans examining it. The fact that you can't differentiate between these things makes me think that you're not capable of rational or independent thought. which makes me sad :(
Actually, when I was young and naive, I used to think this was written to be a sad song. “Imagine no religion” , “imagine no countries”, imagine no heaven or hell”, “nothing to live or die for” … it all seemed like sad things to imagine. That’s what I used to think Lennon was trying to say. Imagine how horrible the world would be without all that. …but knowing what I know now, it’s hard to “imagine” that’s what he was trying to say.
@Thomas Serrano Yes, but everyone needs purpose/meaning in their life so if you're told there is no God, no country, no religion . . .etc., then you will find something, anything to give you purpose or meaning in your life, which leads to many embracing man-driven godless ideologies.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 Do you think wars, molestation, greed. . .etc wouldn't exist without religion? There is no such thing as a world devoid of the things Lennon imagined. It's completely nihilistic and incompatible with our human nature. You take the good with the bad.
No heaven, no hell, no possessions and no countries are equal to "nothing to kill or die for" which may appear "no conflict" and may sound "no war". On the contrary, this is deadly and perhaps for the dead only because they are likewise equal to "nothing to live for".
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 People are sinners, even in the Church, also water is wet. At least list some of the 100s of millions killed for reasons other than religion, that is of course if you want to give a balanced view of things.
@@jasongamer8649 No system or ideology is perfect but the one who claims holiness and fails is far worse. Similarly, the Republican party places its self on a pedestal by claiming family values, therefore when they get caught in scandal it's hypocrisy vs when a Democrat does. Lennon is offering a different view than everything going on in the world in 1971 than corrupt religions and governments had to offer. They had failed miserably and continue to do so yet this bishop acts as if the catholic church is a holy institution when it's not. The catholic church is arguably the most sexually, financially and politically corrupt institution in history
@@ANDROLOMA I have no evidence of black holes other than representations by astronomers who testify that those drawings show what a black hole, if it exists, would look like, if we could see it. I trust their credentials even tho I have not seen the actual readings from very sophisticated telescopes that scientists interpret to indicate black holes. And even the scientists don’t really understand them although they can use words to describe them. But no astronomer has died to defend or prove his belief in the nature of black holes. When I look up at the night sky I don’t see any black holes. I’ve not been to one. I do believe in the moon. I trust the astronauts who say they have walked there. I’ve seen rocks supposedly from the moon. But there are people who maintain the moon landing was a media hoax. Yep, there are people who wouldn’t believe in an afterlife even if someone came back to life three days after he died and told them about it.
I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
My favourite Beatle is Paul McCartney. Very talented musician .. As all the Beatles were but I've always been wary of John Lennon especially when he got in tow with Yoko Ono. Imagine has awful words. It means there is nothing to live for on the Earth!!
He was easily influenced by those around him, and Yoko managed to get her hooks into him. "Imagine" is heavily influenced by her. Remember, this is the same guy who wrote "Revolution" just a few years before.
Definitely not satanic. I think the song’s lyrics are a little bit misunderstood. Could be communistic could be not. My opinion still a good song in MINE opinion
Every other thing is Satan when you're schizo. Just ask my uncle Albert, who has spent the last 5 months telling anyone who will look at him that he's Jesus off the interstate. Every single Volkswagen is the Devil himself, according to Albert. Says they look straight into his soul and honk into it.
I have always felt this way about this song “Imagine.” It is difficult to imagine anything more than what is described in this song. .. it sounds a lot like the New World order.
Ben Shapiro also has an excellent critique of this song. He even gets into why not only are the lyrics appalling, he also goes into why the actual arrangement and chord changes are horrible too!
I’m sympathetic to Shapiro’s frustrations with the song, but I can’t abide his theatrics. He radically exaggerates his criticism. Imagine suffers from Lennon’s immature, overly-simplistic view of the causes of war. The idiotic prescriptions he offers in the song, like imagining there’s no God, deserve to be called out and confronted. But Shapiro is over the top when he describes Imagine as a “garbage song” that deserves to be “burned” (if he was into that kind of thing). Musically, the song is lazy and mopey. Like it was written by Eeyore. But it’s not as big a mess as Shapiro says. It uses conventional chord structure and a standard melody. Its not horrible, it’s just boring.
The Nazis, Soviets, Chinese, Cubans, Vietnamese and Venezuelans agree wholeheartedly. The 100,000,000 + of their own citizens they murdered are unavailable for comment.
More recently but before this year's Olympics, during the height of the pandemic, a bunch of celebrities filmed themselves singing "Imagine". The reception was very negative all over the Internet. It was seen as tone deaf and cringy. It didn't help for them that they didn't sang it well. Now the mood I gathered around the Internet is that they can't listen to the song without thinking of that celebrity cover. A change of reception perhaps?
@@ThePa1riot Surprisingly joe rogan criticized them for singing an anthem to the non existence of the afterlife during a period where many people were losing relatives to covid, for once i think it was not cynicism.
I remember it too. It was rubbish in every single way a thing could be rubbish! Multi-millionaire celebs telling us to imagine having "no possessions" from their multi-million £ mansions, at a time when millions around the world were loosing their very livelihoods, facing homelessness and even starvation! No, it didn't go down well!
I have another problem with this song, the idea of a brotherhood reached only when human differences are gone. Suddenly, even with good intentions, we are where supremacists want to go.
@@dingoanimation1770I actually said the opposite. Human beings, being free, have different ideas and have to learn to tolerate and love each other despite these difference. You don't need to tolerate someone that think like you, and there is little merit in loving someone who doesn't challenge you even a little.
@@donnagolder7893 That is one of the most important critics made to communism: When making social engineering to achieve an ideal it is assumed everybody want the same thing or there is only one way. Those how disagree can't be but evil.
@@donnagolder7893 keep using that word i don't think it means what you think it does. people chuck words like communism, leftist etc around to shut down conversation because they don't have a adequate response to the proposition they are responding to
I've always despised this song. I don't have an issue in general with songs that are very clearly secular but Imagine seems to have gone further and become an anthem for everything wrong with the "modern" worldview.
I actually take issue with secular songs too. They often take love and then they brand it with sexual allusions and cheesy sentimentalism. Often secular songs which are supposed to be about love, actually go on parading the vainglory of worshipping an emotional state of affair , where the singer is enthroned as somehow "special" for the fact He is in love . Within this context , the other person becomes a device which is used to celebrate the singer' vanity . These sort of songs are very shallow and dismaying.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
Let go of everything you have and find out who you really are. Are you your possessions? Or are you something else? Name one religion on this planet that has not oppressed and killed those who oppose them? I firmly believe in God but religion is created by people & therefore flawed.
Father, you are much too kind. I'm about your age, an somewhat-Orthodox Jew and was never a fan of Mr. Lennon. As part of the "60's" he helped the decline of traditional societal mores. As you mentioned, he was also a hypocrite when it came to material things. Don't see a lot of homeless living in big apartment buildings on Central Park West. Thanks for the commentary.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol and how about the Pope's wealth when Jesus said to sell all your possessions.
Too many fundamental disagreements to address in a UA-cam comment. I will say that you reminded me of conversations with clergymen in the past, where it's almost always listening to the same series of apologetic arguments in rapid succession such that I can barely think for myself. An effective tactic for breaking down an opponent in a formal debate, a poor way to hold a discussion. This video and others of yours make for a useful resource as I can replay those "conversations" from time to time. Take care, Bishop.
Imagine dis track. I'm here for it. I remember at the beginning of the covid lockdowns all these celebrities sang it on their social media accounts and now the Olympics... So cringe. Every time this song gets attention it is just so cringe. Thankfully it opens up a lane for bashing it and exposing its awful ideology. Paul McCartney and George Harrison > John Lennon
I was going to post something similar like that here, but all I can say is I share your mental agony and disdain towards the A-list celebs that made a Common Phrase out of that boring song filled with nothing but unfortunate implications that led to a Communist totalitarian dystopia.
Yep, I liked it in high school in the 80s, but once I really listened and started to understand the real implications of it, I was stunned by how ignorant it is. It's amazingly ironic because the things it proposes to imagine would result in the destruction of the very goals it aspires to.
I've always thought that the lyrics were rather odd - imagine no religions, nation or possessions. As a friend of mine put it, if we really didn't have those things, and really had nothing to kill or die for, then it seems like there'd be nothing to *live* for, either.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 there's plenty to apologize for. The church is for sinners who want to be better. Please don't edit out the millennia of good deeds the church has done. You might want to read "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization." You might also consider the contribution of atheism to the common good over the that last millennia like Nazism, Communism and Socialism. In not justifying the wrongs of the church, but you have to understand that athiests like Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot have killed and tortured more people with no similar claim to charity that Christianity has.
@@carlkessler303 Good deeds to advance their own dominance and agenda. They don't evangelize for the gospel the convert by force or bribery for financial gain and political influence.
Bishop Barron, I agree with just about everything you said here in this video except (!!) that we shouldn't take the words seriously. I think we should take them seriously enough to think deeply about them! I'm glad that you took the time to do so in this video. We do have to think about the messages and ideas contained in the music we are awash in. Thank you so much for all the work you do through Word on Fire.
I always like your sharing with deep wisdom and understanding. May God bless you with abundant grace. Xavier from India, Chennai, the land of apostle st. Thomas.
It's kind of you to express that @@xaviertc8358 May Jesus be praised and glorified. Invoking God's blessings on you too☆ Thanks for your presence here☆☆
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
I'm chuckling before I even listen. 50 years ago, in my high school religion class, an older religious sister had us sing this song EVERY day. I didn't understand it at the time, but I just didn't like the song. Years later, I understood why. Looking forward to viewing Bsp. Baron now.
50 yrs ago, not many of the good Sisters were well educated. The whole Catholic Church was boing infiltrated by subtle Communism, according to Bella Dodd and Fulton Sheen.
Thank you Bishop Barron for analyzing this song. I never liked the lyrics of this song "Imagine". John Lennon talks nonsense. He piles up wealth, farms etc, but left nothing to his first born son in England in his version of "the Brotherhood of Man". While I like some of his music, I lost respect for him as a man a long time ago.
