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Commentary by vocalist / lyricist Tim Lambesis:
"I wrote the lyrics to "A Greater Foundation" as a way to process some of the religious beliefs from my childhood that I had let go in exchange for finding truth. Every year that I had put toward my degree in Religious Studies caused me to see the god of tradition and ritual that I grew up with as less and less of a probable truth. By the time I graduated, my entire concept of the divine had changed as I sought to reconcile spirituality and reason. The more I sought truth uncorrupted by years of religious history, the more I kept finding answers I didn’t want to find. Emotionally, it would have been easiest for me to just hold on to what I grew up believing, but mentally that wasn’t an option anymore. In other words, my dedication couldn’t have been more earnest, but heart wasn’t the issue. Though I had lost so much of my history and felt that my world was falling apart, that was a necessary step toward building my entire way of thinking on the absolute best possible foundation. The hope found in these lyrics is described in the aftermath of demolition for those willing to start from scratch. Unfortunately, most people accept what they have been taught by either their schools or churches without question. Overall, I know that I can do what’s best for myself and those around me by seeking truth above anything else, even when teachings claim to be from god. Education is not God, but truth certainly does set people free."
Further commentary by Tim on his personal Tumblr page:
Clarification on “A Greater Foundation”
After the lyrics for “A Greater Foundation” were released I got a lot of questions about the meaning for the song. I was also told the lyrical commentary in the special edition was too vague. In short, tradition and truth are often at odds with each other. Here’s all of the information I’ve written about it posted in one place:
In response to some Facebook posts…
“The god I grew up learning about was more like a creation of the 4th century emperor Constantine than anything of 1st century Judeo origin. In fact, the book Pagan Christianity does a pretty good job showing that both Protestant and Catholic denominations have poisonous roots (though, I don’t agree with the book’s conclusions of how to deal with that problem). While I do not agree with any large religious institution, I do respect people who sincerely want to trace their beliefs down to their uncorrupted historical root. Men like NFL star Reggie White (at the end of his life) were persecuted for seeking what he believed to be as truth, yet the reality is that he got closer to understanding the Messiah that most refer to by the Greek name Jesus than almost any man I’ve seen stand behind a pulpit. There’s not a single human being who has it all right, but often those most sincere in their search for truth are the first to be considered heretics. Additionally, some great minds began their subversive thinking because they are slightly crazy (like Lew White for example). Then you have to separate brilliance from conspiracy. The point I’m getting to is that I don’t hate all religious belief, yet it is very difficult for me to outline exactly who it is that’s worth siding with. The line has been blurred, but one thing is certain: I am still inspired by the words of the man who told us to “love our enemies” and to serve “the least of these.” Regardless of where a person stands religiously, that is simply a better way to live, full of compassion, and alleviating our selfish suffering as we put our energy into serving those worse off than ourselves.”
From a recent press release…
“From a lyrical perspective, it’s always a bit surprising to see the fans reaction to the new songs. Some people feel that new songs like "A Greater Foundation" are more provocative than anything we’ve done before. Maybe it’s true - I wrote the lyrics, so I tend to only see how they apply to my life. But, I feel it’s something our long time followers would have expected and can relate to. I do not regret abandoning ritual or tradition in the search for truth. Everything has a beginning, and it’s been my goal to track each of my beliefs to its uncorrupted historical root. As we evolve, so does our perspective.”
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