Is Christian music ungodly?

[Dave Slayer]

Is Christian music ungodly? May I please have some thoughts on the following article by John Beardsley? Thanks and God Bless!

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/wknock.htm

 

[Thunderz7]

Just my opinion =
John Beardsley is on one extreme and can only see the other extreme.
Neither extreme have revelation of the due order of divine worship, given to David by YHWH, and established in the Tabernacle of David.

be blessed in Jesus
T7

 

[Aero_Hudson]

I would say no. The band Third Day was one of my inspirations to find God and Christ. Can't say that Christian music is ungodly if it inspires people to find the Lord.

 

[Works4Him]

anything that uses a drumset or an electric guitar is straight from Hell, and no TrueChristianâ„¢ would ever listen to that garbage.

Oh wait, I forgot to wrap that in the [sarcasm] tags! My bad.

So here's how I really feel. I think people who are against modern worship are usually the same people who think the Bible was originally written in King James English, and have enough biblical knowledge to find bible verses, but not enough biblical knowledge to place them in context or correctly apply them.

I do find it amusing that the people who insist that only the Hymns are safe worship music don't seem to know the history behind many of the oldest worship songs. While the legends that Luther wrote hymns to bar tunes has turned out to be an urban legend, others did indeed do this. This sitetalks about contrafactums, tunes that were drinking songs one way, but worship songs the other way. Additionally, 19th century hymn writer Francis Crosby (Who wrote great hymns such as "Blessed Assurance") was renowned for writing hymns to familiar tunes. So the reality of the situation is that our Christian music heritage isn't as squeaky as these folks want to think.

Now, while I see nothing wrong with "Christian Rock" for the most part, you can go too far. Keeping with a heart of worship, you can get pretty far, but I have heard stuff that made me question the true motivation of the musicians. Ultimately, it comes down to the heart of the people involved in the music. You can sing hymns and have your heart totally out of place with God, and you can sing Christian hard rock in total abandon to the Lord. We need to make sure our hearts are right, and then let the music reflect that.

 

[Vic C.]

anything that uses a drumset or an electric guitar is straight from Hell, and no TrueChristianâ„¢ would ever listen to that garbage.

Oh wait, I forgot to wrap that in the [sarcasm] tags! My bad

LOL! :biglol

I have my limits when it comes to what I feel is acceptable or not in a Service, but I'm a bit more open in my personal life or for a meeting that is specifically designed around music as it's central means of worshiping.

 

[scootover7]

I think lyrics are the most important thing in music. If the music doesn't uplift and encourage you and your soul then it's not worth listening to. I actually have had more help in my life from some christian rap artists (tap water, grits, L.A. Symphony, t-bone who has the most humorous lyrics i've ever heard.) I also have liked some christian rock ( Plankeye, Switchfoot, Prayer Chain, The Corbans, Newsboys, Stavesacre) I even enjoy some christian punk ( 90 LB Wuss, Outer Circle, Officer Negative, Crashdog, Headnoise, Every Man's Hero) I use to write some christian punk and thought it would be neat to either start a christian old school punk band or even be a christian rapper.

 

[Free]

Prayer Chain

ed! That's awesome! I've just been listening to Mercury the last few days, for the first time in a long time. I have Shawl on tape and was looking at Amazon for the CD. I might have to get a used one. I was just really surprised to see them mentioned. Plankeye was another one I used to listen to a lot.

And just to be on topic, I didn't listen to....John Beardsley, but from the other posts I know his type and what they believe. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my pre-order Project 86 CD to arrive but when it does....I'm gonna....listen to it, maybe loud, but I don't want to hurt my eardrums. Lyrically, this sounds like some of their most outright Christian stuff yet. You can listen to the whole CD on purevolume.com (check out "Destroyer" and "To Sand We Return"):

http://www.purevolume.com/project86

 

[Twisted Hawk]

I do find it amusing that the people who insist that only the Hymns are safe worship music don't seem to know the history behind many of the oldest worship songs.

Ultimately, it comes down to the heart of the people involved in the music. You can sing hymns and have your heart totally out of place with God, and you can sing Christian hard rock in total abandon to the Lord. We need to make sure our hearts are right, and then let the music reflect that.

Sadly, most people believe that the old Hymns are safe because they do not have a heart of Jesus, and instead decide to listen to the authority. They believe by just attending their churches that they will receive salvation. It's a very scary thing that I see more heart from Christian Rock music than I do in any of these hymns when sung in worship. It could be because I'm comparing in to Catholic Mass though.

 

[GodspromisesRyes]

i agree with this guy on the body surfing and moshing and headbanging as not being christian. however i dont agree with him much beyond that. and i think something that people miss is that, God uses many things that are not perfect to lead people or help people when they are new in the faith. that does not mean it is appropriate christian life to remain in those things. for isntance i believe God can use some heavy christian music to help save a person, but as they grow in the Lord their taste for that should fall away as they are more conformed into the image of Christ. We cannot say God does not use those things, but it is acceptable that where we WERE is not where we should remain.

i think that alot of people not all who are against any form of christian music beyond the old stuff these days can be because of traditions and legalisms and lack of the Spirit of God leading them becasue often those same people would not pay attention to if the lyrics of an old hymn were against the word of God. some have a very dead form of worship and their heart is not at all in it but it has a form of godliness. Others have a problem because they are christians in very dead churches where there is little or no spiritual life flowing and SOME christian music these days is very full of the Spirit. On the other hand some ccm is TERRIBLE and it urks me that people even call it christian. like that new song that says " theres no such thing as perfect people" and" that song about letting me be me"oh boy i am urcked just thinking about it now lol.

we have to always discern. i do not believe that heavy christian music is for the mature believer but we should be willing to let God use what He will use for the young in the faith and let them grow up beyond that as well.

 

[Twisted Hawk]

i agree with this guy on the body surfing and moshing and headbanging as not being christian. however i dont agree with him much beyond that. and i think something that people miss is that, God uses many things that are not perfect to lead people or help people when they are new in the faith. that does not mean it is appropriate christian life to remain in those things. for isntance i believe God can use some heavy christian music to help save a person, but as they grow in the Lord their taste for that should fall away as they are more conformed into the image of Christ. We cannot say God does not use those things, but it is acceptable that where we WERE is not where we should remain.

i think that alot of people not all who are against any form of christian music beyond the old stuff these days can be because of traditions and legalisms and lack of the Spirit of God leading them becasue often those same people would not pay attention to if the lyrics of an old hymn were against the word of God. some have a very dead form of worship and their heart is not at all in it but it has a form of godliness. Others have a problem because they are christians in very dead churches where there is little or no spiritual life flowing and SOME christian music these days is very full of the Spirit. On the other hand some ccm is TERRIBLE and it urks me that people even call it christian. like that new song that says " theres no such thing as perfect people" and" that song about letting me be me"oh boy i am urcked just thinking about it now lol.

we have to always discern. i do not believe that heavy christian music is for the mature believer but we should be willing to let God use what He will use for the young in the faith and let them grow up beyond that as well.

You made some valid points, but I'm gonna have to disagree with you. If heavy metal comes from the heart in a Christian song, then it can be used to honor god and edify the believer. Remember, it's just a music style, nothing else. Personally though, I find rock artists like Chris Tomlin and Lincoln Brewster the most suitable for worshipping god and my spirit.

A person may grow out of that style as he gains more faith, but that doesn't mean he will. You don't have to agree, but make sure you don't downplay the other believer.

"I know and am conviced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it's unclean." Romans 14:14.

 

[Nick]

I ask you: what is unChristian, or not mature about Christian metal?