John Lennon was a free person he’s saying imagine life without all this . Religion, heaven hell government etc . You can have a happy life with all this . Making you live a certain way . Put religion to the side and see it from a different perspective
Ignoring Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean that must take a lot of work
@@user-yc9eo8ju3d I'm a fool but you believe a virgin gave birth, a guy rose people from the dead, died himself and rose from the dead, walked on water, disappeared into the sky and is coming back from the sky
I believe every bit of it because it’s all true. How do you know so much about it if you are not searching for the truth also? Keep researching the Bible. You’ll be amazed at what you will learn.🙏
@@christinespiliopoulos5379 John Lennon himself literally believed in an afterlife, if you aim towards an afterlife that is possible (not guaranteed) it is a very good way to live. But you have to stop looking towards that and make a heaven out of this life while you’re living it. And also stop shunning every view that isn’t your own. That goes for the whole religion
@@Multijoe84 I understand that he had a tough upbringing, Jimmy. And I actually love him, as an artist. He’s always been speaking to my heart. But while we are all human, and therefore both John Lennon and “everyone in the catholic church” have great flaws, the message of the church is a message of growth and maturity. Lennon’s ideals were not mature.
@@tomlabooks3263 You know what a real sign of growth and maturity is? Not believing in things like santa past age 10 but surprisingly people still believe in christianity for the rest of their lives. Definitely dont have the right to call other people immature human beings
When I finally paid attention to the words of that song, I had the same reaction. Another example of the devils sneaky tactics. God bless you Bishop Barron for your wisdom and courage! I keep you and all priests in my daily prayers🙏
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 How about the KKK and other racist groups? Colonialism and conversions of foreign citizens? Gay fear/hate and ostracizing family members for something that they can't choose/control?
The no possessions is pretty terrifying. "Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man." It is actually a recipe for hunger, poverty, and violence.
@@joeodd2 Lol, my comment was 2 years ago. And yes. There have been times when there were no possessions. It was called the feudal era. If you want to wear rags, work for a lord, sleep on reeds, barely have enough to eat, and have no ability to defend yourself or any rights, go ahead and push for the elimination of private property. I prefer to not be a serf.
@@TheAstilesus Most Americans are in debt up to their eyeballs (debt which can be passed to any co-signer), and everything they own can be taken away by the government if they don't pay their taxes. So tell me, what exactly do we actually own under capitalism? Granted, the opportunity to achieve great wealth is something most can theoretically attain, but in practice, very few will. Meanwhile, the so-called middle class is becoming more of a myth as millions with the brainpower or talent find themselves struggling more and more year after year while buying products we used to make in America for higher and higher prices, often with money they don't really have.
@@TheAstilesusThere are 100s of millions of people living without property today, being exploited for their labour in Africa and Asia. You’re likely enjoying the spoils gained from that agony. Your “private” property mean nothing when billions suffer.
Yeah - I always hear a Bond villain’s voice in my inner ear saying “NO!!! YOU vill haff nothing and be heppy, Mr Schwabb! YOU vill haff nothing - and YOU vill be heppy!”
“Remember 'no possessions,’ John. 'It’s easy if you try,’ ” former Beatles roadie Neil Aspinall once said to Lennon, quoting Imagine to mock the luxury he lived and the size of the entourage he kept. “It was only a bloody song,” came Lennon's reply. The lyrics are clever as it triggers the idealism within many and the melody beautiful (including the piano riff) but I think even John Lennon knew that lyrically speaking it is unrealistically utopian........since the lyrics are so brutally unrealistic it is hard to imagine that John Lennon didn't mean it when he said "it is only a bloody song".
That is why I have come to grow distrustful of music; it's often used to manipulate our emotions to feel a certain way in an attempt to garner support of certain agendas.
@@KianoUyMOOP Well they do it because it is effective. When a band tribalizes their fans with an ideal they create strong customer retention. It is all about the money.
@@rumikhuwaja8708i think the second sentence comes not from Zizek but from Lacan, and its supposed to mean, "if you are on the side of god, everything is permissible" and you can see how this has been used a justification in the past for all sorts of horrible sins
@@obiwanian2774 huh? “I was paraphrasing Zizek: if you don’t believe in God, then *nothing* is permitted.” (His logic being: where there is no ‘Big Other’ guarantor of the Law, then transgression of The Law is impossible, i.e., *nothing* is permitted, etc.). IMO, it’s just another way of saying the same thing. IDK. In any case, believe in God & follow His commandments.
How do you people not realize that he had to adapt to the world he lived in, if it were possible to share all the world and without hunger, greed and all of that, wouldn’t we all choose that? Imagine is basically laying out the garden of eden
@@saab39jasgripen35 Yes, exactly. The 'garden of Eden', when we had no knowledge of good and evil, and were less than toddlers. The song is delusional and sophomoric.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song. he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY ! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!! and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
My Minister read the lyrics to, "Imagine," in church one Sunday. I was as glued to the pew as I was when I heard a Priest begin a joke which I knew was borderline at best. I relaxed as the Minister clearly cut between imagination and fact and the Priest somehow landed the joke without the irreverence and narrowness that I had feared it contained.
Amen. I'm a liturgical musician in my parish and back when Lennon died I was asked to do "Imagine" as a meditation song. I refused ... for precisely the reasons you outline here. My reaction was "What were you thinking? ... Have you even read the lyrics?"
The lyrics are too good and moral and pure to be uttered in a place like the Church, so believe me when I say: I applaud your decision to not sing this song in your church.
I had to explain the negative aspect of this song to a teenage folk group singing this at mass. They skipped over the implications of no heaven and no hell in favor of the conclusion that it would lead to peace among people. No one else told them - no, not even the celebrant...cheese Luigi !
A female Japanese theology student exclaimed in class 25 years ago, "I love that song, but I hate it!" It is shocking that children as singing it as an anthem. Thanks to the Bishop for giving voice to common sense.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@Hindutvaiscringe you mean the way the catholic church continues to repeat it's propaganda? Lol you're funny not thinking that a man disappearing into the sky and being born of a virgin and bringing people back from the dead isn't propaganda
@@80steen44 I'm not even catholic anymore I'm Orthodox now. But I know that people like you are the people who brought communism to east Europe you now you want the freedom to express yourself so you call the countries you've destroyed "shitholes" and bring back communism
I’m a huge John Lennon fan for his musical genius and deeply mourned his death. But Imagine is a dangerous song that continues its harm to this day. Imagine globalism…that’s its true message. I now mourn Lennon’s soul living apart from God. Thank you father for your thoughtful analysis.
Do you really think that JL is existing apart from God? Tell me, when did God retire, and when did God make you the judge? "Judge not lest ye be judged." Those are not just words, it's a rule. One that I'm afraid that I fail at a lot. So perhaps I owe you an apology for judging your commitment to Christ, and his teachings. Maybe JL had a point about religion, and the self-righteous who love to point fingers.And if I were to be honest, that would also include me.
Thank you, Bishop, for putting this so eloquently. I've been disliking 'Imagine' for quite some time. For example, I can't really fathom a world of 'fellowship of man' without some moral compass (which most of us - if not all of us - could never derive on our own) to guide us. Leave us to our own decisions, and I would IMAGINE that EVERY act of injustice would be committed! What would hold us back?!
You just gave away the fact that you are secretly a s0ci0path irl. People like YOU need religion sure, but not normal people like me. Most people are inherently decent, and we don't need the threat of God to act decently. I dont believe in god and i behave as well as you do. So i'm technically a better person than you, because i don't need the threat of divine punishment to treat people well. You are worse than me, because you would commit all sorts of sins without God, ye absolute animal
@@leusmaximusx 2 years late, but have they ever heard of the word empathy? I shudder to think that this person truly believes that without god they would commit a single horrid thing, let alone "every" atrocity
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
Nowhere man and in my life is my favourite beatles songs. John was a genius. Imagine is nothing special tho, very boring songs. John has way better songs than that
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
A latter recording of this song (by Lennon) changed "no religion too" to "no immigration too". This even makes more sense in the verse where there's no country.
I've always hated that song. And you're far more gracious than me. I know John Lennon wrote that song because he actually believed in its message. I never did like him much because of that.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
Lennon was raised Anglican, sang in the church choir from age 8 to 14. He was mostly agnostic, and I have always been turned off by "Imagine." Just a vacuous song, so swept up in his heaven on earth garbage he completely forgot his own son Julian.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 You don't even bother to read the comments you are trolling. Abandoning your kid is a great move, huh? Go take a nap. You don't have to be a Catholic zealot to hate a stupid song.
@@bridget113 my point is you refer to yourself as the Holy catholic church yet you have centuries upon centuries of corruption and scandal up to the modern era, but the this bishop is focused on John Lennon lyrucs about people not killing each other
The concepts of heaven and hell are incongruent with the concept of a "perfect god." The Bible and every religious book written by humans are incongruent with the concept of a "perfect god."
I thought I was the only one who didn't like the content of the song. Everyone plays the song all the time. There are so many better songs out there that are actually uplifting.
This song always made me feel unsettled and depressed. I dare say I thought it disrespectful to my God. John Lennon was born with a God given talent in and of itself. I don’t want to “imagine no heaven”in this valley of tears.
i'm sorry it offended your imaginary freind but to the rest of the world it is a great song of hope and a better future. a future we can not have with religion
dingoProductionsuk I believe in Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Sadly the Catholic Church has disillusioned many and let many down , not to mention the horrific sexual abuse. I understand you in your idea of religion. I look around and I’m able to see the physical beauty of the inverse and all it’s wonders and it’s inexplicable being . None of this is random to me. Just think about the balance of nature and how it all works in again a miraculous dance. Peace and light to you.
