Christian Music

:help: OK heres the thing. I had a guy, who is deeply reglious, tell me that We (Christians) should ONLY listin to Christian Music and thats IT. Now I have a love for all kinds music Counrty, RockandRoll, Jazz, Blues. etc.etc.
But to Him that kind of music is not giving glory to God. HE went even as far as to say We( Christains) should throw out our TV and spend ALL our free time...... Iguess listing to Christian Music and reading the Bible.
My question is what about life and all the thing God gave to see and hear. Are we suposed to walk around with blinders on and and lose sight of what going on in the world? If all we do is listin to one type of music and read only one book what will we turn into
Or am I some kind of heathen and have no hope for heven becuse I watch tv and listin to music that is not written and performed by Christains:help:

I don't think we should limit our reading and listening to Christian sources, we have eyes and ears and certain things we see and hear give us pleasure. As long as we don't go overboard, or listen to something particularly blasphemous, I think it is ok.

CCK I notieced you are in Abilene which is "God-fearing country". I wanted to ask you two questions:

1) When this kid suggested you listen to only Christian music was he the first one to suggest this to you or has it been suggested to you before? If before how often?

2) How old are you? I am just curious because it would be relevant to the answer of question number 1.

I think it's all how you interpret things. Some people think that you can oly listen to Christian music if you want to be as holy as you can be, but if you can be extremely holy, etc., and listen to other music, I don't see how that's a problem. Also, there is more to life than thinking about God all the time, and listening to music is often a part of that.

I would imagine that there is God in all music to one degree or another. I don't think that you have to limit yourself to music only performed by certified Christians. Since you are a Christian - what do you think Jesus would do? I don't know tons about the guy but he seemed like the type who would want his followers to to be able to listen and appreciate all sorts of things. Just because you listen to other types of music doesn't mean you need to accept (or have inadvertantly accepted) the God that might have inspired those artists. Now if your church specifical forbids or is against listening to non-Christian music, you will have to decide how important is it for you to obey or disobey its preferences. In the meantime, I would tell this guy of yours thank you but no thanks.

To answer your questions Rodtex
1 This sugestion was never reccomended to me personally before. However I did take class on "Teens in the Church" Were a fellow student perty much said the same thing
2. I am 31 year old and have been Christian 19 years this young man who told me is 19 and fresh out of High School

CocaColaKid said:

:help: OK heres the thing. I had a guy, who is deeply reglious, tell me that We (Christians) should ONLY listin to Christian Music and thats IT. Now I have a love for all kinds music Counrty, RockandRoll, Jazz, Blues. etc.etc.
But to Him that kind of music is not giving glory to God. HE went even as far as to say We( Christains) should throw out our TV and spend ALL our free time...... Iguess listing to Christian Music and reading the Bible.
My question is what about life and all the thing God gave to see and hear. Are we suposed to walk around with blinders on and and lose sight of what going on in the world? If all we do is listin to one type of music and read only one book what will we turn into
Or am I some kind of heathen and have no hope for heven becuse I watch tv and listin to music that is not written and performed by Christains:help:

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Just wait until you find out some of the other things your fellow Christians do, such as tell people they will "burn in eternal hellfire" for not doing exactly what they say.

You are not bad for listening to upbeat Christian music. I myself listen to some really hardcore music and even Satanic groups such as Merciful Fate. I don't take them seriously, it is just music. I think the lyrics are actually funny, but I can't deny that King Diamond is an excellent vocalist. I think the most important thing is "you", what you do in your life, what you feel in your heart.

I am sure some serial killers probably listened to gospel music. It doesn't mean the music made them do it. The only thing i have seen music force people to do is to dance.:jam: :jiggy:

On a deeper level I can see the viewpoint of the 19 year old kid and the importance of the statement. Metaphorically speaking Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden of Edan for induldging in the one thing that was not a part of God in the garden...the forbidden fruit. Anything else they did was part of God's world. Noah hand picked 2 animals of each species and with his group borded a big boat that he built and all the things outside God's world were destroyed in the great flood. Jesus, who was the closest man to God on earth walked around healing the sick and helping the world. The next closest men to God on earth were the 12 apostles who were around Jesus minus Judas who betrayed Jesus before his execution. Those 12 men and later 11 men where metaphorically closer to Edan than the ones who accepted Christ but didn't walk with him who in turn were closer than the nay sayers who in turn were closer than the ones that fought Christianty. Christians today work hard to create a world of Christian values. Not to say other religions don't but its an important part of Christianty to spead the good word amoung the people and espcially the gentiles. If one were complety dedicated to the Christian God and to the Bible and wanted to effectivly position Christianty as a solution to life's problems than surrounding yourself with all things Christian, from books to hobbies to music one could be a beacon for Christanity and and a neo apostle in a new world in the absense of Christ.

