Country Music: Now Even Less Atheist

I like country music. Maybe it's not my favorite but I like country music. Especially when it's hot outside, or I wish it was hot outside.

Long have I maintained that there are no avowed atheist country musicians. For one thing it would be career suicide, for another thing what would Nihilist Country sound like anyways? She Thinks My Tractor's the Result of Blind Random Coincidence perhaps. Or, Courtesy of the Red, White, and 3rd Law of Thermodynamics. Or, It Doesn't Matter Where the Green Grass Grows.

Country may be sentimental. It might rush to cheer alcohol and impropriety. It probably encourages people to vote Republican and it definitely doesn't care if it contributes to Global Warming. But underneath it all has always beat a heart that believes in God, however much repentance might be necessary before death.

But, is country getting even more into God? I'm not good at tracking trends but the evidence seems mounting to me. Consider:

1. Carrie Underwood (or her savvy career manager) seems dead set on proving Country-Hot Divas love Jesus. Jesus Take the Wheel and her recent single So Small (which apparently she has a writing cred on?) are both less than a Bible verse away from Christianity. Country-Hot Divas might now and then get revenge on cheating men (Before He Cheats), but we all make mistakes and besides that a) revenge is Hot, b) it's for the good of the other girl, and c) he really deserved it for driving a "pretty" truck.
2. Brad Paisley is singing about heaven. When I Get to Where I'm Going can't wait to chill with lions and run foot races with grampa. It might be theologically unadorned but the sentiment is eternal.

There have always been Country songs that love Jesus. Just like there have always been Country songs that love tequila and heartbreak. But I wonder if the proportion is increasing.