Rock music has always been a problem for Evangelicals. Rock music is generally considered worldly, sinful, and Satanic, and parents are told to keep their children away from its influences. Rock music is considered a gateway to a world filled with illicit sex, drugs, and Satanism. Several years ago, a homeschooling mom by the name of Leslie published an article on her blog titled, The Truth About Rock Music. Here is some of what Leslie had to say:
Rock music has always had a satanic influence. It does not really take all that much research to figure that out. Just google the Beatles and Hinduism and you will see it almost immediately. They were very open about their Hindu activity and even secular websites confirm this. But, as wild as the 60s were, the society wasn’t quite ready for outright false religion and songs promoting open sex and drug use and so many of their song lyrics had double meanings and hidden agendas.
Of course, all the changes in the last 50 years have made hidden agendas and double meanings unnecessary. This has happened through a very systematic hardening of our consciences. And so evil and ungodly lyrics have been eagerly accepted by a fan base that doesn’t pay any attention at all to what they are filling their brains with.
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I then moved on to the artists themselves. Who were these people that were coming into our homes and cars on a regular basis through their music?
With the 80s influences of Madonna and Micheal (sic) Jackson– who were perhaps some of the first openly satanic artists to be played on the radio– the way was paved for many more to come. Recent rock stars such as Beyonce, Kesha, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Eminem, and Nicky (sic) Manaj (sic) (just to name a few), have filled the American culture with an abundance of ungodly, crude, and sexual lyrics and, even worse, very graphic music videos. This, of course, I suspected before I started doing my research. What rather stunned me however was the plethora of satanic symbols and images. As I studied, I found that many of these artists claim to have sold their soul to the devil or to be possessed by demons. This was by their own admission, recorded on video or found in reputable sources.
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I write it here because I think most of us are absolutely clueless regarding the danger this music presents to our spiritual health. We just allow this music to play in our homes and in our cars and in the ears of our kids–never giving it a second thought. The tunes are catchy and for some reason that seems to be all we need for it to get our seal of approval.
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But fast forward my life to just a few weeks ago when I found myself up to my eyeballs in the lewd depravity of the rock music industry. I just can’t even begin to describe how awful it all is. And maybe worst of all–how precious and beautiful young girls and boys, many of them Disney stars as youngsters, are morphed into larger-than-life rock musicians that promote everything God abhors and how so many of their fans–usually tweens and teens– just follow them down into the dark pit.
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If this music is something that beckons you or someone you love, may I encourage you to do your own research? I think you will be more than a little alarmed and shocked at what you will find out. And may we pray for deliverance of ourselves and our families from the evil influence of this demonic music.
Leslie seems shocked to find out that rock music is filled with references to sex, drugs, and darkness. These elements have always been central themes of rock music. Leslie goes on to say that rock music is Satanic and many musicians have sold their souls to the Devil or are possessed by demons. For people such as Leslie, such things are frightening. However, if there is no Devil or demons, then the only thing that matters is the lyrics. While I agree with Leslie about the lyrical content of many rock songs, I think she greatly exaggerates the effect these lyrics have on people. While it is certainly appropriate to regulate what younger children see and hear, by the time children reach their teenage years they should be able to handle the lyrics Leslie finds so objectionable.
Those of us raised in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement vividly remember sermons about the evils of rock music. Sermons on sex, drugs, and rock and roll were common. Many IFB preachers would recite lyrics from popular songs, showing, in their minds, anyway, the Satanic origin of rock music. Some preachers would warn parishioners of the dangers of the mesmerizing “jungle beat” in rock music. Laden with subtle racist overtones, these preachers told teenagers and parents that rock music had a hypnotizing effect. Once under its influence, people would do horrible, vile things.
