should christians stop listening to secular music?
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i read a book in an equiptment class, the book said that secular music isn't good etc etc. i can't remember exactly, will refer to it later. but the book suggested that christians should only listen to wholesome christian music, and according to the writer's quote "in my experience, anyone who still listens to secular music, still has the world in his heart"
any comments?
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btw, r u a christrian?
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If we were to think that way, then we'd probably have to stop watching movies and TV programmes
But seriously, I do not see a problem with it. I like listening to music and listen to all sorts, except grunge, rap and heavy metal. However, in certain genres of music, sex and violence are often linked to it. Most love songs sings about failed love. Sometimes we get influenced, emotionally or mentally, by these songs.
The point is, there are many external influences around us and running away from them is not the solution. What is important is to have an anchor in God, to be sure and steadfast
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Nah... I think that this view is one of those that makes Christianity look like a holier-than-thou religion.
We live in the world and there is no way we can keep ourselves away from such stuffs. I typically do not have the habit of buy Christian music. My personal view here is (please don't anybody flame me) is that Christian music is solely for worship. I don't understand the need for Christian karaoke. So to me, the context of Christian music to be played is only when one is worshipping God, hence there is a "sacred" connotation to it.
Pop music? It's like everything that exist out there. I buy CDs, DVDs, clothes, I have hobbies, eat at Thai restaurants with the four-faced buddhas, enjoy my prata at the stores with the crescent and the star. No problemo.....
I would NOT go chase down a star at HMV, get hysteria at a concert, or follow some pastor's wife turned pop star's every move.
So... go ahead and listen. Me? I like Sally Yeh, Black Eye Peas, Blue, Eagles and ah-beng sounding Mandarin songs from the 70s. -
Me also hardly buy Christian CDs. I only have three, and that was bought years (Don Moen and Maranatha era) ago......
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Woo .. Don Moen and his "As We Worship You"
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well. i'm a christian. still feeling confused over the matter.. i'd like viewpoints from christians though.. thanks
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nah, for me i guess its perfectly fine...
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dumbdumb! can tell us the name of the book. So we can steer clear of it next time.
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i tell you, i never get sick of his singing... lifts my mood each time i listen to it..Originally posted by Icemoon:Woo .. Don Moen and his "As We Worship You" -
Dunno leh .. I only like that particular song. The song is emotional, so most worship leaders or choir who sing that will sound nice anyway .. haha Never listen to his other songs.Originally posted by sillyme:i tell you, i never get sick of his singing... lifts my mood each time i listen to it.. -
lol, whoever think of that is seriously, haiyo.....................other music is great man, althou i do stay clear "death" music....
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hummmmm.................
my personal experience:
i started limited the amount of secular music i listen to when i was 11. stopped listening to secular music from 14 to 19. i even went as far as to dedicate my guitar playing to only christian music. during this time (and up til today,) i get a headache whenever i listen to certain secluar music. right now i listen to both secular and christain music. Admittedly i do not listen to secular music that is blatantly against God and His ways. I guess the important thing is your walk with God. if something (in this case, music) affects your walk with God and u feel God's prompting to stop, then do so.
hope my nonsensical blabbering helped :mgreen: -
For every christian song I listen to, I listen to 10 secular songs. In fact, I listen to stuff like Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Nirvana and many others which people denounced as hopeless people, angry people, violent people and dangerous people.
I started seriously listening to music at the age of 8 or 9 when I bought my first cassette compilation including some Michael Jackson songs. My first idols were AIR SUPPLY haha. I went on to some cheesy chinese pop songs like Sky Wu etc. At 13, I was introduced to Nirvana and fell in love with them till today. I went on to Guns and Roses and getting not enough of them, I went on to Megadeth, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden and such. I was crazy over these bands who wore PVC pants that are so tight that will make u screech because it seems that they are so stylo on stage and girls seem to love them (if u read those stories of groupies offering themselves hehe).
It went on till I am 17 when I was first introduced to Christ. I accepted Jesus into my life a few mths later in Poly. That was when I started learning the guitar and singing. As a christian, I heard many conflicting views about secular music alone, not even talking about heavy metal or what. Most say that it is better to stay clear of them. Some say it is ok. I began to question God about such things, whether as christians, do we have to go to such extremes? Is God such a God?
At this point of time, I also got into the band thing with several christians who are into such rock stuff and this went on for many years. Over the years, I get questioned in church, by friends and family even, that should christians be playing and listening to rock or secular music? Having said that, I am not saying that all my songs are with profanities lah, in fact none of them have lah hehehe.
