I dunno how it was for these guys in CA back in the day, but growing up as a atheist/humanist/agnostic/nonbeliever/flesh-devouring-baby-aborting-communist-heathen-bastard in the bible belt left me pretty lonely much of the time. It just seemed really hard for someone like me to connect to most people around here since I felt like they thought I was bound for the lake of fire. Even some people who otherwise seem to like you can reveal their hidden rush limbaugh side if they find out you don't believe in their god. I think that's mostly what this one's about.

Huh... I got a different take on this song. I had always interpreted as an incredulous disbelief that people would put such a concern on what he chooses to believe--or not to believe--in, when there is "smog ruining [our] lungs" and "countries [that] manufacture bombs and guns." Our life is already a living hell anyway, so how could the afterlife be any worse?

The message Greg is trying to convey, is that it?s unreasonable to believe that after living a short life filled cruelty and injustice, a person who does not accept jesus christ will burn in hell for an eternity. The government kills millions of innocent people and get the blessing from the religious leaders. The same religious leaders, who damn people to hell because the don?t want to live a lie and refuse jesus. The meaning of this song is that people should not live hoping for a reward or fearing punishment, whet they die.

Whenever I hear this song, I imagine Greg and/or Mr. Brett sitting in the back of class at El Camino, not listening to their teacher drone on about some trivial fact, or uninspirational speech. Then, I see them mutter "Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell." Maybe write down a lyric or two, then the song just grows from there.

i think that this song referrs to the criticism shown to greg by religious people for his actions and how this is not only hypocritical but against the beleifs of the faith they claim to have, and how these same people who do not carry out their acts of faith believe so much that because they say they beleive and because they pray to god that they either dont have to be good or feel that they can absolve themselves easily so whats the point or its not that serious, and it touches on the subjects of hypocricies in churches actions and techings,( by the priests) the way that people are murdered in the name of god thou shalt not kill, the way that people were burned for ideas and beleifs by the spanich inquisition honor they mother and father ( and some might take this as homor the father god and the mother earth ) or how we give money for beautiful and flambuoyantly worshipful churches when thou shalt not covet, the fact that people knowingly and willingly neglect those in pain and need and willing hurt and take from the unsuspecting

And we can't forget to see that Greg Graffin is telling us that the "good" (religious) people are the ones who destroy the planet with the wars but, who's known as evil and etc is Greg, 'cuz he don't believe in the religion he should believe to be "normal".

To the poster below: The first Gulf War was in the early 90s, and this song came out in the early 80s.

Personally I think this song is about all the shit that has happened in this world like both of the World Wars (the Americans didn't single handedly win it it wasa joint effort by all the allies) and, when this was written, the first Gulf War. Basically this song is about the world being such a crap hole that the end of the world is nothing compared to what has gone on.

Apart from all that church stuff that everybody can see in this song, i' dont really know what does it mean the part of 'life alone is such a curse'. For me it could have tow meanings:First it could mean that life itself is a fucking curse, so it has a lot to do whith the rest of the lyrics; Second: but i was thinking about somethin' i read in an essay written by Greg Graffin, he said that his early punk life and his differences kept him away from girls for a while, so it was maybe a connotation of that, ha was alone at the time of writing the song, although it has nothing to do with the rest of the song, i like to think like that 'cause it seems like my life now, the punker who gets bored when his parents send him to the church, who does not understand how could hell be any whorse, and who has no girlfriend because of being an atheist.

Since the Christians have formed the majority of minds and how to think ... the war of understanding what is good and evil are lost in the multiple situations that occur each day; do what you want but do not harm!!! It is an awkward daily battle to understand what you did was proper while considering 'words in stone' , or to reform yourself to a controled way of life that has too many puzzles in itself to judge actions!!!!

I am a Catholic, now everyone probably won't read this, but I think the song represents that it does not matter what beliefs you have or what Faith you belong too, it is just stating that by the way you live will decide if you will go to Heaven or Hell. Also, things cannot get any worse because hell is the life we live, and if we are damned to hell, we just stay here and do not recieve freedom.

Christians may pray to go to heaven, but they're already in hell. Hell can't possibly be any worse than where we live right now.

I think this song talks about how SOME Christian people act like shit and then they pray to god so they can go to heaven, but Bad Religion is just kinda mocking that in this song. Also, the beginning I think talks about how Greg Graffin is not a church-goer or something and people are judging him as no good for having no religion and not going to church.. and the reason of the title is that explained in the song 'How can hell be any worse when life alone is such curse, Fuck armaggedon this is hell' meaning 'How can hell be worst than this?'.

This song is a true classic and refers to people's superficial behaviour towards life and religion. Speaking of criticism, Graffin sings 'There's People out there who say I'm no good, 'coz I don't believe in thinks that I should,' and continues; 'and when the final conflict comes I'll be so sorry I did wrong and hope and pray that our lord God will think I'm good!' He describes the way 'countries manufacture bombs & guns,' there is no cure for the insanity in which we allow ourselves to be buried in.