Secular Music in Relation to Christianity (merged)

Scott · 01-21-2002, 12:42 PM

This is the ONLY thread in which the value of listening to Secular music as a Christian may be debated, as too many threads are being taken over by it.

edit * Also, the Christianity of bands may only be discussed in here, same problem.

Hybrid Drummer · 04-15-2002, 06:28 PM

what do you guys think about listening to secular music?

Steve · 04-15-2002, 08:33 PM

It depends on what secular music you listen to, but I don't really have much of a problem with it. about 90% of my cd collection is secular. One of my friends told me about how he stopped listening to Madonna when he became a christian because she'd become his God, but now can listen to most of the songs (except "erotica" of course).

Romans 14: 2-3
"One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man,
whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats
everything must not look down on him who does not, and the
man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man
who does, for God has accepted him."

R2D2 · 04-15-2002, 09:19 PM

There's numerous other threads on this topic, so be sure to check out those.

My personal stance is that music is music. Yes, some secular bands have lyrics that could cause me to stumble. So I don't listen to those. I use discretion in what I listen and listen to about 50/50 Christian vs. Secular music. If you want to listen to only Christian music, great. I personally am not brought down by it - rather it lifts me up and encourages me. What really bothers me is the attitude of many Christians that it's a sin to listen to secular music. But these same Christians often watch secular TV or Movies. Do you see the double standard here? I don't watch TV (except for baseball games....I'm a big Mariner's fan) because it has caused me to stumble in the past. If secular music has caused you to stumble, then you probably shouldn't listen to it. But don't judge those of us who have no problem with it. There are many awesome secular artits who don't drag you down (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, Dream Theater, Gypsy Kings, Jesse Cook, Miles Davis, Bob Marley and BB King to name a few).

Just my $.02

rockin4theking · 04-16-2002, 12:59 PM

I'll agree wholeheartedly with the two guys above me. It really depends on you and what you can listen to without being dragged down.

Hybrid Drummer · 04-16-2002, 07:52 PM

dood r2d2 thats cool cuz the mariners are my fav team too!
and i have another question related to this.
Do you think music in itself can be wrong?

R2D2 · 04-16-2002, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hybrid Drummer
Do you think music in itself can be wrong?

Nope. I don't believe that any beat, melody, chord progression, etc can inherrantly be evil; but some people use it that way.

rockin4theking · 04-17-2002, 11:19 AM

Music? No. Lryics? Yes. So a SONG can be wrong, but not the music. And it really depends on the person who wrote the song and what it meant to them, IMHO.

Steve · 04-17-2002, 06:39 PM

You guys have it so right....I cut my 28 Days CD into tiny little pieces, the music was awesome, they do the rap-rock thing better than most, but the lyrics were just WRONG (listen to "Rip It Up" and you'll see what I mean). I found another passage on the subject yesterday...

Mark 7:14-15 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said "Listen to me and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean' ".

stratocaster70 · 04-21-2002, 01:11 AM

talking about if the music itself...if its wrong or not....there are some really cool guitar riffs that i like to play but thats all i'm doing ..but i know in my mind who and what it is.... and where its from....(metallica has some real cool riffs....forgive about mentioning them in here...

) but in my situation in guitar playing....thats all i really know how to play is secular stuff....and i use it to keep me in practice.....

rockin4theking · 04-22-2002, 06:03 PM

I see nothing wrong with that, heck, I break out some secular stuff every once in a while. One of the coolest riffs I know to play is secular in orgin.

*picks up guitar, starts playing Sweet Home Alabama*

jfahler03 · 04-22-2002, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stratocaster70
talking about if the music itself...if its wrong or not....there are some really cool guitar riffs that i like to play but thats all i'm doing ..but i know in my mind who and what it is.... and where its from....(metallica has some real cool riffs....forgive about mentioning them in here... ) but in my situation in guitar playing....thats all i really know how to play is secular stuff....and i use it to keep me in practice.....

Well aren't you at www.christianguitar.ws , a site known for a great bit of Christian guitar tabulature? :-) ... just kidding...

Anyway, there are lots of bands that are not secular that are great guitar-wise... like Metallica? Check out Eternal Decision and Disciple... two that I can think of right now... especially ED, they've got a "Justice"-era Metallica sound which is pretty much what I listen to when I'm in the mood for some of that now that for the most part I've given the band up... (my choice personally)

spago2thumbs · 05-05-2002, 01:37 AM

Well if you think about it...secular love songs can sound like Christian songs

jfahler03 · 05-06-2002, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spago2thumbs
Well if you think about it...secular love songs can sound like Christian songs

and not only love songs....

ever hear 'Caught in the Sun' by Course of Nature?

or 'Crawling in the Dark' by Hoobastank?

or 'Drive' by Incubus? (less Christian sounding...just a good positive song)

barefooter · 05-07-2002, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jfahler03

or 'Drive' by Incubus? (less Christian sounding...just a good positive song)

That's odd, because I thought that it was a new D.C. Talk song when I first heard it.....and I thought, "Wow, they've finally written something that didn't make my skin crawl".....