To me as a musician, i insist on listening to all sorts of music to improve myself. Listening to various music improves my imagination in music creation. I told myself, Hey GOd gave me a gift, I need to work on it. So i continued to listen to all sorts of music, secular, christian.
Granted, it is not wrong to say that some music does really glorify suicide, violence, negativity. But I always challenge people who makes a sweeping statement that "then it is up to us to make a diffference." The crux is not the music, but the message. If we listen to such music with negative messages and we dun like it, then lets come up with such music with a positive message! When people listent to Nirvana and Kurt Cobain they say "oh how sad, another pathetic person. Just dun understand what he thinking." When I listen to Nirvana and Kurt Cobain nowadays, I still think and reflect "What a difference it could have been if someone shared about the acceptance and love of God to Kurt." Where people shunned, I see opportunity.
Maybe it is because I felt that God called me to such a ministry where I want to use music that is not widely accepted or what we call the sub culture to reach out to youths. Rock music, secular music, i never advocate it is good but i wun say it is bad either. Many things in this world is how you use it, just like the internet.
For dumbdumb, do not be discouraged if christians seem to tell you that secular music is bad. Ask yourself, what do you think God is telling you? And also be honest with yourself, when you listen to secular music, do you have an urge to make a difference or do you find urself very influenced by them (e.g. you find glory in violence? or some cheesy love songs make u only think of having a girlfriend all the time? you know what i mean right?) If you are very influenced by them and you realised it, it maybe better to stop. Like to leave you this song by Larry Norman
"Why Should The devil Have All The Good Music"
Written by: Larry Norman (1977)
Album: Small Corners (197
I want the people to know
That He saved my soul
But I still like to listen to the radio
They say that rock and roll is wrong, we'll give you more chance
I say I feel so good I gotta get up and dance
I know what's right, I know what's wrong and I don't confuse it
Why should the devil have all the good music
I feel good every day
'Cause Jesus is the Rock and He rolled my blues away
Well now they say to cut my hair
They're driving me insane
I grew it out long to make room for my brain
But sometimes people don't understand
What's a good boy doing in a rock and roll band
There's nothing wrong with playing blues licks
But if you got a reason tell me to my face
Why should the devil have all the good music
There's nothing wrong with what we play
'Cause Jesus is the Rock and He rolled my blues away
Roll 'em away now!
I ain't knocking the hymns
Just give me a song that has a beat
No I ain't knocki8ng the hymns
Give me a song that moves my feet
Jesus told the Truth
Jesus showed the Way
There's one more thing I'd like to say
They nailed Him to a cross
And they laid Him in the ground
But they shoulda known they can't keep a Good Man down
And I feel good every day
I refuse to lose it
All I wanna I know from all of you is
Why should the devil have all the good music
'Cos I been filled I feel okay because Jesus is the Rock and He rolled all my blues
Jesus is the Rock and He rolled all my blues
Jesus is the Rock and He rolled all my blues -
anyway i know its a bit late but my band is playing in ZOmbie Rock Bar in Orchard Towers this coming Wednesday 6th Oct ard 7pm. Entry is $12 plus one drink. If you are interested, leave me a PM hehehehe....my band is all christians but we write songs that are positive but with an edgy rock feel. There are some other bands playing, but i dun think they are christians lah afterall its a secular event ehheheheh
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must b a satanic band in disguiseOriginally posted by gasband:anyway i know its a bit late but my band is playing in ZOmbie Rock Bar in Orchard Towers this coming Wednesday 6th Oct ard 7pm. Entry is $12 plus one drink. If you are interested, leave me a PM hehehehe....my band is all christians but we write songs that are positive but with an edgy rock feel. There are some other bands playing, but i dun think they are christians lah afterall its a secular event ehheheheh
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Christian music has evolved due to the hype machine of drawing impressionable young audience. i've heard Chrsitian songs that sounds like trance and some even have the attributes of heavy bass rhytmn used extensively in techno. seriously speaking, i think Australian hillsongs can even be used to compete in Australian Idol. there are even heavy metal christian bands displaying melodic speed metal in their "holy" compositions. imho, the boundaries of "christian music" has been stretch to the extent that it actually sounds secular anyway, so the question should be phrased like "should christians stop listening to music?"
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like that also let u discover.....hahaha PLS LAH!Originally posted by superspecies:must b a satanic band in disguise