After Anti-Church Song, Hozier Sings Christmas Carol About God, Christ

After rising to fame with the hit song "Take Me To Church," which was nominated for Song Of The Year at the Grammys, Hozier was challenged by Pastor Rick McDaniel of Richmond Community Church in Richmond, Virginia, who took to The Christian Post to write an open letter to the singer.

"Your frustration with the Church or Christianity seems to center on sexual morality. The 'stay out of the bedroom' line appears to be one of your favorites," McDaniel wrote to the singer. "Things don't just stay in the bedroom. Lives get shattered because of adultery, unplanned pregnancy and disease. The Church believes sex is a gift from God. We believe you need to understand human sexuality through the lens of God's morality."

While he has yet to publicly address McDaniel's letter, Hozier did reveal that he got a few open letters from preachers.

"In America, I've never been approached or received hate mail, but I've had a few delightful open letters from pastors who have a few choice words to say," he previously told The Guardian. "But the song isn't about Baptist or evangelical Christianity, it references more the Catholic church."

At the end of McDaniel's open letter, the pastor seemed hopeful that Hozier would come to know Christ.

"The Bible teaches right and wrong, good and evil, truth and lies .. Christians should not be intimidated, marginalized or silenced from speaking the truth," he wrote. "You are free to write and sing your music and I am free to challenge your thinking and lyrics. I hope as time goes by you will be open to learning more about the Church and Christianity. I trust you will come to see the value of Christian morality."