"Bad Religion" is a song released in 2000 by

Godsmack Godsmack is an American Rock music, rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is currently composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill. Since its formation, Godsmack has released eig ...

. It served as the fourth and final single from their first album ''Godsmack'' (1999).

Meaning

According to Godsmack vocalist Sully Erna, once a practicing Wiccan, the song has an anti-abortion message. Erna says, "You don't even know me, yet you're deciding to kill me? Look, I'm here. I'm alive inside you. I can't be ignored."

Appearances

Following the

September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, radio conglomerate

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

issued the

2001 Clear Channel memorandum Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, circulated an internal memorandum containing a list of songs that program directors felt were " ...

, a list of 150 songs Clear Channel recommended to be removed from airplay. "Bad Religion" was on the list.

Personnel

Sully Erna Salvatore Paul Erna Jr. (born February 7, 1968) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter, best known as the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for rock band Godsmack. He is also a harmonica player, drummer, and percussionist, performing these ...

– vocals, rhythm guitar, drums *

Tony Rombola Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who had been the lead guitarist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack from the mid-1990s until April 2025. He has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ''Guitar Wo ...

– lead guitars, additional vocals *

Robbie Merrill Robbie Merrill (born June 13, 1963) is an American bassist, best known as a founding member of the rock bands Godsmack and Another Animal. He was featured in the '' Behind the Player'' interactive music video. Biography Born in Lawrence, Mass ...

– bass *

Andrew Murdock Andrew Murdock (born January 24, 1962), also known as Mudrock, is an American record producer specializing in rock and metal genres. He is best known for producing Godsmack's ''Godsmack'' and ''Awake'' albums. More recently, Murdock has produc ...

– producer

Chart positions

Singles U.S. ''Billboard''

References

1998 songs Godsmack songs Songs about abortion Songs written by Sully Erna Republic Records singles {{2000s-metal-song-stub