@@anneturner2759 religion is the number 1 cause of death and suffering world wide. Except disease. I appriciate you may find some comfort in the idea that there is a invisable man living in the sky and thats your choice i wont disparege you for that but untill humans as a species let go of the primitive notion that is religion we will never have peace
What?!? We, as a species, are incapable of developing moral codes without the fear of eternal damnation or the reward of heaven? PLEASE.....I'm a 60-year-old atheist and ***gasp*** I've never killed anyone Do you know why? Because it's wrong? How do I know it's wrong? Because I was taught that, because I can empathize, and because I can observe and mature and develop a personal moral code... Sheesh...
That’s literally not an answer. What’s the deontological foundation you use? Without a higher power you are basically saying „it’s right, because I think it is“. If everyone was to follow that subjective view your position has no more backing than one of a murderer who thinks that people are beneath them
@@ArthurMorgan-gp6by No lots of species k1ll each other all the time, Male lions k1ll all the cubs when they join a new pride; rival ant colonies of the same species f1ght with each other; chimps have been shown to k1ll each other at similar rates to humans. and if you're going to judge morality through instincts then we could very well say that a man steal1ng someone's wallet could be called "Survival Instincts" Because maybe he's poor and needs money but that wouldn't Justify his actions would it? You'd be upset too if someone came steal1ng your wallet with the reason being that he needs money. Atheism has no Moral Foundation (Except maybe themselves, however that Reasoning is Flawed) and inevitably leads to subjective Morality and Chaos. And yet they say that Religion doesn't make sense, what a joke.
@@ArthurMorgan-gp6by No lots of species k1ll each other all the time, Male lions k1ll all the cubs when they join a new pride; rival ant colonies of the same species f1ght with each other; chimps have been shown to k1ll each other at similar rates to humans. and if you're going to judge morality through instincts then we could very well say that a man steal1ng someone's wallet could be called "Survival Instincts" Because maybe he's poor and needs money but that wouldn't Justify his actions would it? You'd be upset too if someone came steal1ng your wallet with the reason being that he needs money. Atheism has no Moral Foundation (Except maybe themselves, however that Reasoning is Flawed) and inevitably leads to subjective Morality and Chaos. And yet they say that Religion doesn't make sense, what a joke.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song. he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY ! he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!! no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!! and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
Imagining Heaven is one of my favorite pastimes. 😇 Excellent video Your Excellency. Thank you 🙏🏽
Big Fan! Nice to see you here :D
If indulging in fantasies makes you happy go for it
Viva Cristo Rey!
Hi Fr Mark! I am surprised to see your comment here, but its nice to see we're all one big internet community!
This wins comment of the week lol
I don't need to imagine, I grew up in the USSR. My daughter and I came to the US with one small suitcase, our "possessions." When people have no posessions, it means they are slaves. And that makes them miserable not happy and joyful.
May God bless you and keep you & your daughter safe, here in the USA. And please, never stop telling your story. 💕
Funny that today's youth are embracing communism when I was in elementary school in the 1980s that the Soviet Union was ready to kill the entire planet with a nuclear strike. Many forgot the human rights abuses from the Soviet Union and China because of communist ideology. The Soviet Union tried to kill John Paul II because they knew he was a threat because he saw first hand what communism was doing to his people. He survived Nazism and Communism. The older I become, I understand more of his message while at the same time he warned about the dangers of secular materialism.
beautiful real world answer..thank you....
God bless you and keep you safe in this country
Thank you for chiming in. My grandfather was from Cuba. I remember how bad it was under Batista, and how things went down (specifically) after that. Cubans are still risking their lives in favor of freedom…. A generation that has never seen freedom is dying for it.
See, while I can understand how the song's lyrics can be controversial to others because it seems to attack their beliefs, the way I interpret the lyrics is that Lennon is trying to change people's perception rather than their belief structure.
What I mean is that Lennon is trying to convince others to avoid thinking about the things that divide us: religion, politics, nationalism, money etc. These concepts have been used extensively by those in power to sway public opinion. Lennon isn't saying that the world would be better without religion, he is saying that the world would be better if we as individuals avoided fighting/arguing with those who occupy a different belief structure than us, and instead we focused on our commonalities rather than our differences.
This has been my interpretation of the song, and also my personal mentality going through life. I enjoy talking to others with different beliefs and backgrounds because you can learn so much and it diversifies your own individuality. I will always avoid conflict, and show love, peace, understanding, and admiration towards other's. If they don't feel the same then c'est la vie.
I agree
Interesting.
See, the problem is that taking God out of things is actually divisive in itself. God and His love for us is the highest form of love. When we take Him out of the picture, we take all of love out as well. Imagining there is no heaven would be a nightmare, the absolute opposite of peace.
you nailed it!! ofcourse division is religions game
@@violinlover4255 lmao
I’ve never liked Imagine particularly because I’ve always seen the song as a “Wolf in sheep’s clothing”. It sounds positive and hopeful yet the lyrics are entirely filled with malice.
Amen, brother
And their music which I loved as a child is increasingly grating
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 Everything you mentioned, is that what Jesus taught, or corruption of man without moral regard? Even the Bible discusses the many corrupt actions of those who believed and worshipped God, but stray due to their personal selfishness and corruption. David was an adulterer and murderer. And consequences came from those actions. It isn’t God or religion that is the problem, it is human corruption and selfishness. That is why when you do a deep dive into all the wars in human history, they almost all stem from human corruption, greed, selfishness, pursuit of power, etc. Religion becomes the scapegoat only because many leaders use religion to unite people behind the unjust cause by falsely stating the end goal. Religion is used as a tool by the corrupt. So when imagining no religion, no heaven, no countries, what you are really doing is leaving it up to humans to not be corrupt and selfish. History has proven time and time again humans do not have the capacity to be scrupulous outside their narrow viewpoint.
Your comment also focuses solely on the negatives. Why don’t you also mention the powerful good organized religion does? The Catholic Church provides 1/4 of the WORLD’S healthcare, and a huge percentage of that in very poor areas throughout the globe. They educate more kids than any other single entity, again commonly in areas of poor areas without access to good education. It feeds more people every day than any other entity. It provides support for those who are sick or in distress. There are so many examples of the millions, perhaps billions, of people it positively impacts every day. Imagine all the people, giving of themselves and sacrificing for others like Jesus, and perhaps one day we all could live as one.
@@NotSureIdiocracy you can ramble all you want about the good the catholic church does but it's supposed to do good. It's not supposed to be one of the most deplorable institutions in history and yet it is. This bishop is concerned about Lennon's lyrics but will tell you not to masturbate, not to partake of consensual pre marital sex, not to live as a gay person, not to look at another person sexually, not to use certain words, etc. He'll tell you it's a sin but the lyrics of imagine are bad lol get real. He'll tell you Imagine has bad lyrics but rather than imagining Lennon's lyrics, accept that a man disappeared into the sky 40 days after rising from the dead and had walked on water and was born of a virgin. You're expected to believe the miracles of the bible that are literally impossible by the laws of nature, I mean actually accept that they really happened no question but to think lyrics to Imagine are bad. Do you see how ridiculous that is? Maybe not. You would literally kiss this guys ring on your left knee. If you.kissed his ring on your left knee and called him Your Excellency, he would pat your head, but the lyrics to Imagine are bad
@@80steen44 Thank you for acknowledging Catholics everywhere do great deeds and how much they have done to help and advance human society. Millions if not billions helped daily to improve their lives. That should not be taken lightly.
Then back on the negative, which is not a problem in itself. Corruption should be challenged and eradicated everywhere, including the Catholic Church. But unfortunately it seems you want to cancel the organization which would have the consequence of destroying all of the daily good it does. That would be tragic, and is a very narrow viewpoint.
In addition you miss the point of sin. The examples you gave in itself isn’t necessarily bad, just as the example given in the video where having possessions is not a bad thing or sinful. The sin comes from the consequences of such actions where individual wants are taken at the expense of others, i.e. morality is thrown out the window for individual selfishness. Let’s take consensual pre-marital sex as an example. Many times per-marital sex between partners who do not really love each other and are not committed to each other leads to consequences. One of them could be spreading STD’s where one partner does not care to share that with the other partner and transmits it. Another consequence is a pregnancy, and all to often in today’s society the man leaves the woman. The woman, unfortunately, can be left in a very difficult situation, especially if she has financial difficulty. She also has to deal with the emotional impact of the rejection from her mate. Now she may choose to have the child. Research and statistics have shown children raised by a single parent have a higher risk of depression, suicide rate, substance abuse, criminal convictions, etc. Obviously it does not always happen, but the risk is far greater, much like the risk of cancer for a smoker. The woman may choose for an abortion. In this case, an innocent life has no choice on whether or not it can live, therefore it truly is not pro-choice from the viewpoint of the life that was conceived. But furthermore, abortions lead to higher risk of physical and emotional effects on the mother. For all of the Pro-Choice advocates who say it is a woman’s health issue, why do they not care about the health effects of abortions? There are many women who become barren after an abortion, and later in life cannot have children when they are fully ready to have them. There is a higher probability for women who have an abortion to suffer from depression, suicide, and substance abuse. Why is this aspect ignored?
Anyway, this is why certain actions are frowned upon, because selfish and corrupt actions can have extremely negative consequences on many people and not just themselves. The narrow, individualistic secular viewpoint has enormous negative social consequences. And the response of the secular is to destroy religion, and of course the moral foundation that comes with it. Why? Because then their cruel actions that hurt others has no moral code to measure against, and it is easy to justify the action. Not much different than inquisitions when you think about it. Same root cause problem, similar negative consequences.
Interestingly in the historical volumes by Will Durant, specifically in “Our Oriental Heritage”, the historian notes when a civilization rejects their religion and moral code, the civilization falls apart. He was not a believer in God, nor the Bible, but he points out that not having a common moral code leads to a civilization’s destruction……always. Then the cycle repeats itself where people take on religion again, agree to a moral code, and out of the ashes comes a new thriving civilization. Moral relativism has never worked to advance people throughout history, and has also led to widespread death and destruction, far more than the Catholic Church has ever done. It is yet another important lesson history teaches us, and too many either forget, ignore, or ignorant of it.