In the 1960s and 1970s, men such as Bob Larson traveled the country giving seminars on the evils of rock music. Larson purportedly had been a rock musician. He wrote several books about the evils of rock music: Rock and Roll: The Devil’s Diversion, Hippies, Hindus, and Rock & Roll, The Day the Music Died, Larson’s Book of Rock. In his 1972 book, The Day the Music Died, Larson had this to say about rock music and its effect on listeners:
The basic rock rhythm is syncopation. …. this explains the erotic body movements of dancers to the accompaniment of the syncopated or pulsating rock beat. (page 15)
The origin of this Negro influence was, of course Africa.. These innovations were connected with heathen tribal and voodoo rites. The native dances to incessant, pulsating, syncopated rhythms until he enters a state of hypnotic monotony and loses active control over his conscious mind. The throb of the beat from the drums brings his mind to a state when the voodoo, which Christian missionaries know to be a demon, can enter him. This power then takes control of the dancer, usually resulting in sexual atrocities. Is there a legitimate connection between theses religious rites and today’s modern dances? (page 179)
I was aware of the connection between demons and dancing even before my conversion. I speak from experience as to the effect rock rhythms have on the mind. …As a minister, I know what it is like to feel the unction of the Holy Spirit. As a rock musician, I knew what it meant to feel the counterfeit anointing of Satan. I am not alone in my experimental knowledge of the influence of demonic powers present in rock music. (Page 181)
In his 1967 book, Rock and Roll: The Devil’s Diversion, Larson wrote:
There is no difference between the repetitive movements of witch doctors and tribal dancers and the dances of American teenagers. The same coarse bodily motions which lead such dancers into a state of uncontrollable frenzy are present in modern dances. It is only logical, then, that here must also be a correlation in the potentiality of demons gaining possessive control of a person through the medium of the beat. This is not entirely my own theory. It is the message that missionaries have urged me to bring to the American public. (Page 182)
On Friday and Saturday nights across America the devil is gaining demonic control over thousands of teenage lives. It is possible that any person who has danced for substantial lengths of time may have come under the oppressive, obsessive, or possessive influence of demons. Knowing this, churches and clergymen need to shed their cloak of compromise and firmly denounce rock dances. Dancing is no longer an artistic form of expression ( if it ever was) but a subtle instrument of Satan to morally and spiritually destroy youth. (page 184)
Evangelical preachers also began alerting church members about the subliminal messages (backmasking) rock groups were putting on their albums. Supposedly, if rock records were played backward, people would hear Satanic messages. Led Zepplin’s Stairway to Heaven was supposedly one such song. When played forward the song said:
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May Queen
Yes there are two paths you can go by
but in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
Backwards, the words above were supposedly turned into:
Oh here’s to my sweet Satan.
The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan.
He will give those with him 666.
There was a little toolshed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.
In a January 1982 television program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network hosted by Paul Crouch, it was claimed that hidden messages were contained in many popular rock songs through a technique called backward masking. One example of such hidden messages that was prominently cited was in “Stairway to Heaven…
Following the claims made in the television program, California assemblyman Phil Wyman proposed a state law that would require warning labels on records containing backward masking. In April 1982, the Consumer Protection and Toxic Materials Committee of the California State Assembly held a hearing on backward masking in popular music, during which “Stairway to Heaven” was played backward. During the hearing, William Yarroll, a self-described “neuroscientific researcher,” claimed that backward messages could be deciphered by the human brain.
As with the Satanic ritual abuse hysteria years later, the backmasking scare quickly faded into the pages of history. The last preacher I remember saying something about backmasking told church members that if you played the theme song of the TV show Mr. Ed backwards it contained a Satanic message.
Leslie, the homeschooling mom I quoted above, will learn, as did the preachers of my youth, that all the preaching in the world won’t keep teenagers from listening to the popular music of the day. While parents might be able to keep them from listening to rock music at home, once they go to school they will be exposed to the music of their non-Evangelical peers. Once teenagers start driving or riding in automobiles with friends, the radio will be tuned to the local rock station. Unless parents are willing to lock their teenagers in their rooms, allow them no internet access, and remove radios from their automobiles, it is impossible to keep teenagers from listening to rock music.
Polly and I grew up in homes where rock music was verboten. Despite these prohibitions, we somehow learned the lyrics of the popular songs of our day. In the mid-1970s, we attended Midwestern Baptist College, a strict Fundamentalist institution that banned students from listening to ANY secular music (except classical). Students were not permitted to play anything other than religious music in their dorm rooms. However, once in the safety of their automobiles, students turned on radios and listened to the rock, pop, and country music of the day.
