Why so much blasphemy in the music of many popular artists?

[Sammy-San]

A few very obvious examples of blasphemy in popular songs is Jay Z singing that "jesus cant save you" in the lyrics of one of his songs, Lady Gaga having a song called Judas and singing that shes in love with him, and Bruno Mars having a song called Locked Out of Heaven, where he literally compares his girlfriend to being "born again".

Most people arent surprised to find blasphemous themes in the lyrics of artists like Lady Gaga and Jay Z, who are known for using shock value and having controversial lyrics, or even Bruno Mars.

But there's many more examples than just them, even artists who arent even known for using shock value or wanting to be controversial. Why would those artists include blasphemy in their lyrics?

Michael Jackson sings in we are the world, that Jesus/God turned stones to bread (which he never did-that's what the devil tempted him to do, MJ sings that God obeyed the will of the devil). In Prince's song 1999, he sings, "i could have sworn it was judgement day", and also sang in that song that even in the face of God's judgement, he would party until the end of time.

In U2's song "wake up dead man", they are referring to Jesus. In other songs, like If God Will Send the Angels, and the First Time, they refer to God in a way that isn't directly blasphemous, but it seems rather casual and irreverent. Pink Floyd sings this.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want: He makes me down to lie: Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by. With bright knives He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets, For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger."

One more example is Lana Del Rey in Tropico. Lana Del Rey Tropico Video Recreates Adam and Eve Sinning in Eden, Born to Die Singer Transform From Ethereal Virgin Mary To Sultry Sex Goddess, An Act of Blasphemy? : Trending News : KpopStarz

I'm not saying that every secular singer or band makes songs like this. The vast majority of them dont. But there are enough very popular artists who include at the very least, if not blasphemy, irreverence towards God and sacred things in their music, to make it worth mentioning.

Why is that?

 

[HorsieJuice]

But there are enough very popular artists who include at the very least, if not blasphemy, irreverence towards God and sacred things in their music, to make it worth mentioning.

Why is that?

They're not blasphemous; you just don't understand what the songs are about.

If you want to make the argument that they're irreverent in their appropriation of religious terminology, fine, but that's not the same thing.

 

[Ponkine]

They're not blasphemous; you just don't understand what the songs are about.

Agreed.

Sounds like the OP has been watching too much videos from goodfight ministries or works from there.

 

[Sammy-San]

They're not blasphemous; you just don't understand what the songs are about.

If you want to make the argument that they're irreverent in their appropriate of religious terminology, fine, but that's not the same thing.

Explain how I dont understand what their songs are about, and why you think those songs are not blasphemous.

What's the difference between being blasphemous and being irreverent? Explain what you think the difference is.

 

[Sammy-San]

Agreed.

Sounds like the OP has been watching too much videos from goodfight ministries or works from there.

Why do you disagree with Goodfight Ministries and the claims they make about certain singers?

 

[markb77]

Oh dear. Here we go once again.

 

[James Is Back]

I like how some people post lyrics and not do any research on what they really mean. Take for instance Pink Floyd. Their lyrics are complex and have different meanings not necessarily anti religious or anti Christian.

I suggest you read this link and the comments on what those PF lyrics really mean:

Pink Floyd - Sheep Lyrics | SongMeanings

 

[James Is Back]

Agreed.

Sounds like the OP has been watching too much videos from goodfight ministries or works from there.

Or Jesus Is Savior dot com.

 

[Hetta]

I'm not saying that every secular singer or band makes songs like this. The vast majority of them dont. But there are enough very popular artists who include at the very least, if not blasphemy, irreverence towards God and sacred things in their music, to make it worth mentioning.

Why is that?

Because free speech.

 

[Sammy-San]

Because free speech.

I know they have free speech, of course, but why do you think they write and sing lyrics like that?

 

[Sammy-San]

Or Jesus Is Savior dot com.

Why do you disagree with what Goodfight Ministries and Jesus is Savior dot.com say?

 

[HorsieJuice]

Explain how I dont understand what their songs are about, and why you think those songs are not blasphemous.

]

"Judas" by Lady Gaga - this song is not about Judas Iscariot. It's about her being in love with a guy who keeps betraying her. In this song, Judas is an archetype.

"Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars - no, he doesn't "literally" compare being with his girlfriend to being born again. He figuratively compares it. It would be like saying that she makes him feel like he's flying - it would be absurd to take that to mean that she makes him feel like he's boarding an airplane and sitting in a cramped cabin for 3 hours with lousy snacks and crying babies.

"We are the World" - yes, they got a detail wrong. So what? The lyric is, "As God has shown us by turning stone to bread. So we all must lend a helping hand." Anyone with half a brain can read that and see that the point is not to say that Jesus obeyed the devil, it's to say that he set an example of helping others, which we should follow. So while he got the details wrong, he got the overall point correct.

I don't know what your problem with "Wake Up Dead Man" is.

What's the difference between being blasphemous and being irreverent? Explain what you think the difference is.

