Why is there a secular music part to a Christian site?

[SirKenin]

lol. I listen to all kinds of secular music. I've been bashed for it in here, as my tastes are so incredibly eclectic. When the Bible commands me not to listen to it, I'll change. In the meantime, I'll just keep on going the way I am.

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Your emotions don't control God's Word. If it's wrong, it's wrong, no matter how emotional you feel.

But that's the big question, isn't it? IF it's wrong.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on what I posted.

 

[fortyfourbreaks]

heres a question for fun, why is jazz & blues and classical not grouped with secular?????????? aren't they after all part of that group? Might as well make a thread labeled electronica as well. It seems wierd that these two genres are not labeled 'secular'. are there people in those forums complaining about "why is there a classical forum in a christian site?

 

[brettnolan]

That IS a good question...maybe good enough for its own thread.

You know, the Bible teaches that Christians shouldn't listen to jazz that doesn't glorify God.

 

[NiemandheißtBoshaftigkeit]

Is this for non-believers or something?

The Bible teaches Christians shouldn't listen to secular music which doesn't bring glory to God.

Now, an unbeliever, I understand them listening to secular music, but a Christian has no excuse to be listening to the music. It promotes an apathetic and flippant lifestyle toward Christian things.

Can we discuss this?

Are you accusing us of not being Christians? Also, I would like to know how it is that you have managed to obey every rule written in the Bible. You must be the second coming of Christ! Please, Lord! Forgive me for listening to that horrible Rammstein!

 

[nadroj1985]

heres a question for fun, why is jazz & blues and classical not grouped with secular?????????? aren't they after all part of that group? Might as well make a thread labeled electronica as well. It seems wierd that these two genres are not labeled 'secular'. are there people in those forums complaining about "why is there a classical forum in a christian site?

See post 106. Grover explained this quite well, IMHO. The secular and Christian distinction is more or less an illusion.

 

[Caedmon]

Didn't pay attention to who posted it, but someone said they meditated while listening to Korn? That's nothing but pure emotionalism and isn't scriptural.

Your emotions don't control God's Word. If it's wrong, it's wrong, no matter how emotional you feel.

Yes, I meditated on the passion of Christ while listening to "Dirty," by KoRn. If you don't know what "passion" means, it is the sequence of events in Christ's last days before His death. It includes His capture, torture, and crucifixion. Different phrases in the song remind me of different segments of Christ's passion. But if thinking about Christ's sacrifice on the cross is nothing more than an "emotional" experience, then I strongly encourage you not to do it.

BTW, if you didn't pay enough attention to that post to even know the poster's username, then how did you reckon that you had read it well enough to make a remark?

 

[User Name]

Is this for non-believers or something?

The Bible teaches Christians shouldn't listen to secular music which doesn't bring glory to God.

Now, an unbeliever, I understand them listening to secular music, but a Christian has no excuse to be listening to the music. It promotes an apathetic and flippant lifestyle toward Christian things.

Can we discuss this?

This is for all the new christians who are still into the secular music... like me

 

[Liza]

I just stopped by for a few moments and read a couple of new posts. I've been quite busy, so I haven't visited this site much, actually. I'm trying to get a new engine back together for my car before school starts back, and my daily driver's transmission is going south, so I've been busy turning wrenches while not at work or church (we've had revival this week).

Didn't pay attention to who posted it, but someone said they meditated while listening to Korn? That's nothing but pure emotionalism and isn't scriptural.

Your emotions don't control God's Word. If it's wrong, it's wrong, no matter how emotional you feel.

For those of you who continue to denouce me as a modern day Pharisee, I wish you'd read your Bible and realize who the Pharisees were, and why Jesus denounced them (Matthew 23 would be a good place to start).

Who are you to say who and what God can use to reach His children? If God could make our world in 7 days, part the Red Sea, send His only Son to die for us, then why is He not powerful enough to use Korn or Linkin Park to reach us?

 

[prince didymus]

Well personally I think that the secular music I listen to is great. I don't discriminate against an artists hard work because it is secular or otherwise. Linkin Park, U2 and Evanescence are just some of the artists that I love to listen to during any time of the day. Most of the things that I desired to say have already been expressed in one way or another so if I have anything else to add I may do so later.

Oh and Axver I must say that your rebuttal in defense of U2 was excellent.

 

[Justin04]

well heck ya'll lets all listen to josh groben this sunday at church then through in some U2 and britney and while at it we miles well through in some more christian music maybe give christina aguilera a call see if shes available I mean really her name has 'christ' in there she must be a worship leader undercover trying to reach the unsaved.

all seriously tho. i just cant imagine jesus saying hey guys have you heard the new britney spears cd? Or I cant see him saying hey justin have you seen U2's newest dvd? or saying hey you should hear the newest song on mtv count down.

