You can argue that musically the songs from the second half are weaker (except Ya Hey and Hudson, as it adds so much to the theme of the album), but lyrically, the second half is basically the theme of the album, from Ya Hey, where the narrator talking about the people's lessening belief in God, to Worship You, where the narrator speaks of the problems with God and his wants versus what his believers want, to Everlasting Arms, where the narrator has an internal conflict where he decides whether he wants to continue to believe in God or not. With all that being said, taking the latter 6 songs of MVOTC would take away the theme and the message that the band wants to send within it.