Trying To Do The Right Thing
(2008 - Branden Mann)

What can I say in response?  Anything that I argue will be shot down with ignorance.  What you read, and what you see - that makes how you feel, so your beliefs on how to be - don't push them on me.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
These contradictions don't compute, the "facts" that you're claiming are up for dispute.  But you take them by faith, and you rely on grace, but that faith just serves to make a different kind of fake.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
If you can't find an explanation, don't threaten me with condemnation.  If you don't like this information, don't try to sell me your salvation.  If you won't listen to logic and reason, I got no reason to start believin'.  If you can't find an explanation, don't threaten me with your salvation.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
______________

Words are strong.  Words are also loaded.  Words evoke emotion, and the combinations of words we use to express ideas are defined by our own personal experiences.  Sometimes words can be used to create emotional responses.

Because of my experience in the church, and the beliefs I used to hold, and the resultant behaviors that were encouraged, many of the songs I have written can almost be seen as current "Me" having a conversation with myself 10 or so years ago.  Many of them reflect the inner workings of how I got from there to here.  So if I am directing criticism anywhere, I'm directing it at myself.

All you're doing is lying to yourself.
The phrase "All you're doing is lying to yourself" evokes a different emotional response than "All you're doing is fooling yourself", while having a very similar meaning.  If you define "fooling yourself" as willingly accepting ideas or concepts without solid evidence, you are in essence echoing the Biblical definition of faith which is "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen", both of which are kind of abstract concepts.  Any debate on the things that must be taken by faith cannot be resolved, since evidence is necessary to prove a debate, and by definition if something can be proven, it does not require faith.

You take them by faith, and you rely on grace, but that faith just serves to make a different kind of fake
Faith forces one to believe or disbelieve things without evidence.  The grace of God absolves one of sin.  If one is involved in "sinful" activity, evidence or admission is the only way to be found out.  Because of the tendency in the church to take things by faith, it is possible, without evidence, relying on God's forgiveness through faith and prayer (which is a completely private matter) to come to the conclusion that if secret "sins" are addressed between God and the "sinner", and there is no evidence, that there is no need to admit fault publicly. This is clearly hypocrisy and being "fake".  I recognize it because I did that same thing.  As a Christian, I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to submit one's self to such a strict set of rules as the Christian religion does, and not have at least some level of hypocrisy.  Too many are hung up on the negativity of the approach of the "no"s in the 10 commandments and disregard the words of Jesus when he was asked what the most important commandment was and took a positive approach saying, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus in essence was saying "just try to do the right thing, and you won't have to worry about doing something wrong"

That's it for now - if anyone has any other questions about the context of the content of this song, please feel free to post them!