May 15, 2009
Should I feel guilty because I sometimes like listening to Eminem?
A guest post by Matt Donovan
Ever been appalled by an artist’s vulgarity, yet so entranced by their talent that you’ll gladly engage content that otherwise disgusts you?
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Yeah. Guns N Roses. I love Slash solos. A decade ago I threw it all away in conviction. Now I own some select and “clean” stuff.
A little less vulgar than Eminem. Haven’t listened to him for quite a few years now. I don’t like the 6th-grade Michael Moore politics of Rage Against the Machine or The Flobots, but I still enjoy listening to them.
I find that I can hardly bear to listen to more vulgar music without my poor mind being tainted by what I hear. I haven’t found specific artists, though. It’s a variety.
Yes, i know what you mean – Coheed and Cambria are musically outstanding but lyrically some songs aren’t helpful
There’s some measure of liberty in listening to secular music, but I think most intellectually honest young people will be forced to admit music plays too big a role in their lives. Do you love God more than your music? Could you give up ALL music for His sake if He asked you to? If you’d have a hard time doing that, you need to examine your priorities and your love for Him, and ask Him for grace and wisdom. Few people understand the power of music. I highly recommend Hell’s Bells 2 (not 1, which is good but 2 is thoroughly researched and well put-together) from The Apologetics Group. You’ll be amazed at the connection between music and the spiritual realm. Listening to music that dishonors God is not something to be messing around with.
I totally identify with this question! My wife an I are continually impressed by Eminem. He has such a gift! I think we should praise God for the creativity that Eminem employs, and pray that he one day recognizes God as the one who gave him this talent.
Whether he ever does or not, God’s glory can still be seen in his work.
I won’t listen to some of his stuff because i Don’t want it in my head – but most of it can be taken with a grain of salt, I think.
I love Eminem, but I always think it’s weird to admit it. I feel like I shouldn’t listen to something alone that I wouldn’t listen to in front of the girls in my youth group. Not that I always stick to that…
There’s one Eminem song that my sports team at my Christian college would listen to on the way to meets that would pump us up – we had the edited version and the song was tame enough that editing it didn’t cause it to loose much. I still own and listen to that song regularly (and love it).
But I’m with Kellen, personally, my mind gets tainted by lyrics because I focus a lot on them. I know that’s not true for everybody, though.
Mine wouldn’t be Eminem, though I haven’t listened to him for 7 years. My two are Freddy Mercury and Elton John. Obviously too late for Mercury, but the conversion of Elton John is something I can pray towards. Both are extremely talented and it is a shame to see their gift wasted on things that don’t last.
Should you feel guilty? In a word, no.
I used to get bent out of shape about things like that, and it applied to everything: music, video games, movies, etc. I have begun to realize that the things we need to ‘cut out’ of our lives have to be about where our strengths and weaknesses lie, and not about legality or religiousity. If listening to Eminem is causing you to sin, stop. That’s that.
I would say that you should. His music is blasphemous and sin-glorifying to the extreme (at least what I remember of him from his first few albums).
Also there are Christian artists with similar talent. An example would be shai linne.
I feel like there is no way we can bring up this topic without at least mentioning Phil 4:6-8:
Finally brothers what ever is pure, whatever is honorable, whatever is true . . . what ever is lovely. . . think about these things.
So the question is – can Eminem be these things? I can’t say no with certainty.
no, probably you shouldn’t feel guilty. besides the musical talent, i can appreciate beautiful or skillful art about the ugliness of life. (to a point, anyway.) i like Elliott Smith, and Freddie Mercury too, and i wish neither of them had died the way they did–without Jesus.
Well…since you’re asking the question, do you feel guilty? Well, do ya? ;)
Mark
Second Comment:
Anyone with a true taste of pop music must admit that the 80′s song “Centerfold” by J Geils band is an extremely well put together song, right down to the whistling at the end.
As I listened to it yesterday, I was frustrated by the fact that it also as extremely sin inducing. It’s too bad.