One spring day, Polly was sitting in the Midwestern parking lot listening to the radio. I walked from the dormitory out to her car to see what she was up to. Playing on the radio was Afternoon Delight, by Starland Vocal Band. Polly was singing away without a care in the world. I laughed and then I asked her if she knew what the song was about. She gave me an innocent (and clueless) interpretation of the lyrics. When I told her what the song was really about, she didn’t believe me. To this day, we joke about this story. Such is life in the IFB bubble. My favorite song, by the way, was December 1963 (Oh What a Night) by the Four Seasons.
These days, many Evangelicals have taken a different approach to combating the evils of secular rock music. Instead of outright banning rock music — an approach that has proved to be a dismal failure — Evangelicals promote what is called the replacement theory. If church teenagers are drawn to secular bands that have what Evangelicals consider bad, immoral, or Satanic lyrics, churches and parents suggest that they listen to a Christian alternative. This approach has, for the most part, also failed to keep Evangelical teenagers from listening to secular rock music. First, many of the Christian alternatives are cheap rip-offs of secular bands. Bad music is bad music regardless of the lyrics. Second, many Evangelical teenagers quickly embraced what is now called contemporary Christian music (CCM). However, instead of abandoning their secular favorites, teenagers just added the CCM artists to the mix. Some Christian bands, such as P.O.D., Skillet, and Switchfoot, have been huge successes, both in the secular rock market and the CCM market.
Here is a video by Skillet.
Some Evangelical churches have given up trying to keep church teenagers from listening to rock music. This is understandable, in part, because many Evangelical churches are now using rock music in their worship services. In the 1960s, few churches had drums. But today? Many churches have full-blown bands, complete with percussion sections.
If you are not familiar with what is going on with music in many Evangelical churches, I think the following video clip from a Hillsong New York worship service will prove instructive.
Evangelicals, to some degree or the other, have been waging war against rock music for over sixty years. Based on the videos above, I think I can safely say that rock music has won the war. Like all battles waged against popular culture, prohibition only makes what has been deemed sinful more enticing and popular. Teenagers will always be drawn to that which parents, pastors, and other authority figures say they can’t have. Teenagers are built to try the forbidden and test boundaries. We all did it, and here is the lesson that adults need to learn: we survived. Instead of treating teenagers like toddlers, how about teaching them to make responsible choices? Surely, by now, we have learned that telling teenagers to Just Say No doesn’t work. It is far better to equip them with the requisite skills necessary to navigate the world. Yes, there are real dangers they will face, but rock music is not one of them. I seriously doubt that there are many teenagers whose lives are destroyed because they listened to songs that have sexual or substance abuse references. I am sure there are some who take the lyrics to heart and make bad decisions, but most teenagers, as sixty years of history shows, can listen to rock music without being adversely affected.
For more articles than you will ever want to read on the evils of rock music, please check out the Jesus is Savior website, operated by a rabid disciple of the late Jack Hyles.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Great post, Bruce. Like other typical fundamentalists, my church strongly discouraged secular music when I was in high school. I was a fan of Keith Green and Last Day Ministries back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and I remember a tract on the topic. (Interestingly, I can find that tract of ‘Can God use rock music’ via a google search with ‘keith green’ added as search terms).
All these years later, I’m embarrassed and saddened that I burned lots of rock music albums in my teens because I had been convinced they opened my heart to demonic possession. Oh well.
P.S. “Oh What a Night” is a great song. 🙂
The song we were taught was evil was Candle in the wind by Elton John, about Princess Diana. Apparently you can hear Satan being praised if you listen to it backwards…. Of course, it had nothing at all to do with the artist being gay. No, nothing at all 😉
I really liked that song, so being told that it was evil, was a bit of shock at the time. Hysterics about everything is really a huge part of Evangelical Christianity.
Hysteria about everything just about describes it. My dad thought that every “unnatural” reference in a song meant demons were being summoned. so “ten feet off the ground” was verboten. So silly.