"Imagine no possessions..." Yeah, it's called first-order Franciscans, and they thought of that 700 years before John Lennon was born, and it's not because they listened to 20th century pop music, it's because St. Francis believed in the Gospel of Christ and took it seriously.
Very well-said.
An excellent reply to that garbage. St Anthony of Skete got there a bit earlier than St Francis.
St. Simeon the Stylite lived on top of a pillar for decades with no possessions in the 4th century. The surface area of a celebrity’s breakfast table was more spacious that the top of some of those pillars.
Both St. Francis and St. Clare wouldn’t even permit money to touch their hands for fear of being contaminated by it.
John's "no possessions" is the great reset.
Blimey, that burn though...
Finally someone of power says something.
I’ve never liked that song because of the lyrics, even as a child, I knew that I wouldn’t want to live in a world without Jesus.
It's because you're scared of death, or what comes after it. That's why religion exists, to give humans an idea of what life after death is, if there is life after death. No one knows what comes after death, except the dead. Religion is just a way of comforting ourselves. Humans don't like to not know something, and when they can't get to that knowledge, they make their own.
That’s because you are stupid
Jesus is a fraud lmfao
@@bumba6900 Religion and faith is a win-win. If there is life after death you’ll enjoy it, if there isn’t then you won’t know it anyway.
@@jeffg.8964when people say this I think people are so superficial, then why tf you even uphold the belief of it, it still is just for your own personal gain.
Lennon wrote this song while living in The Dakota in NYC, one of the most expensive and exclusive places to live in the world. “Imagine no possessions?” Indeed. (I am adding that I got the sequence of events wrong, but I stand criticism of Lennon’s song, which is full of cant.”
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song.
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY !
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!!
and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
No one advocates for poverty and we spend a lot of time preventing it! This is about not defining yourself by your possessions, ie you get your sense of worth from spiritual values, not from what you own. There is a big difference in awareness.
An outstandig example of hipocrisy.
@@kyuzo9764 ...yeah...? And the Catholic Church...?
@@kyuzo9764 What was he supposed to do, drop everthing and become homeless with a wife to take care of?
Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.
Words to live by. Thank you, good sir!
Then you really aren't depending on God. The second sentence kind of cancels out the first.
@@deeanderson4164 God helps those who helps themselves. Working does several things for the person, including giving them dignity. To not work is to be idle... And idle hands are the work of the devil
@@medman83 I never said that you do nothing, but there is nothing in the Bible that says that God helps those who help themselves. Of course, you work and you take steps forward. The trouble is we often are led by our own emotions and will, myself included.
I thought it was a quote from St Ignatius of Loyola
Even when i was a small child, the song "Imagine" turned my stomach.
I 100% agree, it is a TERRIBLE and BLASPHEMOUS song! In Jesus name AMEN! It is RIGHTEOUS to love Jesus and his big hairy holy phallus along WITH God’s big green Wiener schnitzel! Let them thrust their members within us for HOLY fortification in all three of our saintly holes!!! Praise Allah!
Well then that makes you the TRUEST Christian of them all. Here's your crown, it's a bit thorny :P
@@18skeltor the clown
With regard to imagining "no possessions," that was very much a fantasy for Lennon, whose 1971 promotion video/film for the song shows him playing it on his white Steinway piano at his stately home in Berkshire, which he traveled to and from in his custom Rolls Royce.
Don't forget the entire room converted into a freezer to store John and Yoko's fur coats.
Hahaha, yes it's nearly always rich people who bang on about "no possessions" but I never heard of any of them giving everything away to the poor and living a simple life, have you? Nah, it's only US they think should have no possessions! They can think on! Hypocrites, the lot of 'em!
EXACTLY!
Figured that out all on you own did ya. LOL
Wisely put, friend.
Hey btw a French Theologian called Arnaud dumouche said that this song is anti Christ because it is hell itself (be a God, choose what is good and bad, and be free to do whatever you want to do with no limits) so basically a world without God himself even if this is the most beautiful garden it will be quickly transformed to a hell
Hi there, interesting. Never heard of this French Theologian. Thanks for that.
And the reason for this is we lack the true capacity for this responsibility. The book of Job comes to my mind on this one. Where God shows Job the cosmos. The world we live in is all apart of this cosmos. And every action is as well.
@@edmundburke8490 hey this theologian talks about the Parousia and the coming of Christ in his Glory and this si so interesting he even have an international chanel in English and so many languages
@Alejandra Serena thanks for your comments. I'll look into this.
It's definitely satanic. Interesting thoughts from this man.
When I was a kid I always thought the song was about after Christ returned and we all were with the Lord. We would all be in heaven, so it is not above us and imagine no hell below us which I thought was a hope that we all made it to heaven. No countries or religion because we are in Gods kingdom and their wouldn’t be religion since we all now follow the Lord. No possessions since it all belongs to God and he gives us all our needs. A brotherhood since we are all children of God.
That’s a beautiful interpretation. I don’t feel guilty about listening to this song anymore.
That's a very generous interpretation.
I had about the same opinion about "Imagine" before I heard anyone talking about it
But, please, please, DO NOT sing along to the lyrics because you like the tune. It's never good to even joke about being atheist when when knows God.
I as well. The song always had a sense of something wrong about it on a spiritual level.
besides the fact that Imagine is the Communist Manifesto set to music?
Ditto!
@@robideals685 as well to me... I just had the sense....
I am a huge Beatle fan and I loathe "Imagine" so much that it's impossible to put into words. I love his Beatles songs but "Imagine" is nothing but blather.
Imagine is insidious.
It’s a terrible song.
@Void maybe he's saying it because it's a vacuous philosophy that actually tends to lead to very bad outcomes. Or maybe he notices that it doesn't really make sense and is inherently nihilistic.
I think more has been made of the song than John himself thought of it. At the end of the day, it's just another one of his daydream songs. i.e. "Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields..." or "Picture yourself on a boat on a river..."
@@IndyDefense fair enough, but because it's been made so much of, criticism becomes proportionately necessary.
I was born and raised a Catholic but I wasn't devout until two years ago, learned and understood so much about catechism and really practice it by heart. Only then did I recognize false virtues everywhere. From songs, sayings or so called inspirational quotes which would've impressed me if I didn't know better. Some have no true wisdom, rather temporal and self-centered meaning in them.
🤣
Me too, it's weird being raised in a christian family, and feel like a born again after being enligthened by His grace....
This song is literally the paradigm of humanist secularism: "we love so much the human race that we want to simply erase entire dimensions of its existence to make it perfect in an universalist way , which is culturally contingent by itself"
It reminds me of those classical musicians who go into the jungle and rainforests and play Mozart for the indigenous tribes... or as Mike Tyson said... everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Exactly, good analysis.
@timnray99 So much for "Welcome the Stranger."
@@alexanderangelo7284 Vet the stranger first, as Jesus did with the Syro-Phoenician woman, and beware those who ostentatiously "help" the poor as a way of accruing narcissistic supply (e.g. the Pharisees and Judas, the original SJW).
@@BrObstreperous I don't think you know the definition of SJW or SJ. Neither Judas nor the Pharisees believed in SJ. And I say that as someone who finds SJW really annoying.
Typical Robert Baron: incisive, accurate, thought provoking, intellectually accessible, respectful, clear, God based. Always worth listening to.....
You forgot "liberal".
@@soupoftheweek2402 I don't agree he is liberal
@@soupoftheweek2402 he’s not a hardcore traditionalist. big deal. doesn’t make him a liberal.
@@soupoftheweek2402 Bishop Barron is moderate. He has said it several times
Yeah but not one good word about the good parts of the song and the Bishop claims he is a fan of John & the Beatles? I don't think so.
The point of the song is that regardless of race, religion, country, we are all HUMAN BEINGS. We are not different, we are all the same
@THECAVEMAN yes so we shouldn't exclude one another based on those differences, we should embrace that each other despite our differences
We definitely aren't all the same lmao. That's the delusional leftist view. That humans are all exactly the same and interchangeable and there are no fundamental genetic differences between them. Pure idiocy.
@@neo-filthyfrank1347 every human is a human so in that way we are all the same and at the very least should treat all other humans the way we would like to be treated
Not everyone is the same. I am me, you are you. I'm not you, you can't be blamed for my wrongdoings and vice-versa. You may know more than me on football or tenis, but I might know how to make a good pancake. We're all different actually, but we are all (non equal) sinners and deservers of hell.
@@capitão_paçoca why you gotta make it about religion man
“Imagine no possessions” John said as his maid cleaned up his mansion
This is the old "socialists can't participate in a capitalist economy without being a hypocrite" meme - it's dumb.
@@BrendanBeckett Why is it dumb?
@@BrendanBeckett It’s called practicing what you preach. Instead of whining about the Government not taking other people’s money to give to the poor, commies should give all they have to the poor and live simply. If they feel so strongly about greed being evil why are they all so greedy? One thing is saying nobody who’s communist should buy anything, it’s another thing entirely to say that maybe multi millionaires with mansions shouldn’t be telling other people to give up their possessions.
@@keymaker2112 Generally, socialists advocate for a broad scale societal change, and them behaving separately individually would have no impact on that goal, while sabotaging themselves.
It's like in sports, if you think there's a rule that's dumb, you try to get it changed - you don't just start playing with different rules because that's incompatible with participation in the sport. So it is with society at large.
You can take that to a smaller scale too and just talk about people who advocate higher taxes. A rich person who thinks they should pay more taxes is saying that in the context of everyone else of similar wealth would also pay higher taxes. They don't want to do it alone - that wouldn't help anything and would hurt their own interests. But if it's the law and everyone pays that, then in aggregate it becomes a positive. Otherwise, they are just giving away money for no discernable benefit to anyone.
TLDR: If someone wants the way society works to change, that doesn't have anything to do with their individual participation in the current way society works. It's a different level of analysis.
@@folofus4815 I didn't even read your reply before posting my other one, but it anticipated exactly these stupid points, so read that.
Yes, that was my philosophy when I was an atheist. That is simply what results from making yourself the highest moral authority. Morality is no longer obligatory.
