Van Halen 1984

[Daniel Newhouse]

Does something as simple as an angel on the cover make an album Christian?

I've tried hyperlinking to both jpg and gif images of the cover and it hasn't shown up in the thread. It shows up fine in the editing window.

 

[Hammster]

This can’t possibly be a serious question.

 

[SkyWriting]

Does something as simple as an angel on the cover make an album Christian?

Just the opposite.

 

[Dave-W]

Does something as simple as an angel on the cover make an album Christian?

Not at all. Many demonic rockers have angels (usually fallen) on their album covers.

Black Sabbath "Cross Purposes"

Lez Zeppelin (all woman tribute band) has a naked female angel on their first album.

 

[Greg J.]

Does something as simple as an angel on the cover make an album Christian?

There isn't anything visible or audible that makes something "Christian." That includes an image of the cross, a fish, a picture of Jesus, or what music one listens to—neither does calling oneself a Christian, calling one's church the "true" church, going to a real Christian church, or having Christian parents. Reading the Bible; praying; fasting; or taking religious days, traditions, or sacraments seriously do not make someone or anything Christian. Accepting and loving people as they are without finding fault, giving to the poor, sacrificially loving your neighbor, faithfully tithing, or kneeling before God do not make a person Christian.

A Christian is someone who believes that God is real, that God's Son, Jesus, died for us, and has genuinely submitted to God's Lordship (acknowledging that God has the right to tell us what to do and not do and hold us accountable for doing only what is good). When we have truly fulfilled these requirements, then corresponding choices, words, and actions will follow, the most important of which is taking actions to know God better.

 

[FenderTL5]

Does something as simple as an angel on the cover make an album Christian?

Yes*, it's classic evangelical protestant iconography dating back to 4BC, why do you ask?


* The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When you’re improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created.
As I learned it; "never deny the verbal reality."
So if we’re improvising and I say, “Freeze, I have a gun,” and you say, “That’s not a gun. It’s your finger. You’re pointing your finger at me,” our improvised scene has ground to a halt. But if I say, “Freeze, I have a gun!” and you say, “The gun I gave you for Christmas! You idiot!” then we have started a scene because we have AGREED that my finger is in fact a Christmas gun.

 

[Daniel Newhouse]

Just to hear you say something like that.

 

[lightninboy]

That's not the New Year's baby for 1984 waiting for 1984 so he can be born?

 

[Pathfinder627]

Not at all. Many demonic rockers have angels (usually fallen) on their album covers.

Black Sabbath "Cross Purposes"

Lez Zeppelin (all woman tribute band) has a naked female angel on their first album.

Funnily, Black Sabbath isn't demonic. There are definitely worse at least. Two of it's members were Christians. Ozzy wasn't a Christian, and a troubled guy in general.. so that put a damper on things.. but a band is composed of individuals. The main songwriter (Geezer Butler) sometimes dealt with dark imagery, but as a warning. He used the symbols to scare people away from it. Not sure that's the best strategy, but he meant well. Sometimes he would be overtly Christian though:

"Have you ever thought about your soul - Can it be saved?
Or perhaps you think that when you're dead you just stay in your grave
Is God just a thought within your head or is he a part of you?
Is Christ just a name that you read in a book when you were in school?"