Keith Green, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Phil Keaggy, Barry McGuire, Chuck Girard and Love Song, Resurection Band, Servant, Randy Stonehill…all those were in my wheelhouse. I wasn’t allowed to listen to the radio until in 6th grade when I started listening to it in headphones against my mother’s wishes. Before that I was raised in Big Band (which I still love the 40s music), Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, Dave Boyer, Gaither Trio, The Imperials (old school Imperials…before they went all show and rock)…etc. My first 4 records I bought myself with my own money (I was 13) were Boston’s first album, ELO New World Record, and Barry Manilow’s This One’s for You and Chicago IX (greatest hits album).
This started my rapid descent into the pit of hell which is where I will spend my eternity!
While not exactly Rock music (actually more of a Latin beat), here’s some music you may enjoy —
I love this guy!
The Pope song is also great…with or without the orchestra!
Without the orchestra, you can hear the words better…
The orchestra adds a level of seriousness that makes it funnier!!
Ah Bob Larson, one of my “Favorite?” religious guys. When he was doing his radio show it came of then as a barely concealed con game for money. I saw him live twice, he was quite fun and a total con act on stage.
I think a lot of the backmasking disappeared as tape and CD’s became the prime sources for music, much harder to turn them backwards. I miss hearing the utter loonacy they used to imagine they heard. Although that’s not nearly as much fun as just the normal mis-hearing of lyrics.
Scott
I love the more recent career path of Bob Larson, where he travels around the country doing scam exorcisms at airport motels.
Larson is just mad that he couldn’t make it in a rock band…….
How kind of you to make me look like a complete, narrow-minded idiot. You actually proved my point. I have no idea where you are with the Lord (if anywhere) but my post was written for dedicated believers who desire to please the Lord with their choices. Of course my post would make absolutely no sense to an unbeliever. Again, thanks so much. Your kindness is overwhelming.
I certainly wouldn’t call you an idiot, but if you want to label yourself that way go ahead. I would label you a narrow minded Fundamentalist.
Your blog is public, yes? You wrote about rock music and made bold, direct moral judgments about the music and rock musicians. If you don’t want people to respond to your moralizing then I suggest you make your blog private.
By now, I assume you have figured out that I am an atheist and that I was an Evangelical pastor for 25 years. Most of my writing is about the machinations of Evangelicalism.
The fact that your post should make no sense to an unbeliever is troubling. If you want unbelievers to become believers, shouldn’t there be full disclosure? Or should the bat-shit crazy stuff be hidden until a person becomes a believer?
I remember the day I gave my albums away. How ironic. The person that volunteered to take them was my next door neighbour. A born-again Christian.
I remember the day I gave up teaching aerobics because of a certain song in the repertoire.
I remember buying Christian rock music for our children knowing full well they’d hear it “in the world” and I wanted to give them a replacement for it with so-called Christian lyrics.
I remember walking the streets and praying . . . knowing a demon was on every door-step and around every corner.
I remember people coming to me for spiritual warfare prayer assistance.
I remember filling my neuro-patheways with material about Satan.
Ironic again that all this fear-mongering about Satan goes on. All these warnings about staying away from Satan and yet in some brands of Christianity they can’t get away from the immersion. They want to keep themselves away from Satan but in order to do so they evangelize/warn/teach/preach/testify/ and pray about the evil one 24/7. They give more credit to Satan than they do their Lord. They actually end up more in bondage to Satan than to their so-called freedom in Christ.
I remember the fear. It’s all based in fear.
I didn’t see in your piece where you referred to Leslie A as a “narrow-minded idiot.” Maybe she saw this herself actually and suddenly she’s thinking, ‘Wow, I come across as a narrow-minded idiot.” Perhaps it will give her food for thought. It may entrench her further. I think this would have been the case in my own life.
As an unbeliever her post makes absolute sense to me. I remember from all my years as a believer.
Ahhh, now it makes sense. What a background you have. Yes, my blog is public and I am quite glad to have anyone visit, including you, although the purpose of the blog is to encourage fellow Christians. And while anyone can certainly visit, unbelievers probably won’t really “get” it. I am not sure how your spiritual journey led you where you are right now, but I do feel sorry for you and sad about your need to bash people like me. But go ahead if it makes you feel better. While it was certainly unexpected (my blog was rarely visited by much of anyone until just a few months ago), it is what it is.
You need to work on understanding the difference between “bashing” and critiquing. Both of your comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of how the real world works. Such is life in the Evangelical bubble.