Right, because that’s what he was.
@@ntmn8444 I am just just saying that was my philosophy. John Lennon may not have been one but I was.
You were an odd atheist.
@@chriswinchell1570 Personally I considered atheists who thought there was a moral obligatory higher than individual human as little bit similar as religious people. "They refuse to see the bigger picture because it makes them feel better".
@@ReasonAboveEverything That’s what I’m talking about. I can’t speak for every atheist (and most would say that atheists just don’t believe the case for a god has been proven, that’s all) but I would guess that most atheists neither believe their personal morality is paramount nor believe there’s some universal morality that is somehow given by an authority who they don’t even believe in.
Morality can be derived/ explained simply from social contract theory. I can’t imagine how our species would have even be the species we are without the morality required to be a social creature. Humans have essentially evolved to incorporate a morality born from cooperation to achieve common goals more efficiently. Morality is merely utilitarian. The reason why morality seems innate isn’t because god imbued us with a sense of right and wrong, it’s because the sense is incorporated into our genome.
I am Catholic. And a former Beatles fan, I kind of parted ways with them during my adolescence. But I see this song as a human creation that shouldn't be easily dismissed. I think when he says: imagine there's no heaven, above us only sky, John Lennon really means: don't stick to that distorted version of heaven all of us are torturing ourselves with. And when I hear: imagine there's no countries, I don't think of erasing nations, but of reminding ourselves that despite all our differencies we are children of God, and therefore, brothers and sisters. And with posessions, that they should serve our purposes, and not the other way around. That is what I think of when listening the song. So I don't think it was meant as some communist manifesto but a reminder of the deepest truths of our existance. And I think that is the real reason why it entered hearts of so many people becoming one of the most popular songs ever. Things that don't contain love cannot do that. It is just how the world functions. 🙂
You might be the only commenter who actually understood the allegory instead of a literal translation.
Hi, Ivana.
The deepest truth of our existence is that we are alienated from our Creator and Sustainer, that we are all guilty of violating His holy commandments, and can only be reconciled to God and to each other by the atoning Sacrifice of His Beloved Son. If we try to bypass this truth we make matters worse.
John Lennon wrote that. Not the Beatles.
There is no god
the world will function either we warship the god created by hebrews, or the god invented by vikings, its the same faith... milenias have been passed way before the god of israel was even thought byt the hebrews, they created and made themselves the chosen people, reason enough to create a god, but we are so donb, that we wage wars with our belives.
"Imagine" is the kind if song that would be played in a horror movie as mankind is slowly and brutally subjugated into a malevolent hivemind
Actually a good Idea. Something like Body Snatchers or The Borg!
Exactly like when , what a beautiful world was played while people being shot dead in good morning Vietnam.
Its borg material
someone should make that movie on their i phone ASAP
Yeah one of those dystopian future movies, i could imagine that
atheists keep wondering and imagining while believers continues to rest in God
In other words you imagine too.
what are you saying? @@mozartwolfgang4656 the heart is restless until it rests in Him.
A personal god is not a real god. A real god does not require faith.
@@HardKore5250 are you still in middle school? Have a relationship with God the Father your creator because we all will meet death in life.
@@janhanger not necessarily with Transhumanism you can keep on living
I apologize for criticizing your ministry. It's just that some people see things differently. May God keep blessing you, thanks.
I was in New York City when John Lennon died. I heard Imagine over and over. And I felt it was totally dishonest. They should have played the songs God, or Working Class Hero, which were honest confessions of doubt, closer to his heart. Imagine has always struck me as a romantic version of the same nightmares that had filled the 20th Century. And indeed so it is proving to be. Thanks for casting the song into its proper setting Bishop.
It's like playing Stairway to Heaven at the funeral of an addict, simply because the addict liked Led Zeppelin. The message is dishonest to the deceased.
That's a really good insight.
No doubt it was only because that song was more well-known. Unless I am mistaken and that is the reason why it is so well known?
@@andrewkelly2028 Actually God was played quite a bit when it came out. I was there. But by 1980 'optimism' won out.
@@TheAnadromist Ahh okay. I've never heard "God" so from my perspective it seems as though it never really got much attention. I suppose that "optimism" went pretty strong.
The most unintentionally ironic song ever. Imagine no possessions? Right, John....
Good points made here, but Lennon might’ve been just musing. Imagining isn’t necessarily the same as wishing….no one really knows what his intent was..or do we? I can’t stand Lennon’s arrogance when he said ‘We’re more popular than Jesus Christ’
@@tdioxin2658 I agree - Lennon was too self aware not to notice the irony. Perhaps it was just 'wishing.' I don't think it was limousine liberal hypocrisy - I think Lennon was too smart to fall into that....
@@rhwinner His atheism is the cause of the lyrics, also his wife's influence....who also helped with the lyrics, and is atheistic too.
Lennon's 1971 video shows him playing the tune on his white Steinway piano at his stately home in Berkshire, which he traveled to and from in his custom Rolls Royce.
Great name! Love the story.
I think the fact that John Lennon was such an interesting person makes us overlook what a genius Paul McCartney is - PS: RIP Charly Watts
C. Watts: superb drummer, unassuming. When on stage he was one with his music, his band, his instruments. Not interested in creating a dazzling character, or persona in the jungian sense. So, not prone to becoming full of himself, pretentiously pseudo intellectual. Unpretentious, innovative, gifted musician. RIP he will.
Paul is extremely musical - has a natural talent - but John was always the more outspoken and risk-taking.
yes, Paul is a musical genius!
'Let it Be' and 'Eleanor Rigby' are Paul's masterpieces, but George is my favorite of the Fab Four, his solo work like 'My Sweet Lord' is deeply personal.
I totally agree with Bishop Baron. The song imagine represents a meaningless existence as ultimately meaningful. It’s an absolute contradiction.
What in "Imagine" suggests meaninglessness?
Remove religion, nationality, and possessions, and there is _so_ much left in human experience to make meaning from - and you remove the impetus for the vast majority of our conflict.
There are practical reasons this is a pipe-dream, but it's presented as an thought experiment, not as a mandate.
@@Fordi A life with nothing worth dying for is ultimately a meaningless life...
How is living in peace meaningless?
@@rhwinner Nothing ahould be worth dying for
Peace and love should be worth living for
@@thomasdematteo2281 You wouldn't die to save the lives of your wife and children..?
Imagine ought to be the anthem of the World Economic Forum. "You will own nothing and be happy."
Agree.
exactly
Very astute..
No surprise. Lennon was one of the most prominent members of the Satanic Order.
The majority of philosophy majors are moral realists... moral systems exist without theism.
Actually if you live like this song says, you are closer to God than this guy thinks he is. Saying Imagine there's no heaven, is just telling you to live in the now, appreciate/love life, it's a gift don't take it for granted
As Catholics we should not be focused on earthly matters, rather devoting our life to God and preparing to greet him at the gates of heaven. This is why you would be FARTHER than God, not closer. If you were focused on this life, the life less significant than the everlasting paradise we look forward to, God would be farther than you could ever imagine. God is not bound to this earth, and neither should we be.
If God is classically defined as being/existence itself, what exactly is this "now" we would be living in if we were to imagine no God or heaven?🙃
@@Joeonline26 That's called real life
@@18skeltor Incorrect. God, classically defined as life/existence itself, would mean that there would be no life whatsoever if He were not to exist. It wouldn't be 'real life', it would be no life/non-existence
@@Joeonline26 But God is just a made up symbolic representation of life. It's not life itself. Life exists without any humans examining it. The fact that you can't differentiate between these things makes me think that you're not capable of rational or independent thought. which makes me sad :(
Actually, when I was young and naive, I used to think this was written to be a sad song.
“Imagine no religion” , “imagine no countries”, imagine no heaven or hell”, “nothing to live or die for”
… it all seemed like sad things to imagine. That’s what I used to think Lennon was trying to say.
Imagine how horrible the world would be without all that.
…but knowing what I know now, it’s hard to “imagine” that’s what he was trying to say.
It's nihilistic actually.
@Thomas Serrano Yes, but everyone needs purpose/meaning in their life so if you're told there is no God, no country, no religion . . .etc., then you will find something, anything to give you purpose or meaning in your life, which leads to many embracing man-driven godless ideologies.
THIS.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 Do you think wars, molestation, greed. . .etc wouldn't exist without religion?
There is no such thing as a world devoid of the things Lennon imagined. It's completely nihilistic and incompatible with our human nature.
You take the good with the bad.
No heaven, no hell, no possessions and no countries are equal to "nothing to kill or die for" which may appear "no conflict" and may sound "no war". On the contrary, this is deadly and perhaps for the dead only because they are likewise equal to "nothing to live for".
No, not nonsense. I also was allergic to the ideas presented by “lmagine” from the first time l ever heard it. I always felt it was a funeral dirge.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 People are sinners, even in the Church, also water is wet. At least list some of the 100s of millions killed for reasons other than religion, that is of course if you want to give a balanced view of things.
@@jasongamer8649 No system or ideology is perfect but the one who claims holiness and fails is far worse. Similarly, the Republican party places its self on a pedestal by claiming family values, therefore when they get caught in scandal it's hypocrisy vs when a Democrat does. Lennon is offering a different view than everything going on in the world in 1971 than corrupt religions and governments had to offer. They had failed miserably and continue to do so yet this bishop acts as if the catholic church is a holy institution when it's not. The catholic church is arguably the most sexually, financially and politically corrupt institution in history
Imagine scares the shit outta religious bigots, because it posits reasonable a life without an invisible sky-tyrant in need of psycophants
No heaven and no hell means there’s no justice here or hereafter.
No evidence of heaven or hell other than written testimony by writers unable to testify first-hand experience of either of the two places.