As far as the original question, should Christians only listen to Christian music.......that is your call.....The shepard, which if you are in Texas I bet you have seen, is a yellow pages of Christian organizations and encourages business with other Christian groups. Think of it like this...would you do business with a Christian group in the shepard over a business not in the shepard (which may or may not be Christian...same as music....music not say Christ but it doesn't neccessarly reflect the muscians beliefs), in the instances where:

1) the business were the same in preformance and value
2) the christian business was better in both by varying degrees
3) the one not labeled as specifically Christian was better in both by varying degrees
4) you did not have enough information to decide which was better in either or both categories.

I say this to you because you can take you question and put it in other areas with the idea and create a why or why not that makes sense to you by moving laterally to investigate the question instead of settling for a narrow answer without "stepping outside the box".

CocaColaKid said:

:help: OK heres the thing. I had a guy, who is deeply reglious, tell me that We (Christians) should ONLY listin to Christian Music and thats IT. Now I have a love for all kinds music Counrty, RockandRoll, Jazz, Blues. etc.etc.
But to Him that kind of music is not giving glory to God. HE went even as far as to say We( Christains) should throw out our TV and spend ALL our free time...... Iguess listing to Christian Music and reading the Bible.
My question is what about life and all the thing God gave to see and hear. Are we suposed to walk around with blinders on and and lose sight of what going on in the world? If all we do is listin to one type of music and read only one book what will we turn into
Or am I some kind of heathen and have no hope for heven becuse I watch tv and listin to music that is not written and performed by Christains:help:

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Well, the bible says to make a joyful noise unto the lord. im tired so i wont bother finding it i could if you would like at a later date. it also lists just about every instrument you could think of that could be used for worship. Its not the music that really matters to God, because according to the christian faith, he allows it all to be here. It has more to do with the words. Even better, it is how you let those words effect you. the Bible says to "test everything, keep what is pure and to throw out what is not pure". once again, i can find where in the Bible it says this if you would like, just not right now im rather tired. I think you should make your own decision on what is right for you, If he has to listen to ONLY christian music to make himself secure about his faith, then so be it, I dont think his salvation is on the line because of what music he listens to. hope this helps!:jiggy:

Rules an regulations. They fly in the face of the religious freedom that is given to Christians.

Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

I would suggest that this applies to music as well as the other areas talked about.

Too many people who claim to "live by the Bible" assume that it means this or that. They extrapolate and so create rules that God never intended. It is my belief to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where it is silent. All other issues are merely man's opinion. IOW, it's your choice what you listen to.

I myself am not a christian in the sense that I attend church meetings. Music is a very delicate field in a persons developement due to it's repetitive nature. Let me explain myself: when you like a song, a tune you'll end up listening to it 100 times. If the message that the song it contains is good, uplifting, moral, well, praise the Lord. But what if it's message is about drugs, about murder, about hate, about Satan? You'll end up believing in it, wont you?
I myself have been very careful when choosing the music I listen to. I like the great masters: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach whon I believe have been inspired by God himself to write pages and pages of the most beautiful music man will ever be albe to hear here on earth. On the other hand I love Elvis Preley's Gospel songs. many people say that he was evil, a drug-addict. Poor Elvis, but in the we all humans are sinners and the important thing is the song irself not the singer.
By the way. can anyone tell me about songs, the ones that when you listen to them backwards there's a very clear message like I'm satan, or Smoke marihuana? Those are the songs you must pay attention to. Queen, Led Zeppelin, have these kind of songs. Maybe Marilyn Manson doesn't need to sing backwards to let us know he's a Satan worshiper.:jiggy:

hey CocaColaKid-

like you, i'm a big fan of country and rock! especially creedence.

there are some Quakers in my meeting who feel that music goes against the Quaker principal of simplicity, and choose not to listen to any kind of music. this is a stance i've never really agreed with.