No need to feel sorry for me. I am quite happy to be free of religion and its entanglements. Life is good.
Bruce
Bruce this is why fundamentalists struggle to have a reasonable discussion with non Christians. Afterall they take to heart the Bible verses that suggest all non believers are fools, have evil hearts and are not capable of any good (my paraphrase of Psalm 14:1).
What happened to turn you away from Yeshua? I am sure you are aware of demons and Satan… Then you have to know there is the other side even if you do not follow.
https://brucegerencser.net/why/
No God, no Satan, no demons, no afterlife. If you think otherwise, please provide evidence for your claims. Not Bible quotes. Bible quotes are claims, not evidence.
Leslie A, As the well-churched son of a Baptist preacher, let me tell you that I have read your post regarding rock music and want to suggest you see Counselor Deanna Troi for immediate assistance. You see what you like to see in your ‘research’ and your belief in woo-woo sets you up to fall victim to all kinds of colorful thought. Everybody but your particular believer group is on their way to Hell it seems and famous people have sold themselves to the devil. How can you not hear how bizarre you sound to average folk? How is it possible that you can suggest such utter tainted porridge to your readers? Leslie A, I can go off into Google-land and do a bit of research and find all the things I want to find too! So what? So you restricted your children in their home-school education because you know the truth in Jesus and that is all that matters. Well good for you. You are very narrow-minded. You do not look deeply at all but simply produce ‘comfort’ ideas for others like you! The devil is loose and has a guitar! And the goof who writes about Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water! That is really priceless! Good work. What a circus you keep in your head. Before you publish wild Satan hysteria, do some research! You know why you don’t? You are desperate for your delusion.
Sorry Leslie, and I’m sure you are a perfectly nice person, but your post makes no sense to anybody, believer or non-believer. The trouble is that believers delude themselves into thinking it makes sense because it’s a way of shielding themselves from the world, much as homeschooling does.
Lesson one to believers – stop thinking of Satan as real.
Bruce doesn’t have to ‘make you look like a complete narrow-minded idiot.’ You’re accomplishing that quite well on your own, my dear.
If you’re so sure and certain about your beliefs, what do you care what unbelievers think about you anyway? Water off a duck’s back is the way to deal with people you’ll never know and who will never affect your life in any way.
I’m a believer, and to me, your post is filled with illogic and ignorance. Between leaping to unwarranted conclusions and running around your supposed points, you’ve made a point: hysteria over music has not left the Christian church.
Hey Brian,
Thanks for that link. That song got me through many troubled waters growing up. I actually do see it as hymn. One that could fit most any belief, theistic and secular. Naturally, some belief-systems will deny such a thing as a secular hymn. 🙂
Greetings Zoe, you are most welcome for the link… After reading the zombie-writing of one of Leslie A’s writers on her blog and the mention of Bridge Over Troubled Waters having its basis as a sort of hymn to drugs, I did one minute of honest enquiry and came up with the link that explains what the writer of the song has to say about it. Nevertheless, people like Leslie A. gobble up, instead of the simple facts, wild speculations that support their deeply held fears about the fallen world and devils and demons. Play this song backwards while reading Deuteronomy standing on your head and the message is so so clear: “I am da big bad one, Satan, Satan…. I eat chilllllldren!”
At the very beginning of Bruce’s blog here, he reference’s Leslie A’s blog, a collection of her pen-work to spiritually uplift believers, or something along that line. She likes to write and she homeschooled her kids with her certainty regarding Satan’s wide work in the world. Poor children, being cordoned off with a mom who fears life so deeply and hears/sees Satan everywhere. This is how it begins with little ones, their loving parents telling them stories about Jesus loving them and how they are going to hell because they are born in sin. They turn their homes into gulags of Christian indoctrination. Very sad.
But then, the world has gone to hell apparently and people do sing in their underwear on television!
And sadly, Leslie, your isolated, home-schooled children are readily available at your fingertips to be indoctrinated according to your delusions, without any access to information from outside sources to make intelligent, informed opinions – in essence, they are a captive audience. And equally sadly – thanks to the first amendment to the US Constitution, which you likely oppose – propagandizing your children and turning them into automatons who will have no place in the real world, is all perfectly legal.