Third Comment:
Abraham, I would appreciate it if you would ask this question to your dad. On camera.
Adiel – thanks for mentioning Shai Linne! I had never heard of him, and He isn’t bad!
On that note though – it gets on my nerves when Christians try and imitate truly talented people, just to have a ‘christian version’. It’s usually done poorly. (not that he is doing this!) Just saying.
@jamsco
Just a reminder to check out the author of a post when commenting. This is a guest post. Though I would like to see this on APJ. You should head over to DG and send it in. It would be interesting to see where he draws the line between glorying in common grace and glorying in sinfulness.
I think it’s just so good what the word says, just how a lot of things are permissable but are they benefitial. Cause i feel you dude, those guys are talented, but the question i ask myself is “am i really edifying my spirit right now?” “Is listening this going to push me towards worshiping the Lord more in my life or no?” Now, lets also be clear..i’m a christian music junkie lol, but it’s just the essense of sanctification….our desires change. I want Christ more than I want talented rap or whatever it is.
I want to add that the parody band Apologetix did a version of Eminem’s Lose Yourself called Look Yourself. You can read the lyrics and download the mp3 here.
I think it’s very well done.
@ Mark|hereiblog – I don’t think I feel guilty. I do listen with a certain degree of trepidation.
I think this question posed against a rapper is unique because what I enjoy about his work is inseparable from what I loath about his work. The wit, the flow, the irony, the irreverence, etc. I love the lyrics and simultaneously am sickened by them… on some songs anyway.
Interesting question. Certainly a matter of conscience, along with considering what the Bible says about what our overall goals should be.
I love Kanye West as an artist. I think he is exceedingly creative and fresh. I loved “No Country For Old Men” as a work of art, but don’t ever want to watch it again.
I think we can rejoice in the amazing common grace of our God when we see the likes of Eminem and Kanye, etc. I am amazed that his grace reaches out to them and to me instead of just snuffing us out due to our sin.
Matt,
I understand. I grew up on hip-hop. I would “scratch” (records) in my dorm at college. Yeah, I’m white and my black friends would stop by and listen. It was cool.
I appreciate Eminem’s talent. Some of his stuff is hard to digest though. I will say that KJ-52 is also talented in this area. Though not as much.
For me, it’s Wagner.
one word: context.
some possible scenarios:
.in your home, certain that your thought life and emotions would not be affected by the less honorable characteristic of the songs
.as a youth minister, a high school student asks you whether it is good for them to listen to these songs
.in your apartment, with young children and walls so thin that your neighbors can hear whatever that is playing on the stereo
Yep. I thought Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill album was great, and technically, pretty instructive about the wages of sin.
But still rough. And i don’t listen to it anymore.
I am usually more appalled when the “Christian” appellation is allocated to poorly executed works, whether it be art, music, movies, books, etc., than I am by unbelievers acting as unbelievers. There is a lot of unpleasantness masquerading as humility to the point that wholesome now coincides with awful. Does Romans 14 fit into this conversation anywhere?
This extends to some seemingly avant-garde literature for me. The writer’s ability is amazing, the subject material: questionable.
Al Wolters has a book called Creation Regained which helped me think through this issue more. Not with Eminem for me, but with Dave Matthews Band. As many have said in this thread with other artists, I love the musical beauty and creativity, but am saddened by the worldview that marks many of the lyrics.
Wolters’ distinction of structure and direction was illuminating. Basically, structure is the inherent, God-given essence of that thing which was created good. Direction being the way in which sinful people have corrupted and distorted that good thing. For example, sex is a good thing structurally, but adultery is taking a structurally good thing and twisting it in a sinful, wicked direction.
There is a structural good in DMB which is, I believe, a reflection of God’s own beauty and creativity (even non-believers are image-bearers). Yet this good is stained with sinful, God-ignoring lyrics.