@@ANDROLOMA I have no evidence of black holes other than representations by astronomers who testify that those drawings show what a black hole, if it exists, would look like, if we could see it. I trust their credentials even tho I have not seen the actual readings from very sophisticated telescopes that scientists interpret to indicate black holes. And even the scientists don’t really understand them although they can use words to describe them. But no astronomer has died to defend or prove his belief in the nature of black holes. When I look up at the night sky I don’t see any black holes. I’ve not been to one. I do believe in the moon. I trust the astronauts who say they have walked there. I’ve seen rocks supposedly from the moon. But there are people who maintain the moon landing was a media hoax. Yep, there are people who wouldn’t believe in an afterlife even if someone came back to life three days after he died and told them about it.
FINALLY! Someone besides me who can’t stand that song.
My thoughts exactly!
There are plenty of us, my friend.
I love it
@@ThePa1riot so… are you seeking out videos that talk about how much they also hate it? I look for stuff i like. But, that’s just me🤷🏻♂️
You would not be typing gibberish had Lennon been an American singer... you, Sir, are a transparent idiot!
(I think)Chesterton said “When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in everything.”
I’m publishing a weekly UA-cam video on episodes from the life of Don Bosco, entitled ST JOHN BOSCO by JOE ZAMMIT. In this series I’m narrating events and miracles from the splendid life of Don Bosco. St John Bosco used to perform a miracle almost every day, through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians. From the lives of saints we can learn how to love God more and draw closer to him. Thank you
Chesterton was so far ahead of his time -- an apostle of common sense.
Correction: "...They believe in ANYTHING".
@@donnagolder7893 Just look at how the Communist Chinese leaders value human life.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities - Voltaire
I literally went into that space for one minute today and found it paradoxical; No Heaven or hell? Why does it feel like hell?
I love mercy me's song "I can only Imagine"
I found it to be the best answer to Imagine by Lennon
I only listen to Christian music!!!
My favourite Beatle is Paul McCartney. Very talented musician .. As all the Beatles were but I've always been wary of John Lennon especially when he got in tow with Yoko Ono. Imagine has awful words. It means there is nothing to live for on the Earth!!
Maybe this life is all we have, so we’d better make the most of it.
@@Multijoe84 Sad if this is all there is , Wee lad .
@Nicole Marie Very true Nicole
He was easily influenced by those around him, and Yoko managed to get her hooks into him. "Imagine" is heavily influenced by her. Remember, this is the same guy who wrote "Revolution" just a few years before.
I liked all the Beatles, even individually, except John. He seemed full of anger and wanted to control the lives of others. He had an arrogant air.
My father feels that the song Imagine is Satanic. I was just sick and tired of hearing celebrities singing it to death during the Pandemic!
Lennon himself admitted the song is an endorsement of Communism.
Definitely not satanic. I think the song’s lyrics are a little bit misunderstood. Could be communistic could be not. My opinion still a good song in MINE opinion
@@DaffierPig6843 nowonder you are a cannibal; cannabis lol
It’s the anthem of global government.
Every other thing is Satan when you're schizo. Just ask my uncle Albert, who has spent the last 5 months telling anyone who will look at him that he's Jesus off the interstate. Every single Volkswagen is the Devil himself, according to Albert. Says they look straight into his soul and honk into it.
I have always felt this way about this song “Imagine.” It is difficult to imagine anything more than what is described in this song. .. it sounds a lot like the New World order.
YES IT DOES!! And that's imagining an absolute nightmare
Bingo! I can seet his hideous song will soon be the world's anthem.
I thought it already was! After hearing all those celebrities singing it to death I wondered if it would come to this!
That's because IT IS about the New World Order.
That’s why they’re imagining it. Everyone knows none of that can come to fruition because of humanity’s insane greed. So they imagine it instead
Ben Shapiro also has an excellent critique of this song. He even gets into why not only are the lyrics appalling, he also goes into why the actual arrangement and chord changes are horrible too!
Can you find it & share it? Thank you in advance.
I’m sympathetic to Shapiro’s frustrations with the song, but I can’t abide his theatrics. He radically exaggerates his criticism.
Imagine suffers from Lennon’s immature, overly-simplistic view of the causes of war. The idiotic prescriptions he offers in the song, like imagining there’s no God, deserve to be called out and confronted.
But Shapiro is over the top when he describes Imagine as a “garbage song” that deserves to be “burned” (if he was into that kind of thing).
Musically, the song is lazy and mopey. Like it was written by Eeyore. But it’s not as big a mess as Shapiro says. It uses conventional chord structure and a standard melody. Its not horrible, it’s just boring.
@@patricktalley4185 Yeah, I can relate. I think your points are 100% accurate. I just personally like Ben Shapiro, even despite all that :)
My impression was always that " imagine" was a Yoko Ono song.
@@MarkDiSciullo I like him too.
You don't need heaven or religion to be moral....
The Nazis, Soviets, Chinese, Cubans, Vietnamese and Venezuelans agree wholeheartedly. The 100,000,000 + of their own citizens they murdered are unavailable for comment.
You need it to know what morality is
@@sarah-by5kyYOU need it to know what morality is
More recently but before this year's Olympics, during the height of the pandemic, a bunch of celebrities filmed themselves singing "Imagine". The reception was very negative all over the Internet. It was seen as tone deaf and cringy. It didn't help for them that they didn't sang it well. Now the mood I gathered around the Internet is that they can't listen to the song without thinking of that celebrity cover.
A change of reception perhaps?
Think that has more to do with cynicism at the world, not the content of the song itself.
@@ThePa1riot Surprisingly joe rogan criticized them for singing an anthem to the non existence of the afterlife during a period where many people were losing relatives to covid, for once i think it was not cynicism.
I remember that, it was hilarious
Cringe
I remember it too. It was rubbish in every single way a thing could be rubbish! Multi-millionaire celebs telling us to imagine having "no possessions" from their multi-million £ mansions, at a time when millions around the world were loosing their very livelihoods, facing homelessness and even starvation! No, it didn't go down well!
I have another problem with this song, the idea of a brotherhood reached only when human differences are gone. Suddenly, even with good intentions, we are where supremacists want to go.
You dont want us to get past our diffrences
@@dingoanimation1770I actually said the opposite. Human beings, being free, have different ideas and have to learn to tolerate and love each other despite these difference. You don't need to tolerate someone that think like you, and there is little merit in loving someone who doesn't challenge you even a little.
Where Communism wants us to go….
@@donnagolder7893 That is one of the most important critics made to communism: When making social engineering to achieve an ideal it is assumed everybody want the same thing or there is only one way. Those how disagree can't be but evil.
@@donnagolder7893 keep using that word i don't think it means what you think it does. people chuck words like communism, leftist etc around to shut down conversation because they don't have a adequate response to the proposition they are responding to
It doesn't mean no God, it means no arguments whos god is best etc,,,
I've always despised this song. I don't have an issue in general with songs that are very clearly secular but Imagine seems to have gone further and become an anthem for everything wrong with the "modern" worldview.
I actually take issue with secular songs too. They often take love and then they brand it with sexual allusions and cheesy sentimentalism. Often secular songs which are supposed to be about love, actually go on parading the vainglory of worshipping an emotional state of affair , where the singer is enthroned as somehow "special" for the fact He is in love . Within this context , the other person becomes a device which is used to celebrate the singer' vanity . These sort of songs are very shallow and dismaying.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life"
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America!
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
I remember hearing this song on the radio the first time and being horrified by the words... Until now, I thought "I was the only one" ;-)
Same here, Stephanie! 🤦🏻♀️
Sometimes not noticing is a stronger response than noticing and condemning.Although maybe I'm wrong.
Let go of everything you have and find out who you really are. Are you your possessions? Or are you something else?
Name one religion on this planet that has not oppressed and killed those who oppose them?
I firmly believe in God but religion is created by people & therefore flawed.
Ah yes, world peace and no borders.
So horrifying
@@Broccoli_32 yes, if that was it I would think it's great. But it's not it...
Father, you are much too kind. I'm about your age, an somewhat-Orthodox Jew and was never a fan of Mr. Lennon. As part of the "60's" he helped the decline of traditional societal mores. As you mentioned, he was also a hypocrite when it came to material things. Don't see a lot of homeless living in big apartment buildings on Central Park West. Thanks for the commentary.
"Imagine all the people, sharing all my wealth..." Yoko would not stand for that!
LOL !!! I *know* right?!
@@srb9 For sure!
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol and how about the Pope's wealth when Jesus said to sell all your possessions.
@@80steen44 Res ipse loquatur....
@@80steen44 How much is the Pope worth?
no wonder you are from the '80s, .....sadly, still there
thank you, Bishop Barron, for speaking up for God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and for religion too...
Too many fundamental disagreements to address in a UA-cam comment. I will say that you reminded me of conversations with clergymen in the past, where it's almost always listening to the same series of apologetic arguments in rapid succession such that I can barely think for myself. An effective tactic for breaking down an opponent in a formal debate, a poor way to hold a discussion. This video and others of yours make for a useful resource as I can replay those "conversations" from time to time. Take care, Bishop.
Imagine dis track. I'm here for it.
I remember at the beginning of the covid lockdowns all these celebrities sang it on their social media accounts and now the Olympics... So cringe. Every time this song gets attention it is just so cringe. Thankfully it opens up a lane for bashing it and exposing its awful ideology.
Paul McCartney and George Harrison > John Lennon
I was going to post something similar like that here, but all I can say is I share your mental agony and disdain towards the A-list celebs that made a Common Phrase out of that boring song filled with nothing but unfortunate implications that led to a Communist totalitarian dystopia.
This song is as Marxist as it gets. Thank you, Bishop Barron!
Imagine a world without hate.
Only when the religious are no longer around to hate the world.
Yep, I liked it in high school in the 80s, but once I really listened and started to understand the real implications of it, I was stunned by how ignorant it is. It's amazingly ironic because the things it proposes to imagine would result in the destruction of the very goals it aspires to.
It’s not ignorant; it’s insidious.
I've always thought that the lyrics were rather odd - imagine no religions, nation or possessions. As a friend of mine put it, if we really didn't have those things, and really had nothing to kill or die for, then it seems like there'd be nothing to *live* for, either.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 there's plenty to apologize for. The church is for sinners who want to be better. Please don't edit out the millennia of good deeds the church has done. You might want to read "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization." You might also consider the contribution of atheism to the common good over the that last millennia like Nazism, Communism and Socialism. In not justifying the wrongs of the church, but you have to understand that athiests like Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot have killed and tortured more people with no similar claim to charity that Christianity has.