Blasphemy is deliberately insulting God, whereas being irreverent would be merely not showing proper respect. If you think of God as an object, being irreverent would be like being careless with the object, whereas blasphemy would be like hitting it with a hammer.

 

[RychusRkr]

alot of people don't have a clue of the spiritual world and the 2 kingdoms, The kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Why defend the works from the kindgom of darkness? They could be saying love love love but really are promoting a we don't need God, all we need is love, humanistic love and everything will be ok, no need for a savior, no Jesus. The demon possesed girl was going around saying Paul was a man sent by God!! It wasn't what she was saying is bad it is the spirit of darkness behind it. If you don't see the spiritual kingdom and just devour into your soul the music and movies and message of this world, the kingdom of darkness, you are getting set up for a GREAT last day deception. and I don't need jesusissavior.com (i think the webmaster is way off in left field) to tell me this.

 

[Lik3]

I believe it is the obvious. Controversy sells.

 

[LittleQin]

Expect nothing less from the 'great Satan'.

Anti-Christian bigotry is becoming more and more popular. So, we must stick together.

 

[dms1972]

I wouldn't have known what the Pink-Floyd song was about, in fact when I checked out the website - and was reading the whole song - I began to wonder if was about drug addiction, withdrawal... I was looking for something other than an anti-christian meaning.

But I don't think I'd have got those lyrics, what that song is about - The album it is from apparently is loosely based on Orwell's Animal Farm, which I haven't read only heard a bit about.

They sometime do concept albums so the all the songs are around a particular concept or story.

However unlike Orwell's Animal Farm which was a critique of Stalinism, PF's album is using some ideas from Animal Farm in a critique about Capitalism. Again thats only what I read.

The Wikipedia article gives a bit of info on it.

Some Pink Floyd songs were notoriously difficult to understand.

Some people think they are geniuses, on the other hand they may not always be is how I look at it. What if in fact a song's lyrics are a bit muddled and not well put together and I spend years trying to figure it out?

What did Roger Waters say about it? Even on that website there is disagreement about what it means.

The only way I know to find out what a song is about is to read what its writter says, what it means and why he wrote it. If he doesn't really know or is vague about it then I can't be bother wasting any more time.



I don't know about the other songs mentioned.

 

[dms1972]

I know they have free speech, of course, but why do you think they write and sing lyrics like that?

Yes I'd like to know why too

Apparently its not based on Animal Farm, but inspired, or perhaps influenced by this.


Maybe its about dehumanisation? Maybe about industrialisation. The album cover show Battersea Power Station. Maybe the lyrics have marxist influences, themes also?

Of all the comments on the song meanings site theres little agreement except that it has several meanings in it, or can be interpreted several ways.

 

[amenkid777]

alot of people don't have a clue of the spiritual world and the 2 kingdoms, The kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Why defend the works from the kindgom of darkness? They could be saying love love love but really are promoting a we don't need God, all we need is love, humanistic love and everything will be ok, no need for a savior, no Jesus. The demon possesed girl was going around saying Paul was a man sent by God!! It wasn't what she was saying is bad it is the spirit of darkness behind it. If you don't see the spiritual kingdom and just devour into your soul the music and movies and message of this world, the kingdom of darkness, you are getting set up for a GREAT last day deception. and I don't need jesusissavior.com (i think the webmaster is way off in left field) to tell me this.

I agree with this, good way of saying it.

 

[Sammy-San]

]

"Judas" by Lady Gaga - this song is not about Judas Iscariot. It's about her being in love with a guy who keeps betraying her. In this song, Judas is an archetype.

"Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars - no, he doesn't "literally" compare being with his girlfriend to being born again. He figuratively compares it. It would be like saying that she makes him feel like he's flying - it would be absurd to take that to mean that she makes him feel like he's boarding an airplane and sitting in a cramped cabin for 3 hours with lousy snacks and crying babies.

"We are the World" - yes, they got a detail wrong. So what? The lyric is, "As God has shown us by turning stone to bread. So we all must lend a helping hand." Anyone with half a brain can read that and see that the point is not to say that Jesus obeyed the devil, it's to say that he set an example of helping others, which we should follow. So while he got the details wrong, he got the overall point correct.

I don't know what your problem with "Wake Up Dead Man" is.



Blasphemy is deliberately insulting God, whereas being irreverent would be merely not showing proper respect. If you think of God as an object, being irreverent would be like being careless with the object, whereas blasphemy would be like hitting it with a hammer.

http://beginningandend.com/kanye-we...-jesus-christ-pays-tribute-to-the-antichrist/

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, which was based on the English of the King James Bible defines blasphemy as: “An indignity offered to God by words or writing; reproachful, contemptuous or irreverent words uttered impiously against Jehovah.” Insulting the name of God or Jesus Christ is not something taken lightly by The Lord.

 

[Sketcher]

Because that's what the labels want to put out. There are not-so-mainstream bands that are much, much worse.