After throwing out all of my DMB several years ago, I have started rebuilding a smaller, more carefully selected collection. Some of the songs are (in my opinion) skewed in such a negative direction that I can’t enjoy them with a clear conscience. If the lyrics aim to make sin look attractive, I have a hard time enjoying that to God’s glory. Others, however, I have found I can enjoy in a God-glorifying because of their structural good.
My thinking is somewhat arbitrary, but it has helped me think through this issue.
Ben Folds. My goodness.
What about when the structure of a thing and it’s application are the same thing? I’ve already mention rap lyrics, but we might also consider artistic photography.
I may just be doing a lousy job of explaining it all, but if I understand Wolters correctly, then the structure and the direction of a thing can’t be the same.
I would say whatever the talent is that you’re entranced by would be the structure. A God-given, creational good. I’m not into rap, but maybe that is the mixture of rhyming, the musical beats or whatever. But the vulgarity you’re appalled by is the direction. The trajectory of that creational good is moving away from God, not toward Him.
How that relates to what music you listen to, I honestly can’t say for sure. I just know that it’s helped me to understand why, even years after throwing away all my DMB Cd’s, I still have an attraction to some of their music. There is something good about it which can be celebrated, and something evil about it which should be grieved over.
Such is life in this world, I suppose, in which the whole creation has been subjected to futility in hope that one day all will be set free from its bondage to decay and enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
You would be hard pressed to find a more talented and technically amazing band than TOOL. I used to be a huge fan. I even tried for awhile, as I matured in my faith, to continue to listen to them occasionally under the auspices of their God given talent. But eventually I could not continue. The overwhelming darkness of the whole overpowered the beauty of the parts.
I would say judgment has to be made on a song by song basis, particularly in the age of i-tunes and i-pods, when you don’t have to buy the whole album.
This is largely an issue of liberty, but should certainly be guided by the Phil 4:6-8 principle mentioned above.
That being said, Shai Linne, Lecrea and Trip Lee are all very talented rappers (Lecrae the most talented of these reformed men, IMO), but there is no way you can compare them to Eminem, 2-Pac or Biggy…
What I would love to see (and pray for) is for God to take some of these immense secular talents and bring them to Himself and see what they can do with what He’s given them. It’s not necessarily what we should expect (1 Cor 1:27), but it would be cool to see.
I don’t think anyone needs to feel guilty for liking the sound of an artist. However, I think we need to think twice–good and hard–about whether we voluntarily listen to their stuff. Great musicianship or not, defilement is not worth the trade.
I thought it was just me. Eminem, and before him, West Cost g-funk (Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Warren G, etc) – so talented, make hip hop sound like poetry that it is so tempting to drop in their CD. But I know that what they rap about is tantamount to musical pornography and would not build up in Christ. Oh well, at least there’s still Will Smith.
there is no shame in recognizing talent when you see it. i guess my struggle would be to what extent is it okay to support or promote such a message.
I feel the same way about Quentin Tarantino’s movies.
Rachael wrote:
> Yep. I thought Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill album was great, and technically, pretty instructive about the wages of sin.
Ditto to Alanis.
Only I still listen to her. Her album on iTunes Originals is particularly enlightening.
Yes.
[...] Should I feel guilty because I sometimes like listening to Eminem? A guest post by Matt Donovan Ever been appalled by an artist’s vulgarity, yet so entranced by their talent that [...] [...]
Yes, I struggle with that tension at times–though not in regard to Eminem, but others.
I don’t listen to secular music too much, though. I recall a sermon by John Piper once when he asked, “Are you being shaped by the Word or the world?”
Should you feel guilty? I don’t think so. But I think we all must be careful…
Yes, you should feel guilty. It’s quite easy to answer this by thinking of what Jesus would say. Pretty hard to imagine Him or the Apostle Paul affirming the use of time in that way. I seldom give short answers that can be taken as, “oh brother, this guy is a judgmental cuss.” But this time it isn’t difficult. There is a lot of good stuff out there to listen to and read.