 

[prince didymus]

well heck ya'll lets all listen to josh groben this sunday at church then through in some U2 and britney and while at it we miles well through in some more christian music maybe give christina aguilera a call see if shes available I mean really her name has 'christ' in there she must be a worship leader undercover trying to reach the unsaved.

all seriously tho. i just cant imagine jesus saying hey guys have you heard the new britney spears cd? Or I cant see him saying hey justin have you seen U2's newest dvd? or saying hey you should hear the newest song on mtv count down.

I don't even know if I should even entertain this post with a response...

 

[Caedmon]

I don't even know if I should even entertain this post with a response...

I'm not even going to respond to this...

...

DOH!!

 

[prince didymus]

I'm not even going to respond to this...

...

DOH!!

 

[PreacherFergy]

Also, perhaps it should be noted that it was the "great and spiritual" Bono from U2 that said the "F" word on national telivision. What a great Christian testimony

 

[nadroj1985]

Also, perhaps it should be noted that it was the "great and spiritual" Bono from U2 that said the "F" word on national telivision. What a great Christian testimony

Yeah and did you hear about this guy Paul? Apparently he wrote some letters to churches in the mid-to-late first century, acting like he was a Christian. However, before he wrote the letters, he was out persecuting Christians. What a great Christian testimony

 

[elanor]

Responding to the OP:

A very wise pastor I used to have spoke sometimes about the differences between being in the world, insulated from the world, and of the world. I'm less interested in listening to Christian music than I am in listening to music as a Christian. Same goes for what movies I watch, books I read, etc. It's far more important to me that what I do, I do as one who loves Christ and understands people living in the real world, here and now. I don't function well living in a Christian-y subculture where what we see, what we hear must have the Christian-approved stamp on it.

Also, talent--including musical talent--is a gift from God. I can still recognize that and appreciate it, even if the person with the gift has yet to come to know Christ. The talent, the gift, still has value.

 

[nadroj1985]

Responding to the OP:

A very wise pastor I used to have spoke sometimes about the differences between being in the world, insulated from the world, and of the world. I'm less interested in listening to Christian music than I am in listening to music as a Christian. Same goes for what movies I watch, books I read, etc. It's far more important to me that what I do, I do as one who loves Christ and understands people living in the real world, here and now. I don't function well living in a Christian-y subculture where what we see, what we hear must have the Christian-approved stamp on it.

Also, talent--including musical talent--is a gift from God. I can still recognize that and appreciate it, even if the person with the gift has yet to come to know Christ. The talent, the gift, still has value.

Beautiful post, elanor. Thank you!

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

well heck ya'll lets all listen to josh groben this sunday at church then through in some U2 and britney and while at it we miles well through in some more christian music maybe give christina aguilera a call see if shes available I mean really her name has 'christ' in there she must be a worship leader undercover trying to reach the unsaved.

Nice straw man you've got there.

I assume this has something to do with someone meditating on Christ while listening to Korn. Well, to respond to that the way you just did is like saying God spoke to Baalam through a donkey, so all churches need to have a donkey in them.

Also.... I love music, yes. I also love movies, and painting miniatures. These things are sometimes very edifying. That doesn't mean I think the church service needs to be altered so that we watch movies or paint little soldiers as part of the service.

all seriously tho. i just cant imagine jesus saying hey guys have you heard the new britney spears cd? Or I cant see him saying hey justin have you seen U2's newest dvd?

That's because CDs and DVDs didn't exist then. And because Britney and Christina are both horrible musicians in ways that don't even touch morality.

or saying hey you should hear the newest song on mtv count down.

That's because there was no MTV either. *patpat* or popular music as it exists now.

Anyway, to get to the heart of it.... do you only ever see God in "Christian" things? Does a book, for instance, have to be written by a Christian to edify, teach or enlighten in some Godly way? (If so, toss out Shakespeare, Mark Twain...)

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Also, perhaps it should be noted that it was the "great and spiritual" Bono from U2 that said the "F" word on national telivision. What a great Christian testimony

Let's talk about Christian testimony for a second.

Yeah, Bono dropped the F bomb. Bono also contributes huge amounts of effort and money to AIDS relief in africa in Jesus' name. No one's saying Bono is perfect, but this is a pretty clear case to me of judgeing someone by our cultural Christian "rules" rather that Righteous Judgement. Yeah, I think swearing is wrong but I know I do things that're just as wrong on a daily basis, and so do you.

OTOH, I've also talked to professing Christians who believe said AIDS pandemic is God's judgement. Frankly I think that's farther up the immoraity scale than saying "the F word". Christians all over screw up their testimony in a hundred ways worse than saying the F word and never get their salvation questioned.

To quote a Non-Christian movie, "They train our boys to drop fire on children, but they won't let them write F___ on their bombs because they say it's obscene". (Marlon Brando, Apocalypse Now)

And a Christian Pastor: "Thousands of people are starving, and you don't give a s___. In fact you're probably more offended that I just said 'S___' than you are that people are dying of starvation". (Tony Campolo)

Still interested in any response you might have to my little apologetic earlier in the thread.