i see our ability to make and appreciate music of all kinds to be a gift from God, and the sheer diversity of music we have on this planet as further gifts. i figure, music and musical diversity is something so central to our natures that God must have a positive view of it!

i figure, if you don't want to limit your experience of music to something that's explicitely religious, don't! listening to any kind of music can be a transcendent experience, if your ears are really open.

benjamin said:

I myself am not a christian in the sense that I attend church meetings. Music is a very delicate field in a persons developement due to it's repetitive nature. Let me explain myself: when you like a song, a tune you'll end up listening to it 100 times. If the message that the song it contains is good, uplifting, moral, well, praise the Lord. But what if it's message is about drugs, about murder, about hate, about Satan? You'll end up believing in it, wont you?

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One of my favourite albums is the Queen of the Damned sountrack. Oddly enough, I am yet to be convinced that there is a secret society of vampires conspiring to remain hidden and stop the rise of a charismatic former French nobleman with pointy teeth in the rock scene.

By the way. can anyone tell me about songs, the ones that when you listen to them backwards there's a very clear message like I'm satan, or Smoke marihuana? Those are the songs you must pay attention to. Queen, Led Zeppelin, have these kind of songs. Maybe Marilyn Manson doesn't need to sing backwards to let us know he's a Satan worshiper.:jiggy:

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When you play them backwards the message sounds like what the words on the album would sound like if they were being said backwards! The examples I've heard (the Another One Bites The Dust message being one of them) have sounded like people singing backwards...it was a stretch to find the message as it was supposed to exist.

The thing with music is that there has always been someone saying that whatever it was, was evil. I used to listen to a lot of Christian music when I was at school, purely because I found it to be listenable and I had some Christian friends who had the tapes that I could get copies of. I also listened to a lot of other music, because I liked that as well. Music is something you should listen to because you like the music, not because of who is producing it. Who is to say that just because a singer doesn't market themselves as 'Christian' that they aren't one, but they just aren't using their faith as a marketing tool?

lady_lazarus said:

One of my favourite albums is the Queen of the Damned sountrack. Oddly enough, I am yet to be convinced that there is a secret society of vampires conspiring to remain hidden and stop the rise of a charismatic former French nobleman with pointy teeth in the rock scene.
When you play them backwards the message sounds like what the words on the album would sound like if they were being said backwards! The examples I've heard (the Another One Bites The Dust message being one of them) have sounded like people singing backwards...it was a stretch to find the message as it was supposed to exist.

The thing with music is that there has always been someone saying that whatever it was, was evil. I used to listen to a lot of Christian music when I was at school, purely because I found it to be listenable and I had some Christian friends who had the tapes that I could get copies of. I also listened to a lot of other music, because I liked that as well. Music is something you should listen to because you like the music, not because of who is producing it. Who is to say that just because a singer doesn't market themselves as 'Christian' that they aren't one, but they just aren't using their faith as a marketing tool?

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Yes, byt you can't compate let's say Judas Priest to Johnny Cash or John Denver. About the backward messages I myself have my doubts.

benjamin said:

Yes, byt you can't compate let's say Judas Priest to Johnny Cash or John Denver. About the backward messages I myself have my doubts.

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No, you're right...there is no comparison between Judas Priest and John Denver:biglaugh: .

I've run into people before who won't listen to ANY music, classical, Christian, or otherwise, that has dissonant chords (such as sevenths) in them, because those chords 'do not make a pleasing sound and therefore are of the Devil'. I say "wtf, it's the chord progressions of the piece, it sounds fine to me."

I say, if you can listen to it and you can make it bring joy to the Lord, then go for it. Heck, if all you have is a creaky chair, if you make the chair creak and do it in praise of God, then it's all good.

CocaColaKid said:

But to Him that kind of music is not giving glory to God. HE went even as far as to say We( Christains) should throw out our TV and spend ALL our free time...... Iguess listing to Christian Music and reading the Bible.

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Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31


I interpret this to mean that everything I do should be done with God in mind....whether I'm washing my floor, working in my garden, or worshipping my God. It means I do my best with the abilities that God gave me and I don't use my abilities for corrupt purposes.

Melody said:

Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31


I interpret this to mean that everything I do should be done with God in mind....whether I'm washing my floor, working in my garden, or worshipping my God. It means I do my best with the abilities that God gave me and I don't use my abilities for corrupt purposes.

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Would not using a God given talent fall under that heading as well?