I don’t think this will answer the question whether Matt should feel guilty about it, but I don’t think it’s hard at all to think of situations where Jesus and Paul would listen to Eminem.
Phil 4:8
Should we listen to artists that blaspheme God’s name? Would we listen to Satan rap if he was eloquent and talented?
The all common question “Would Jesus have Eminem on his ipod?” I don’t think so.
Does it make you more Christ-like?
Would listening to it around others cause them to stumble?
Answer these questions and you’ll have your answer of feeling guilty or being convicted.
That being said a lot of music passes for Christian that should not even have the name on the label.
There should be a lot of discernment in those areas, but it doesn’t take much for me to decide that
Amen, to the previous comment!
Kris –
You’re coming at this from a framework that completely begs the question. Which is OK, for you; but “What would Jesus have on his i-Pod” just doesn’t make any sense to me.
An interesting question and one in which I have been considering for quite some time.
I am reminded of a childhood song:
“Oh be careful little ears what you hear;
there’s a Father up above looking down in tender love.”
I think there are a number of Biblically based principles for us to formulate a response to the poster’s query.
1. The Holy Spirit often uses guilt to tell us what not to do.
2. The term “guilt” has received a bad rap in today’s culture because of all the mumbo jumbo about “false guilt”. [Admittedly some of this is deserved but much of this is genuine guilt.]
3. Something may not be harmful to you, but you may harm someone else by listening to it or reading it.
4. Just because something is artistic doesn’t qualify it as worthy of our time. I’m sure the devil can also make very artistic productions.
5. I believe we will have to account for how we choose to live every minute of our life. There is no down time for the Christian.
a. By that I mean we shouldn’t separate ourselves from God for short periods of time during the day to do whatever we feel like.
b. Sometimes we get in the mode of thinking that God gets Sunday mornings, mid week Bible study, and our early morning devotions. But that time just before we go to bed is ours to do whatever we want.
6. The music we listen to should in some way glorify God.
a. Someone may ask, “Well, can’t I sing about Rudolph then?” I think you can as it tends to show a happy and joyful spirit and I think this can sometimes glorify God.
As for me, there are some works of art that I purposely avoid. I don’t think my list would (or should) be the same as everybody else’s.
Finally may the Holy Spirit guide each one of us into all truth as we seek to glorify God in all we see, do, or hear.
I am glad someone mentioned Wagner.
I don’t like Picasso for much the same logic outlined here.
But I must admit to being quite fond of Sarah Brightman in my ipod.
I listen to and love both secular and spiritual music; however, I draw the line at listening to lyrics that are vulgar, because I do believe in the premise “garbage in, garbage out” — as the Scripture guides us: Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. I Cor. 15:33
What direction does God tell us to follow in our thoughts? Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil. 4:13
I also do not believe you can divide “good/bad” music by genre. God invented music in all its diversity, so who are we to put Him in a box? Even rap music can glorify God (DC Talk).
And while I love listening to a wide variety of secular music, when my soul sings to the Lord of heaven, it’s not Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. It’s more likely to be Chris Tomlin, Crystal Lewis, Sailor Scott, or Third Day.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col. 3:16-17.
To summarize, I think we have the freedom in Christ to listen to (and think) what we will; however, we are directed to do so responsibly. If we have kids in the house, this is even more important since we will be accountable for what we teach them. “your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Heb. 13:17.
Blessings!
Mary
http://onewhitetree.whitepress.com
1. The Holy Spirit often uses guilt to tell us what not to do.
As did the Pharisees.
5. I believe we will have to account for how we choose to live every minute of our life. There is no down time for the Christian.
Which also subtly begs the question of whether or not listening to some of this would be downtime, right?
a. Someone may ask, “Well, can’t I sing about Rudolph then?” I think you can as it tends to show a happy and joyful spirit and I think this can sometimes glorify God.
