Worship Leaders Network | Worship Leader Forum | Worship Leader Resources & Jobs
Harmful Music?
As I was cleaning up my home office, I came across an article which I had printed out with an intent to write a counterpoint white paper. The text of the article can be found in this URL:
http://www.scottseverance.us/music/effects_of_music.htm
Maybe you've seen this article or at least are aware of this thinking. I would guess that most people on this forum wouldn't find much credibility in this article - even the original author admits some imbalance in the paper and suggests that his own previous conclusions were wrong.
Even so, this kind of thinking prevails in some circles and I wonder if it's widespread. Do any of you still hear statements like:
"Rock Music is Carnal because it makes you want to dance and move"?
"Rock Music is disharmonic and therefore wrong or harmful to your psyche"?
"A study on mice proves that certain music can cause nerve and brain damage"?
There are a lot of things wrong with this broad-stroked article and it's supporting material, not the least of which is the idea of blasting mice with music 24x7 and then killing them to study their brains.
But that's where I stop. Anyone want to comment? I'm curious if this is mostly a dead issue or if there are still some circles of thought where this is prevalent. If it's still out there, do you think is there any validity to it? Should we take some of this to heart? Should we reject it outright?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Rick Cogbill on
-
The more disturbing part (for me) is not that someone like the author of such "articles" has a personal view of certain types of music - that, I can just happily ignore and carry on with life - but rather that these folks often have followings; readers and devotees who swallow the stuff hook, line and sinker. And so the division of the family continues.
When can we get on with the Great Commission and the 2 Great Commandments (love God and love your neighbor)? The world lies near death while the health providers debate.
-
Permalink Reply by Greg Moore on -
Jesus said that there would be "wars, and rumors of wars" -- a concept that can easily encompass people with their own private wars and strife, making contention out of nothing, mountains from molehills, trying to save the world with their own little curative. But the Lord said that there's enough trouble in one day without worry about the others.
"Hook, line and sinker" reminds me of the old cartoon Pogo, whose hero calmly walked around with his fishing gear, stopping sometimes to help the swamp critters, listen to their endless complaints and exaggerated fretting over everything, or simply engage in their conversation, but remaining an island of peace and sensibility himself.
Remember when the Soviet Union gave it up? They ran a lot of nonsense about the U.S. being the only superpower, and on the same front page had big writeups about Arab bandits and terror organizations, an entire subcontinent full of things to worry about! Remember the havoc Jim Bakker and, oh what's his name, the guy who tossed the prayer requests in the trash -- when those fellows fell, we thought we'd have some respite on TV from meglomaniacs blurring the image of Christ? Nope; there were folks waiting in line for those slots, to use them in the same way.
There's always somebody waiting in line to yank our chains, ready to sacrifice the Body of Christ on their own altar.
-
Permalink Reply by Greg Newhouse on
-
Yes. Though in Christ we are free indeed, we still act as though there are chains to be yanked and that yanking them drags us along. But there we are. I still find myself reading I Cor 11 (you know why) over and over again out of self doubt, to find out if that thing (you know what) should actually be in the list (forgoing food sacrificed to idols, abstaining from fornication) of the recommendations for gentile believers. But the chain-yankers sound so convinced and are so insistent that I wonder for just a brief moment if I've overlooked something important. They are indeed self-imposed chains. To mildly paraphrase from Galatians:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that yank your chain, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on -
The guys who tossed the prayer requests was Robert Tilton. A devil in a Gucci suit.
-
Permalink Reply by Greg Moore on
-
I just wikipedia'd Tilton; no new info, but in 2003, Ole Anthony estimated he was grossing 24M tax-free with his new program.
The article happened to mention Don Stewart, whose office I visited on an errand in the 80's, to drop off a letter to a secretary. He seemed to be preaching a reasonably square Gospel at the time; but what I remember from the visit was the pictures in the foyer. Square center as you walked in was a gigantic, magnificently rendered oil painting of the Rev. Stewart; barely noticeable, in a corner of the room, a standard print, in a small frame, of Jesus of Nazareth.
-
Permalink Reply by Vic Salt on
-
Jesus said that there would be "wars, and rumors of wars"
Johnny Cash with his version of Goin by the Book
I love this song.
is this harmful?
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on
-
Listening to it now on Rhapsody. It's so very cool. It does appear to be his version of it.
-
Permalink Reply by Greg Moore on
-
That's the best song on this subject I have ever heard, especially with the video.
How could it be harmful?
Now, in the realm of style, it's more country than rock; and it's a Christian song in lyrics.
But mostly, it's truth, with an emphasis on heard truth, but truth nonetheless.
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on
-
Not particularly congregational - I don't' see a huge throng of folks singing it together. But why not?
-
Permalink Reply by Daniel Lyle on -
"A study on mice proves that certain music can cause nerve and brain damage"?
Like Opera...
In all seriousness I think the only place you are going to encounter this type of thinking is in IFBC and similar movements. And random oddballs.
I will say that most church could probably do a better job at evaluating the music they are using... It might be permissible but is it profitable.
-
Permalink Reply by Stevo on
-
Yea, that's where I would prefer to focus. It gets at the heart of some of your posts and some of the things I keep trying to promote - proper evaluation. Quality scriptural lyrics coupled with music that is well matched to the lyrics. And by well matched, I'm implying that the music should have the appropriate mood and feeling to match the message - certainly a subjective measure - but not so subjective that we couldn't find some common ground. We would not typically match a down-in-the-dumps blues tune with a joyous and uplifting lyric.
Welcome to
Worship The Rock - Worship Leader Forum & Social Network
© 2013 Created by Phil Williams.
