Popular Music is inappropriate contentographic Music

[mnphysicist]

I'm convinced that the closer we are with God, the more we are "knowing Him" daily through prayer, Bible reading, and Christian fellowship, the less easily we will be pulled into sin. The way I worded this might not have made it initially clear enough.

I tried to explain this principle more carefully in a previous thread, which may be found here:

An Attraction Stronger than Sin

There are a number of scriptures, hymns, and Christian writings that point to such a point of view. I have experienced the same in my own life... but I see others who draw close to God, only to go down in flames. Obviously I'm not understanding something in this... as scriptures for the most part are pretty universal, and its not like I'm some saint or something. (I'll jump into your other thread, so as not to derail this one).

 

[mnphysicist]

NIV Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

It makes sense to me that the same standards we use to determine what comes out of our mouths we should use to determine what we choose to allow into our ears. Of course, we cannot always control what comes in our ears. But sometimes we can. We choose what music to listen to and what TV shows to watch and listen to.

I'm not convinced that it goes both ways... ie both what goes in our ears, as well as what comes from our mouths.

I've read a few papers which shows that violent video games have no effect on the population at large. I've heard the right wing talk show folks say that their rhetoric is entertainment, it has no influence on peoples action. I even remember when Gabby Giffords was shot, that there was no linkage to Sarah Palins crosshairs ad etc. I think of Trumps commentary wrt women last fall and heard over and over, it was a non-issue.

But, I wonder about all of the above. I know when I used to play shoot em up games, ie Doom et all some 25 years ago, I had an inkling I was getting desensitized to violence, and said no more. I don't need that influence in my life. I wonder about all of the above too, especially in light of how it could influence youngsters. What if the papers and pundits saying don't worry about it are wrong? What if it does go both ways as you stated above? I don't know.

I see two standards in Ephesians 4:29, one negative, and one positive:

1. We should avoid what is "unwholesome". The word literally means "rotten", and is also translated "foul language", although the meaning may be broader than "cuss words".

2. We should only want that which builds up and benefits people.

I feel that most secular music (and nearly all the songs referred to in the OP) miserably fail both of these standards. On the other hand, I find that almost all Christian music, of many different types and styles, wonderfully fulfills both requirements.

Nuance is key in this, bearing mind many of the songs in the OP do crash and burn. I think of lamenting type songs, in how they were means of identifying with suffering people. I mean, it had to be a really bad situation to come up with Psalms 137:9 (which if used in a song lyric would likely bring out folks with pitchforks and torches assuming it passed by the radio censor folks).

I tend to like the use of rotten or corrupting rather than unwholesome in Ephesians 4:29, as wholesome implies to me a sort of sanitized puritanical gnostic focus, rather than man's creation in God's image which also includes sexuality. We can choose to corrupt sex by defiling the marriage bed, objectifying women, or going the other way and denying sexuality as something evil... or we can embrace it as something of God including the explicit imagery in Songs of Solomon, bearing in mind the right time and place for such.

 

[Mark Corbett]

I'm not convinced that it goes both ways... ie both what goes in our ears, as well as what comes from our mouths.

You're referring to my use of Ephesians 4:29 and to my suggesting that the same standard which applies to what we allow to come out of our mouths should also be applied to what we allow (to the extent that we can choose) to come into our ears.

It's reasonable that your "not convinced". Ephesians 4:29 only directly addresses what comes out of our mouths. In general, the Bible does not say a whole lot directly about what we choose to listen to or look at. Then again, in Bible times people had a lot less choice about what to listen to and look at. They couldn't choose a radio station or a TV show. The ability to often choose choose what we are listening to is a relatively new phenomenon. The main way people could choose what they heard in Bible times was by choosing who they listened to and who they hung out with:

NIV Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

How might this apply to things like the music we listen to or (as you mentioned) they types of video games people play or the sites we visit on the internet? I pray God will give each of us wisdom to discern if and how it applies.

What if it does go both ways as you stated above? I don't know.

Fair enough. I admit that guidelines for music choice are not explicit in Scripture.

From my own experience, I have found it to be a great blessing to listen almost exclusively to Christian music. This includes everything from old hymns to contemporary songs of many types. I really feel that Christian music was one of several major blessings the Lord used to help prepare me for some of the work He has called me to do.

Nuance is key

I agree that when it comes to things like guidelines for what to listen to and view, nuance is often important. Some of it depends on how different things affect different people. At the same time, there are some things which honestly are so obviously awful that no nuance is needed.

I can see how my OP, and especially the title for it, could be viewed as lacking nuance. So I accept your point.

I tend to like the use of rotten or corrupting rather than unwholesome in Ephesians 4:29,

I agree! I also think "rotten" or "corrupting" better capture the meaning in that context.

 

[Hieronymus]

Let me dig up this old topic..

...

It seems you're approaching this thing from the listeners point of view.
The problem lies in the production and the inspiration i.m.o.
People will like any reasonably well made music when they hear it often enough and when it comes in an appealing package.
Here lies the responsibility of the popular media.
But they don't make the music, they just play it, we hear it through loudspeakers or headphones / earbuds.
So how about the artists?
Where do they get their inspiration?
From God? Maybe sometimes, but besides getting less or no air time, the Christian music is usually not exciting, at all...
Frankly, i'd prefer silence or the sound of the outdoors any time over Christian music.
Although sometimes i can appreciate a choir singing about God for a while, but not for musical / artistic reasons.
For music as an art form to enjoy en move me (i don't mean dancing) i prefer gems from the 70s, like Zappa's instrumental stuff, Genesis with Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, but also Jazz from various time periods, and electronic music mainly from the 90s.
But it is all definitely not inspired by God.
You can tell by the titles, by interviews with the artists, lyrics (if there are any), album cover designs, etcetera...

Question: Are these fine musicians and music writers and producers just very good and talented?
Or is there actual inspiration (some spirit providing the skills basically) involved?

I already gave the answer, didn't i?
Most famous artists have admitted they get their inspiration from outside theirselves.
Some have admitted to have made a pact with the devil, or that 'something' takes over when they perform.
Not just in music though, also in acting.
Many of the famous say they can't perform that well without this spiritual aspect.

So, what kind of an institute is the entertainment industry then?
I think we can agree it is far from Christian, on average...
None the less, in the past century or so it is bestowed upon the western culture like there's no tomorrow.
Especially as a youngster you can hardly escape it...

 

[Sketcher]

Remember, before a "inappropriate contentographic" song can be played on the radio, it has to be censored first.

 

[Tetra]

Can you please explain what makes those lyrics inherently "sexually immoral"? I read some the the article you linked... and I really don't see the issue. Many of those lyrics could easily be rephrased in the context of a relationship (my wife and I certainly have enjoyed many of those songs). I just don't get your point, what is wrong with songs about sex? Sex is awesome man.