As can anger at injustice. Desperation concerning the human condition. Frustration with our social systems. Etc. Etc. Etc. Let’s not narrow the scope of God-glorifying emotions to happy and joyful spirits.
All this said … I don’t listen to Eminem.
But here’s perhaps a better string of questions than “Would Jesus have Eminem on his iPod?”
Would Jesus sit down in a bar to talk with Eminem?
If Eminem wanted Jesus to listen to one of his CDs before the got together and talked again, so he could see where he was coming from, would Jesus do it?
If Jesus did take it home and break it down, what would he be listening for?
Look, I’m 50 and I detest rap. really. It’s vulgar and misogynistic, and it promotes bad English, bad grammar and bad attitude. And really bad clothing. Why on earth does anyone want to wear saggy pants?
But even I have to admit that Eminem has talent. His use of words shows a remarkable understanding of language and a natural rhythm that can’t be faked. Listen to what you want to, and don’t be ashamed of it. Yeah, I still love disco. deal with it.
Myrddin,
I think there’s a pretty big difference between personally enjoying music that blasphemes God and glorifies the enemy and the saviour seeking and saving that which is lost.
If Jesus went into a bar to talk to Eminem and was given his cd to break down and see where he was coming from, that would be the saviour loving people, in their sin.
The “What would Jesus have on his ipod” was meant to show us how we are to imitate his behavior and actions.
I’m not saying that you’re doing this, but I’ve heard all too many times the “Jesus drank wine, Jesus ate with sinners….” to justify performing the same actions in a sinful manner. That being said, I have seen others who would avoid all people who they believe to be sinful (which is really, in their minds more sinful than them) for the sake of their righteousness (or shall I say self-righteousness). The sinless saviour doing something is quite a bit different from sinful human being doing something.
As marycooke said earlier, music was given by God and is a good thing, how we use it can be a bad thing, and I think the music we listen to, and filter through our minds has a huge impact on whether or not we will see the cross as more glorious.
Not to say this is a “trump card,” but i find it interesting that no one has brought up Mark 7:15 “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
Eminem and his music are not the problem, but our sinful hearts are always the problem.
Third Eye Blind, Sublime, Jason Mraz, and The Transplants. Also – all of the musicians on the Once soundtrack. If they all came to Christ and made that CD again – I would be overwhelmed with joy.
I love to ask believers this question. Except I usually phrase it as “name your top 5 favorite musicians you wish were Christians”.
A few years ago I felt the Spirit leading me to purge my music collection. When it came down to a tough one, I would ask myself “Would I play this for my pastor?”
It was a sad day indeed to say goodbye to some of my oldest musician friends. I still listen to a lot of secular music… but sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t just throw it all out. It doesn’t incline my heart to God. But then again, neither does most Christian music.
yes
Kris writes: The sinless saviour doing something is quite a bit different from sinful human being doing something.
For the most part, I disagree. But that’s OK.
Jesus of Nazareth was full of the Holy Spirit. We are full of the Holy Spirit. And it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
It is not lesser things that we shall do but greater.
I have to translate this because I do not listen to Emenim — I don’t even know if I can spell his name. But I have, for instance, gained much spiritual insight into the people around me from movies like No Country For Old Men or The Dark Knight. Insight sufficient to form a real bond with a student, for instance, who says he loves the Joker.
There’s a great quote in the movie Shadowlands where one character says, “We read to know we are not alone.” Now that one student knows that someone deeply devoted to Christ also feels the pull of nihilistic egoism, but isn’t giving in to it.
The orientation of the incarnation is not away from but towards the ‘vulgar’
Katie writes: It was a sad day indeed to say goodbye to some of my oldest musician friends. I still listen to a lot of secular music… but sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t just throw it all out. It doesn’t incline my heart to God.”
But maybe if you listen carefully and with the right ears it might align you heart with God’s — at least that’s my hope.
I’m not talking about idle listening here, but about real listening.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. There’s a difference between being in culture and interacting with it for the glory of God and glorying in culture.
