Ask someone to picture a scene of fainting women, weeping men and masses of devoted followers chanting the words preached by their idol on a gleaming stage. Some may imagine a religious leader speaking before a crowd of disciples. Most would probably think of a rock concert.

Religion is characterized as an organized system of beliefs defining self-purpose through an adherence to sacred texts and deities worshiped. By this definition, I’m going to propose something blasphemous: music is a religion. Let me tell you why.

First, like traditional religions music forms the basis of a shared community from which the pious construct their personal identity. Buddhist monks wear coloured robes as a physical representation of devotion. Mirror this with the hoards of tweens sporting One Direction t-shirts, and it is clear this sort of teeny-bopper uniform is being used in much the same way; an outward manifestation of loyalty and means of identifying fellow members of a pop faith.

Second, whether it be in the Qur’an or lyrics to “All You Need is Love”, both music and religion boast doctrine from which the devoted derive their beliefs. To internalize these words is to learn a unique language, gaining membership to a compassionate community through the dialect of a shared belief system. Like scripture, the poetry of song lyrics helps followers prevail over life’s challenges, the confessions of musicians offering comfort to listeners who may feel isolated in their suffering. The languages of music and religion bring people together and provide a way to express the love, pain and happiness of life.

Finally, the gods of both music and traditional religions share the same purpose: to sacrifice themselves on behalf of humanity. Legendary musicians have the capacity to communicate in song emotions that would cripple most, surviving the human condition to record their experiences for the benefit of the listener. Through their ability to both withstand and communicate the devastating force of humanity, we demand they sacrifice themselves for our benefit; Kurt Cobain killed himself for fear of being branded a sell-out by his fans, and John Lennon’s murderer rationalized killing the former Beatle as the only way to “save” his idol’s music from falling into commerciality. These tragedies are reflected in the life of Jesus Christ, whose death represented the exchange of a sinless man for a sinful humanity’s forgiveness. In both cases, the deity no longer exists as an individual, but as an entity whose fate belongs those who are faithful to him.

Music should be considered as a religion in its own right. The Golden Rule and Abbey Road couplet “the love you take is equal to the love you make” serve the same purpose equally well.

 This article appeared in an edited version in The Varsity here.