satan has thrown out the hymnals and brought in new age "music" . Drum sets and electric guitars have replaced the cross. Moronic
moneygrubbers have replaced preachers. Mockery has replaced reverence. Noise has replaced peace.
The moneychangers had nothing on the church today. Remember what Jesus did to them?
This viewpoint is legalistic and goes against biblical teaching on music.
The Bible encourages people to praise God with stringed instruments. This is clearly seen in Psalm 150. An electric guitar is obviously a stringed instrument, so can be used to praise God. To say otherwise is unbiblical, going against what the bible clearly teaches.
The Bible also encourages us to praise God with drums and dancing. This can also be seen in Psalm 150 and other bible passages. Unfortunately the Hebrew word "Tof" (which is a frame drum without jingles) is often mistranslated in our English Bible's as "tambourine" or "timbrel"
One of the recent Psalms I read in the NASB translation, says this in Psalm 68:24, 25:
"They have seen Your procession O God, the procession Of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went on, the musicians after them, in the midst of the maidens
beating tambourines.
The beating of drums was one of the biblical ways to praise God. Hymns (a song of praise) were often sung with drums and dancing in bible times. We shouldn't condemn what the bible encourages.
See this article on drums:
» Drums & the Bible Psalm Drummers
True. Which is why we shouldn't compromise what the bible says about drums or stringed instruments. To condemn their use in church (electric or otherwise) is compromising biblical teaching on the subject.
Well, I love all of the old ones. Let's see. Off the top of my head:
1. What Child is This? (lyrics 1865; tune in 16th Century)
2. My Jesus I Love Thee (1864)
3. Amazing Love (And Can It Be) (?)
4. How Great Thou Art (1885)
5. Precious Lord (1844)
Not necessarily in that order. Not sure about the dates. Sung in style as intended when written.
It's interesting that you mentioned "Precious Lord", a song that was composed by Thomas Dorsey after his infant son and first wife died in 1932.
The melody of this song was stolen from an 1844 hymn "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone" (the tune for this hymn called "Maitland"). Created by George N. Allen, this tune in it's original 1844 form was composed in "classic hymn style" (for lack of a better term), a type of hymnal music that was heavily rooted in European classical music, but often plain and simple.
Years later Thomas Dorsey (an African American) stole the melody, wrote a different set of lyrics to it, and composed it in a different style. The result was Precious Lord. The original composing style of "Precious Lord" was similar to the "blackened" gospel hymn style of Charles Tindley, but with a touch of blues and jazz. Because of the blues/jazz influence, some Christians in the 30's thought "Precious Lord" was the devils music. Some thought he was copying the devil and didn't appreciate his blues influenced church music. Yet this same song is in your list of hymns that you love, music you consider reverent. Not everyone thought it was reverent in the 30's!
I can understand why people would have a problem with some extreme forms of Christian music (eg. really dark sounding stuff with spooky growls or tortured screams). I myself feel uncomfortable with a lot of the more extreme stuff, though I might not have any Scriptural "proof" to prove my discomfort. The subject of musical style isn't even in the bible.
But the bible is very clear on some musical matters, including the use of stringed instruments, drums and dancing to praise God. So let us not compromise where the bible is clear.
The use of drums or electric guitars in church is not the issue. Using modern music or music with a good drum beat, is also not the issue. A lot of the old church music was modern or fairly contemporary for it's time.
If your going to flatly reject all modern rocking music in church as satanic, just because of "secular music influences", you will also have to reject Dorsey's "Precious Lord" and Christian music in general.