I enjoyed Dark Knight as well as Superman and other movies that portray good vs. evil. I can relate to what you said about the kid and the joker. I wouldn’t however watch a movie with nudity in it, or obsessive language blaspheming our Lord in order to ‘interact’ with those around me.
It’s possible to approach movies, music, and other arts in a legalistic fashion that drives the car in the other ditch as well.
I am a big fan of not making my interior battle any harder than it needs to be. I’m sure most (if not all) of the people commenting on this thread have enough discernment to sort out Eminem’s lyrics–to recognize what has merit versus what is blasphemous, etc. I’m sure none of us would ever dream of embracing the vulgarity and violence that comes along with his lyrics.
Music is powerful stuff, though. I remember I saw the movie “Chicago” once on an airplane. For weeks afterwards I would get various songs stuck in my head, and I would be walking around humming and singing them, and then suddenly realize what was coming out of my mouth. Same thing went for Phantom of the Opera–an unquestionably gorgeous piece of artistry, but again, I found myself involuntarily singing lyrics that I was absolutely not okay with.
Music has the ability to drive a message home and make it stick with you, whether you are always aware of it or not. I’m not saying that Eminem is necessarily going to cause people to fall away from the faith, but I am definitely suggesting that we can save ourselves a lot of inward struggle if we don’t submit ourselves to music that is full of profanity and rage. The less of that I expose my ears to, the less of it I will have to combat coming out of my mouth later.
Amen Amanda!
It’s not about whether it’s ok or not, it’s more about whether it’s good. Many things are ok to do, but not good to do.
Well said, Amanda and Kris…
Also, earlier someone mentioned Matthew 15:11, which says, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” It seems to me this refers more to the types of food that were allowed and not allowed under Jewish law, rather than words and images that we allow into out minds.
I have also been thinking about 1 Corinthians 15:33–”Bad company ruins good morals.”
Another commenter spoke of different artists and their music as friends. The books we read, the songs we listen to, the movies and TV shows that we watch, the talk shows we take in–these can all be considered part of the company we keep.
It is almost impossible and probably not right to totally shut out all secular media, yet we should be careful about letting these things become our close friends.
“The books we read, the songs we listen to, the movies and TV shows that we watch, the talk shows we take in–these can all be considered part of the company we keep.”
So, I want to be a friend of tax collectors and sinners, prostitutes, rebels, the unclean and course blue collar workers.
What should be on my iPod?
Yes, we do want to be a friend to tax collectors and all the others you mentioned. Yet the Bible so clearly tells us not to be a “friend of the world.” Many of the things that our unsaved friends say and do should not be things that we take pleasure in or take part in regularly. And I’m sure that some of the things we ourselves say and do should not be things that we take pleasure in or take part in regularly. I’m not the same person I was when I became a Christian a few decades ago. Many things changed, and there are still things that need to change. I’m so thankful for the Scripture that says, When we see him we will be like him from 1 John and from 1 Thessalonians, He who has called you is faithful …
I don’t think the original post was asking for a list of allowable and unallowable songs. It seems more like a post about the tension we feel when we enjoy a song that we know probably shouldn’t be on our iPod.
Not because you’re a Christian: because you are literate. The catchy beat doesn’t excuse you from decimating your brain’s language centers.
@ Kris and Chris
I think your arguments aren’t following here. Why stop there? Forget the lyrics, look at the music itself. What motivates the music?
Jazz was born out of po-mo relativism, sometimes nihilism, and an all out assault on the norms of classical composition. The Neo-Classicists were all nationalists. The Romantics were emotionalists. They’re not coming out of a Christian worldview. Does that mean I can’t listen to Miles Davis, Beethoven, or Mendelssohn? If we followed what you’re advocating to it’s logical conclusion, we couldn’t listen to anything except some of Bach, and none of that secular stuff he did like the Musical Offering or the Brandenburg Concertos.
