The funeral performance of Jimmy Carter's favorite song, 'Imagine,' sparks a heated debate on social media.

Critics on social media have been highly critical of the use of John Lennon's "Imagine" at the late former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral ceremony, arguing that it was not appropriate for a Christian church memorial service.

Trisha Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks performed the tune at Carter's Washington National Cathedral funeral service on Thursday. They had previously performed it at Rosalynn Carter's wake one year earlier. The couple had previously worked with Carter on several Habitat for Humanity home projects, according to reports.

The song's rejection of religion sparked controversy on social media, causing some to question its performance.

"Imagine a world without heaven / It's simple if you believe / No hell to fear / Above us, just endless sky," the first line reads.

Several top conservative figures questioned the use of the song on X, while others differed.

Erick Erickson, a commentator and former member of the Macon City Council, questioned the authenticity of Joe Biden's assertion that Jimmy Carter was a strong Christian after hearing Biden speak about Carter before the crowd and then listening to "Imagine" with the lyrics "Imagine there's no heaven /It's easy if you try."

Imagine there is no heaven -- Sung for someone who is a devout Southern Baptist," one X user added. Rewritten: "Devout Southern Baptist, imagine there is no heaven.

Another said that they believed Jimmy wouldn't approve of the 'no religion' aspect.

Steve Carlson, a self-described "Trumpocrat" and Minnesota Democratic candidate for governor in 2026, wrote that it was an "insult" to have "Imagine" played at Carter's funeral.

"What could motivate a Christian to have that song played at their funeral? The idea of a Christian funeral without heaven is bleak, according to Mollie Z. Hemingway, a Federalist editor and regular guest on Planet Chronicle' "Special Report with Bret Baier.""

A prominent Catholic clergy member expressed his disapproval of X, stating that he was "outraged" by the performance.

"In the grand ceiling of what I believe is a Christian church, they solemnly chanted, 'Imagine there's no heaven; it's effortless if you try.' And 'imagine there's no country; it's not difficult to do. No need to fight or die for anything, and no religion to follow.' -- The reverent ministers sat quietly as a hymn to atheistic humanism was performed," said Bishop Robert Barron, head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

The bishop stated that the remark was not only disrespectful to the faith of a devout Christian but also revealed the lack of courage of many established religions in our country.

Jim Geraghty of The National Review argued that the song "Imagine" implies the existence of heaven by asking listeners to imagine its absence, thus making it a "de facto concession."

"If we were to envision otherwise, there would be no need to ask us to do so," Geraghty stated.

Lennon corresponded with Christian preachers like Oral Roberts, despite having a complex view of Christianity and organized religion.

"I was raised as a Christian and it's only now that I comprehend some of the things that Christ was saying in those parables," Lennon also said. "God is a concept we use to measure our own suffering."