“Imagine” – you know, or don’t …

Imagine (lyrics) by John Lennon

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Living for today… Aha-ah…

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world… You…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

One of the great hit songs about secularism is John Lennon’s “Imagine.” “Imagine” is a song from his 1971 album of the same name. The best-selling single of his solo career, the lyrics encourage listeners to imagine a world of peace, without materialism, without borders separating nations and without religion. BMI named “Imagine” one of the 100 most performed songs of the 20th century. In 1999, it was ranked number 30 on the RIAA’s list of the 365 “Songs of the Century”, earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”

So of course, The Foundation For A Better Life took it, cut out all the religious critique material, and used it as a multiculturalism and pluralism commercial celebrating, among other things, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. The Foundation for a Better Life is a non-profit 501 organization which was founded in 2000 to “promote good values”. The foundation creates public service campaigns to share with others its interpretation of values, including honesty, caring, and optimism in order to create better social paradigms. Now, I’m all for everyone getting along, but did they have to cut and paste “Imagine” to celebrate religious diversity!? lol