What about Rock n’ Roll though? Christian bands have embraced this as their own, just changing the lyrics around. Rock was born out of the sexual revolution of the 60′s, the stick it to the man attitude that is hardly befitting a Christian. Does that mean I’m not allowed to listen to Third Day now either?
I think the fact is we love the world too much. Whether rock, jazz or Bach, it’s not hard to tell when something is repulsive and rebellious in a wrong way. Elvis singing Teddy Bear isn’t the same as AC DC singing Hell’s Bells.
Secular music has it’s place, but the fact that raunchy songs by Eminem are even discussed as valid listening tells me how much we abuse our liberties. We need to grow up.
Ryan T, those are good points, and I agree and wrestle with those often. There have been times when I’ve turned off the classical music on NPR and other things.
One time there was a beautiful broadcast of Tristan and Isolde. I recognize the beauty, but I just didn’t feel right listening to an opera that seemed to glorify adultery (as does Camelot) which also has beautiful music.
When we’re at a ball game and all kinds of secular music is playing, we don’t stop and have a lesson in discernment. We clap and stomp our feet and encourage the team. But I don’t have that music playing in my house or in the car all the time. Sometimes when we’re traveling through a town, we’ll turn on any station just to hear what’s going on in that area, but after awhile we switch to our CDs or a Christian station.
When a TV program replays a tape of Mariah Carey singing at the Grammys, I’ve said, That girl is an awesome singer. But I don’t buy her music and listen to it all the time.
Those fun songs from the 50′s, they seem so innocent compared to what’s on the radio today, but they were the beginning to an even worldlier and more seductive culture (there has always been worldy, seductive music).
These songs, and songs by composers who lived lives that seemed very contrary to the Christian faith, come up all the time in my piano studio. Most of what the kids learn to play at first is not Christian music, and many students are not going to become musicians that play sacred music. But they are part of history and culture and there is much beauty in the music. We study the time periods and composers lives, and I make no moral judgments when I teach these things. If a student’s background leads him to back off from a style of music, that is up to him (and his family if he’s a young student). I don’t force kids to play things that bother their conscience, nor do I say things to make it an issue. The composers that supported the Nazis, I don’t choose those for my personal playing and listening, but I do teach their music when it comes up in the repertoire.
‘m really glad that my daughter’s violin teacher decided that the Harry Potter song would not be one of their ensemble pieces. So I face these dilemmas on both sides as a teacher and parent.
As for Christian rock, the pastors I sat under when I became a Christian felt that there was no such thing as Christian rock. They might allow some of it in the parking lot for a neighborhood festival, but not in the sanctuary for worship. In all of his years of ministry at meetings where it was allowed, he said he “never saw the Holy Spirit fall on that music” (meaning biblical prophecy or tongues and interpretation). Since rock music was a big part of my very unhappy pre-Christian life, his position didn’t bother me. I’m okay with some kinds of Christian rock in our home if the lyrics are biblical, and sometimes I do wonder what the Lord thinks about certain kinds of music, even if the lyrics seem biblical.
Music is everywhere. I know that I may not deal with it perfectly and I might seem inconsistent, but it is just something that is inescapable unless you want to be a hermit. When I run into it, I try to use biblical principles to decide what I’m going to include in my life regularly.
I have problems listening to Ave Maria being sung. It’s been put to gorgeous music and has been sung by great artists, but its lyrics ask the Virgin Mary to pray for our sins, which is definitely unbibilical. Whenever it plays on my CD I skip it because I feel a prick of conscience about playing blasphemous lyrics that dishonor my Savior who is the only one who can help me with my sin problem.
As people on this post have mentioned, though the artist or music has quality, they can be corrupted by man’s tendency to detract glory away from God. That should be a measuring stick for our listening to music.
GOD’S ANSWER IS: Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
James, the brother of Jesus Christ wrote a book. Look it up at James 4:4-5
GOD’S ANSWER IS: Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
James, the brother of Jesus Christ wrote a book. Look it up at James 4:4-5