Atheists Use Video Showing Churches Burning & Bloodied Cross to Promote Army-Sponsored Concert

Why in the world would atheists be using a music video that celebrates the burning of churches and bloodied crosses to promote an upcoming music festival? While a viable answer to this question is hard to fathom, this is exactly what's going on as non-believers prepare for "Rock Beyond Belief," a massive Army-sponsored music festival occurring at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Before we get into this bizarre video, let's have a refresher surrounding how this atheist music festival came to be. Following a concert that was put on by a Christian group on the base in September 2010, you may recall that military atheists were offended. They began claiming that skeptics, too, deserve an event that celebrates their non-belief. So, after making a ruckus, the military agreed to give $50,000 toward "Rock Beyond Belief" (the same amount had been allocated for the Christian concert).

The event, slated for March 31, will feature various musical acts who celebrate the notion that there isn't a God governing the universe. Additionally, there will be speakers, a rapper who promotes evolution and more. But it is one band called Aiden that is getting the most attention for its participation in the festival. 

The rock group has a song called "Hysteria." On the "Rock Beyond Belief" web site the tune is dubbed an "atheist anthem."

Here's the problem: The song has some troubling lyrics and the video for it includes burning houses of worship, a bloodied cross and other troubling images. Here's how the song opens:

Love how they burn your synagogues

Love how they torch your holy books

Filling coffers with your grief

Filling coffins with your misery

Faith holding outright criminals safe

This is just the world we live in

Can you justify the pain

The death of fiction will save us all

And here's the music video for the tune:

This, in itself, is odd, especially considering that this event is intended to be family-friendly. Will these be the sorts of images and performances that families will be subjected to?

It's not entirely clear, but at one point in the band's music video there are images of a cemetery.  It appears to be a military cemetery.  The lead singer, who throughout the video is dressed in clerical fashion, stands among the regimented headstones.  One shot frames the cross at the top of one tombstone.  Are they literally mocking the faith of dead soldiers?

In another song, called "Crusifiction," the band sings:

Let me give you a little inside information about God

He's laughing his sick fu**ing ass off

He's a tight ass

He's a sadist

Worship that? [...]

Fu*k your God

Fu*k your faith in the end

There's no religion

According to Justin Griffith, the organizer of the atheist festival, this latter song will not be played at the concert. Still, he defended the controversial video that has been posted on the "Rock Beyond Belief" web site.

A spokesperson for Fort Bragg says that there will be an examination of song and concert content prior to the performances. Unacceptable language and themes likely won't be allowed.

(H/T: FOX News Radio)