@@carlkessler303 Good deeds to advance their own dominance and agenda. They don't evangelize for the gospel the convert by force or bribery for financial gain and political influence.
What's the point of life if there is no heaven? If we just become worm food, that is pretty dire.
Bishop Barron,
I agree with just about everything you said here in this video except (!!) that we shouldn't take the words seriously. I think we should take them seriously enough to think deeply about them! I'm glad that you took the time to do so in this video.
We do have to think about the messages and ideas contained in the music we are awash in. Thank you so much for all the work you do through Word on Fire.
Thank you Bishop Barron for lighting that luminous candle in all those deep dark contradictory places, *one-by-one.*
I always like your sharing with deep wisdom and understanding. May God bless you with abundant grace. Xavier from India, Chennai, the land of apostle st. Thomas.
It's kind of you to express that @@xaviertc8358 May Jesus be praised and glorified. Invoking God's blessings on you too☆ Thanks for your presence here☆☆
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44
May the light of Christ light your path☆
@@marypinakat8594 I'm good. I don't need superstition and magical tales to guide me
I'm chuckling before I even listen. 50 years ago, in my high school religion class, an older religious sister had us sing this song EVERY day. I didn't understand it at the time, but I just didn't like the song. Years later, I understood why. Looking forward to viewing Bsp. Baron now.
Lol 👍
50 yrs ago, not many of the good Sisters were well educated. The whole Catholic Church was boing infiltrated by subtle Communism, according to Bella Dodd and Fulton Sheen.
you know what? GOD does not need religion, and neither do I to believe in my god.
I liked without watching the video because I love how straightforward the title is. Love the attitude, bishop!
John Lennon has been real quiet since this video dropped.
he just found up his opening verse was wrong!
yeah, the whole 30 minutes since the vid dropped...
silence from a dead dude XD
Pascal's wager!
😆
@@sshealy1 Nothing is more ridiculous than Pascal's wager.
Well said, Bishop Barron. I’m a Lutheran pastor, and where this song is concerned, I’m glad to hear that “I’m not the only one”.
Thank you Bishop Barron for analyzing this song. I never liked the lyrics of this song "Imagine". John Lennon talks nonsense. He piles up wealth, farms etc, but left nothing to his first born son in England in his version of "the Brotherhood of Man". While I like some of his music, I lost respect for him as a man a long time ago.
Excellent Bishop Barron. God protect you, your work and the Word on Fire team.
John Lennon was a free person he’s saying imagine life without all this . Religion, heaven hell government etc . You can have a happy life with all this . Making you live a certain way . Put religion to the side and see it from a different perspective
Can we just appreciate all the work Bishop Robert Barron puts in this channel
God bless Bishop Barron.🙏 He is fighting for our souls. We need to get on board with him.❤️🙏
Ignoring Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean that must take a lot of work
Check the mirror for a Godless fool. You will find him.
@@user-yc9eo8ju3d I'm a fool but you believe a virgin gave birth, a guy rose people from the dead, died himself and rose from the dead, walked on water, disappeared into the sky and is coming back from the sky
I believe every bit of it because it’s all true. How do you know so much about it if you are not searching for the truth also? Keep researching the Bible. You’ll be amazed at what you will learn.🙏
I am absolutely thrilled to hear someone else vent spleen about "Imagine." I have felt deep dislike for the lyrics since my childhood in the 1980's.
I turned off this song as soon a s I heard Imagine there's no Hsaven. If there is no Heaven , there is no meaning to life.
That would be like if there is no God than we wouldn't exist.
@@christinespiliopoulos5379 John Lennon himself literally believed in an afterlife, if you aim towards an afterlife that is possible (not guaranteed) it is a very good way to live. But you have to stop looking towards that and make a heaven out of this life while you’re living it. And also stop shunning every view that isn’t your own. That goes for the whole religion
@@christinespiliopoulos5379 oh wow, it’s almost like there *is* no universal meaning to life besides what you make it.
@@christinespiliopoulos5379 how pathetic it must be that your only meaning to live is to believe that there is a heaven.
Have you ever seen a war without somebody marching across somebody else's border?
Civil war? Sorry Im 2 years late 😅😅😅
Completely in agreement with Bishop Barron here. John Lennon was such a great artist, but SO immature as a human being.
He’d had a tough upbringing.
If I wanted to go to town on the faults of the Catholic Church I could be here all day!
@@Multijoe84 I understand that he had a tough upbringing, Jimmy. And I actually love him, as an artist. He’s always been speaking to my heart. But while we are all human, and therefore both John Lennon and “everyone in the catholic church” have great flaws, the message of the church is a message of growth and maturity. Lennon’s ideals were not mature.
@@tomlabooks3263 You know what a real sign of growth and maturity is? Not believing in things like santa past age 10 but surprisingly people still believe in christianity for the rest of their lives. Definitely dont have the right to call other people immature human beings
@@1048Kane Or is it not calling yourself “Trollie McG” on UA-cam? I’m not sure.
@@tomlabooks3263 Im sorry you realizing you believe in magical beings is bothering you.
John Lennon was the poster child of today's woke crowd: Rich, completely out of touch, and lived a life which contradicted what he preached
a brotherhood of fatherless men!!!!!!!, make love, not war!!!!! have sex.... abandon them!!!
yes, that's why during his last years he said he would vote for Ronald Reagan if he could...
Summary of the song:
Imagine nothing ever exist
When I finally paid attention to the words of that song, I had the same reaction. Another example of the devils sneaky tactics. God bless you Bishop Barron for your wisdom and courage! I keep you and all priests in my daily prayers🙏
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 Such an incomplete list of Christian accomplishments.. tsk tsk.
@@80steen44 How about the KKK and other racist groups? Colonialism and conversions of foreign citizens? Gay fear/hate and ostracizing family members for something that they can't choose/control?
The devil is at the head of the church.
@@18skeltor I was clearly being sarcastic
The no possessions is pretty terrifying. "Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger. A brotherhood of man." It is actually a recipe for hunger, poverty, and violence.
That's what the World Economic Forum is trying with The Great Reset.
As opposed to what's happening today in those places people choose to ignore?
@@joeodd2 Lol, my comment was 2 years ago. And yes. There have been times when there were no possessions. It was called the feudal era. If you want to wear rags, work for a lord, sleep on reeds, barely have enough to eat, and have no ability to defend yourself or any rights, go ahead and push for the elimination of private property. I prefer to not be a serf.
@@TheAstilesus Most Americans are in debt up to their eyeballs (debt which can be passed to any co-signer), and everything they own can be taken away by the government if they don't pay their taxes. So tell me, what exactly do we actually own under capitalism? Granted, the opportunity to achieve great wealth is something most can theoretically attain, but in practice, very few will.
Meanwhile, the so-called middle class is becoming more of a myth as millions with the brainpower or talent find themselves struggling more and more year after year while buying products we used to make in America for higher and higher prices, often with money they don't really have.
@@TheAstilesusThere are 100s of millions of people living without property today, being exploited for their labour in Africa and Asia. You’re likely enjoying the spoils gained from that agony. Your “private” property mean nothing when billions suffer.
“You will own nothing and you’ll be happy”. Notice Klaus doesn’t say we will own nothing and we will be happy.
Yeah - I always hear a Bond villain’s voice in my inner ear saying “NO!!! YOU vill haff nothing and be heppy, Mr Schwabb! YOU vill haff nothing - and YOU vill be heppy!”
“Remember 'no possessions,’ John. 'It’s easy if you try,’ ” former Beatles roadie Neil Aspinall once said to Lennon, quoting Imagine to mock the luxury he lived and the size of the entourage he kept. “It was only a bloody song,” came Lennon's reply.
The lyrics are clever as it triggers the idealism within many and the melody beautiful (including the piano riff) but I think even John Lennon knew that lyrically speaking it is unrealistically utopian........since the lyrics are so brutally unrealistic it is hard to imagine that John Lennon didn't mean it when he said "it is only a bloody song".
That is why I have come to grow distrustful of music; it's often used to manipulate our emotions to feel a certain way in an attempt to garner support of certain agendas.
@@KianoUyMOOP Well they do it because it is effective. When a band tribalizes their fans with an ideal they create strong customer retention. It is all about the money.
Then stop listening to music. Stop taking it so seriously. Like is the civil debate gonna end?
@@KianoUyMOOP listen to jazz and instrumentals, it’s soothing and you can be safe of no bad going into your ear, just God gifted talented musicians
The song is called imagine. Nobody said to give up your stuff. Extremists hear things though a filter.
The world he imagined is the one we are moving into. It's not the butterflies, rainbows, and unicorns he hoped for.
No one has ever gone into a crowded shopping mall - took a machine gun started killing everyone while screaming “Science!!!”
Seems a completely random comment - are you on the wrong video?
Zizek turned Dostoyevsky’s maxim on its head: “Once you stop believing in God, *nothing* is permitted.”
Wasn't actually dostoyevsky who said this it was sartre.
Also zizek posits, "if you BELIEVE in god, everything is permissible."
Which is ridiculous
Well the poor souls in the Gulags certainly weren't permitted much! Not even their basic human dignity!
@@rumikhuwaja8708i think the second sentence comes not from Zizek but from Lacan, and its supposed to mean, "if you are on the side of god, everything is permissible" and you can see how this has been used a justification in the past for all sorts of horrible sins
Anything, MAN. Not "nothing".
You have trouble at listening?
@@obiwanian2774 huh? “I was paraphrasing Zizek: if you don’t believe in God, then *nothing* is permitted.” (His logic being: where there is no ‘Big Other’ guarantor of the Law, then transgression of The Law is impossible, i.e., *nothing* is permitted, etc.). IMO, it’s just another way of saying the same thing. IDK. In any case, believe in God & follow His commandments.
Lol, I mean, RIP, but at the time of his untimely death John Lennon had something like 17 million in 'possessions'.
How do you people not realize that he had to adapt to the world he lived in, if it were possible to share all the world and without hunger, greed and all of that, wouldn’t we all choose that? Imagine is basically laying out the garden of eden
@@saab39jasgripen35 Yes, exactly. The 'garden of Eden', when we had no knowledge of good and evil, and were less than toddlers. The song is delusional and sophomoric.
@@saab39jasgripen35 Haha, it reminds me of his 'All we're saying is, give peace a chance', like no one had ever thought of that before.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song.
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY !
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!!
and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
My Minister read the lyrics to, "Imagine," in church one Sunday. I was as glued to the pew as I was when I heard a Priest begin a joke which I knew was borderline at best. I relaxed as the Minister clearly cut between imagination and fact and the Priest somehow landed the joke without the irreverence and narrowness that I had feared it contained.
Amen. I'm a liturgical musician in my parish and back when Lennon died I was asked to do "Imagine" as a meditation song. I refused ... for precisely the reasons you outline here. My reaction was "What were you thinking? ... Have you even read the lyrics?"
Recreational drug use was too common. Ruined so many lives and way of thinking. It clearly affected Lennon's mindset.
Nothing wrong with the lyrics.
The lyrics are too good and moral and pure to be uttered in a place like the Church, so believe me when I say: I applaud your decision to not sing this song in your church.
I had to explain the negative aspect of this song to a teenage folk group singing this at mass. They skipped over the implications of no heaven and no hell in favor of the conclusion that it would lead to peace among people. No one else told them - no, not even the celebrant...cheese Luigi !
At mass! How stoopid is that!
Looks like somebody needs to "whip out the moneychangers" from the temple of God.
You just said exactly what I feel about that song.
A female Japanese theology student exclaimed in class 25 years ago, "I love that song, but I hate it!" It is shocking that children as singing it as an anthem. Thanks to the Bishop for giving voice to common sense.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 We've heard your propaganda before so you don't need to repeat it
@@Hindutvaiscringe you mean the way the catholic church continues to repeat it's propaganda? Lol you're funny not thinking that a man disappearing into the sky and being born of a virgin and bringing people back from the dead isn't propaganda
@@80steen44 I've lived in communist country before and it's much worse than fascism or any of the "oppression" you have to deal with.
@@80steen44 I'm not even catholic anymore I'm Orthodox now. But I know that people like you are the people who brought communism to east Europe you now you want the freedom to express yourself so you call the countries you've destroyed "shitholes" and bring back communism
I’m a huge John Lennon fan for his musical genius and deeply mourned his death. But Imagine is a dangerous song that continues its harm to this day. Imagine globalism…that’s its true message. I now mourn Lennon’s soul living apart from God. Thank you father for your thoughtful analysis.
Do you really think that JL is existing apart from God? Tell me, when did God retire, and when did God make you the judge? "Judge not lest ye be judged." Those are not just words, it's a rule. One that I'm afraid that I fail at a lot. So perhaps I owe you an apology for judging your commitment to Christ, and his teachings. Maybe JL had a point about religion, and the self-righteous who love to point fingers.And if I were to be honest, that would also include me.
Thank you, Bishop, for putting this so eloquently. I've been disliking 'Imagine' for quite some time. For example, I can't really fathom a world of 'fellowship of man' without some moral compass (which most of us - if not all of us - could never derive on our own) to guide us. Leave us to our own decisions, and I would IMAGINE that EVERY act of injustice would be committed! What would hold us back?!
ever heard of the "law"
You just gave away the fact that you are secretly a s0ci0path irl. People like YOU need religion sure, but not normal people like me. Most people are inherently decent, and we don't need the threat of God to act decently. I dont believe in god and i behave as well as you do. So i'm technically a better person than you, because i don't need the threat of divine punishment to treat people well. You are worse than me, because you would commit all sorts of sins without God, ye absolute animal
@@leusmaximusx 2 years late, but have they ever heard of the word empathy? I shudder to think that this person truly believes that without god they would commit a single horrid thing, let alone "every" atrocity
@@grahamskippy what tf are you talking about?
just preach your opinion instead of unclear remarks , the world may profit from your experience somehow
I never have liked that song. I could never "imagine" how easily the lyrics have been embraced.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life"
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America!
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
Imagine is far worst that a lot of other Lennon's famous songs: Across the Universe, In my life, Nowhere Man, Lucy In the Sky...Imagine is overrated
Nowhere man and in my life is my favourite beatles songs. John was a genius. Imagine is nothing special tho, very boring songs. John has way better songs than that
@@illmatic9096 i agree
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life"
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America!
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
A latter recording of this song (by Lennon) changed "no religion too" to "no immigration too". This even makes more sense in the verse where there's no country.
I've always hated that song. And you're far more gracious than me. I know John Lennon wrote that song because he actually believed in its message. I never did like him much because of that.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life"
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America!
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... he made the grade...!!!
Lennon was raised Anglican, sang in the church choir from age 8 to 14. He was mostly agnostic, and I have always been turned off by "Imagine." Just a vacuous song, so swept up in his heaven on earth garbage he completely forgot his own son Julian.
Indulgences, The Inquisition, Witch Hunts, Crusades, Conversion by the sword, forced abortions on Nuns, child molestation cover-ups I mean those are so much better than Lennon's Imagine lol
@@80steen44 You don't even bother to read the comments you are trolling. Abandoning your kid is a great move, huh? Go take a nap. You don't have to be a Catholic zealot to hate a stupid song.
@@bernadette573 John didn't claim to be holy, the church does.
@@80steen44 we are the church...........most of us are not holy. however, we are all called to holiness
@@bridget113 my point is you refer to yourself as the Holy catholic church yet you have centuries upon centuries of corruption and scandal up to the modern era, but the this bishop is focused on John Lennon lyrucs about people not killing each other
The concepts of heaven and hell are incongruent with the concept of a "perfect god." The Bible and every religious book written by humans are incongruent with the concept of a "perfect god."
I thought I was the only one who didn't like the content of the song. Everyone plays the song all the time. There are so many better songs out there that are actually uplifting.
This song always made me feel unsettled and depressed. I dare say I thought it disrespectful to my God. John Lennon was born with a God given talent in and of itself. I don’t want to “imagine no heaven”in this valley of tears.
i'm sorry it offended your imaginary freind but to the rest of the world it is a great song of hope and a better future. a future we can not have with religion
Dingo Animation peace
@@anneturner2759 only once we let go of religion.
dingoProductionsuk I believe in Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Sadly the Catholic Church has disillusioned many and let many down , not to mention the horrific sexual abuse. I understand you in your idea of religion. I look around and I’m able to see the physical beauty of the inverse and all it’s wonders and it’s inexplicable being . None of this is random to me. Just think about the balance of nature and how it all works in again a miraculous dance. Peace and light to you.
@@anneturner2759 religion is the number 1 cause of death and suffering world wide. Except disease. I appriciate you may find some comfort in the idea that there is a invisable man living in the sky and thats your choice i wont disparege you for that but untill humans as a species let go of the primitive notion that is religion we will never have peace
What?!? We, as a species, are incapable of developing moral codes without the fear of eternal damnation or the reward of heaven? PLEASE.....I'm a 60-year-old atheist and ***gasp*** I've never killed anyone Do you know why? Because it's wrong? How do I know it's wrong? Because I was taught that, because I can empathize, and because I can observe and mature and develop a personal moral code...
Sheesh...
That’s literally not an answer. What’s the deontological foundation you use? Without a higher power you are basically saying „it’s right, because I think it is“. If everyone was to follow that subjective view your position has no more backing than one of a murderer who thinks that people are beneath them
Some Christians are odd in the way that they can't fathom being a good person without the looming threat of eternal damnation over their head
@@sweetnerevar7030 species generally don't kill others in their species it's called survival instincts
@@ArthurMorgan-gp6by No lots of species k1ll each other all the time, Male lions k1ll all the cubs when they join a new pride; rival ant colonies of the same species f1ght with each other; chimps have been shown to k1ll each other at similar rates to humans. and if you're going to judge morality through instincts then we could very well say that a man steal1ng someone's wallet could be called "Survival Instincts" Because maybe he's poor and needs money but that wouldn't Justify his actions would it? You'd be upset too if someone came steal1ng your wallet with the reason being that he needs money.
Atheism has no Moral Foundation (Except maybe themselves, however that Reasoning is Flawed) and inevitably leads to subjective Morality and Chaos. And yet they say that Religion doesn't make sense, what a joke.
@@ArthurMorgan-gp6by No lots of species k1ll each other all the time, Male lions k1ll all the cubs when they join a new pride; rival ant colonies of the same species f1ght with each other; chimps have been shown to k1ll each other at similar rates to humans. and if you're going to judge morality through instincts then we could very well say that a man steal1ng someone's wallet could be called "Survival Instincts" Because maybe he's poor and needs money but that wouldn't Justify his actions would it? You'd be upset too if someone came steal1ng your wallet with the reason being that he needs money.
Atheism has no Moral Foundation (Except maybe themselves, however that Reasoning is Flawed) and inevitably leads to subjective Morality and Chaos. And yet they say that Religion doesn't make sense, what a joke.
When I realized how bad this song is it made me question every other Lennon and Beatles song. I distrust their music and can't enjoy it any more.
Lennon did laugh aloud, ironically about a man 'who made the grade' in his "A day in the life" song.
he himself made the grade when after defeating the IRS, moved to America CELEBRATING VICTORY !
he moved to NYC but couldn't laugh at a Chapman in front of him!!!!
no light had changed...and no car blew his brains......... But he made the grade...!!!
and that sent him to the grave!!!! a chap-man as they say in England
Your Excellency: you’re the Aquinas of our time. God bless you. Please keep on.
I can’t help but think about the nwo when I hear this song. No religion, no possessions, join us, the world as one, etc..
I first heard this song as a Glee cover, I was vibing to it but when I heard those lyrics, it didn't sit right with me.