I am often amused by Christians who flaunt the words of Paul (Romans 3:4), saying, “Let God be true and every man a liar,” in an effort to validate the Bible, not realizing that the entire Bible was written by those lying men.
That ‘evil rock music’ is now a staple in many churches for worship. I call it Christian karaoke and find it to be unsingable and shallow. The Christian rock music scene is a huge business and has sucked in people willing to listen to mediocre music. Give this preacher hymns on Sunday and the rest of the week I’ll listen to Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, Yes and the like (along with some Phil Keaggy) the rest of the week.
Whooo, I just have to say, I actually girded my loins and read through Leslie’s blog. Girlfriend needs to Pluck. That. Beam. Already. I think she’s pretty certain at this point that she’s the only person in the world not going to hay-ull. Well, except maybe her kids. They didn’t really didn’t have much choice in the matter, though, which I guess is a good thing if you’re that degree of a control freak. {{shudder}}
I just visited that rock music is evil page. You weren’t kidding. Yeesh.
This Leslie lady is a narcissist. Everything is about her, her, her. She even has a recent post whining about people’s reactions to her blog, as well as how God uses these people to test her and how God uses others to encourage her. Because God is her own personal life coach who does nothing but obsess over her, her, her. Me. Me. ME! So of course, she shows up here, no doubt after googling herself in a totally non-narcissist way (snerk) and gets all indignant, because how dare you contradict ME! You’re being mean to ME! You had a different opinion than ME and shared it! ME! ME! MEEEEEEEEE!
My mother and Leslie would get along like gangbusters.
“But enough about me, let’s talk about you – what do YOU think about me –?“
Ha! This is one gangbuster truth about belief. When the believer says, Let God be truth and all men liars, then the fireworks start in my brain. First big boom is that God does not exist so the God mentioned is the fantasy of the speaker, essentially themselves! Who could resist such a temptation? To be Truth while all others are liars. Oh it feeeels gooood and Leslie knows what I mean! And the second boom in my poor brain is that the speaker must be a liar unless they are God! All men be liars, or, does Leslie get out of it by being a woman? Don’t you just love the scriptures?
Leslie’s post made sense to me. All forms of rock music make me depressed. When I hear music that praises God, I have peace and hope. Why sing about evil and death when I can sing about the One who is good and gave me life? Bruce, I am sorry you left the Lord. I do pray you will return to Him.
Why would I come back to Jesus when the “devil has all the good music.”
Comment deleteed, per commenting rules.
Autumn, the same case could be made where a Jewish person finds Christian music depressing. Similarly, a Muslim or Buddhist finds songs about Jesus to be depressing, but their spiritual songs are uplifting to them. So within whatever religious mindset you are in, anything that doesn’t agree will be uncomfortable to you. I was a Christian for over 30 years myself, but once the blinders came off, there was a wonderful newness to life. And an awe about our universe that surpassed that of my blind Christian faith. We hope you will decide that truth is more important than a comforting fable.
Even within the Christian tradition music tastes vary. Rock music is used quite often in many Evangelical churches. Yes, the lyrics are different, but the band is riffing away just like Metallica. ? Some churches even rip off secular rock songs, giving them Jesus approved lyrics.
You make a great point!
Rest assured I value truth over fables. I know the One who created all there is, died for me, sanctifies me, and who is preparing a place for me that will be my eternal home. You say you were a Christian until the “blinders fell off.” I believe the opposite is true. You were deceived into thinking you had blinders on by having faith in Christ. I don’t mean any of these words in disrespect. Peace to you.
I assume you have read the commenting rules?
If so, you know countless Evangelicals have come before you, each believing they can divine who/what I was/am. I have zero tolerance for such drivel.
You most certainly meant your words to be disrespectful. You wouldn’t have said what you did if respect for me important. Your theology matters more than being a decent human being; a person who allows each person to tell their own story and to own their storyline.
I intended my reply to be to “Lifeadter40.” Sorry that wasn’t clear. I will read the rules. This is your blog that you have the right to regulate. I have a question, though. I recognize that you disagree with me, but I don’t think you are intended that as disrespect. I think the same about Lifeafter40 and his view. Is it possible I disagree with your conclusions but not disrespecting you? At any rate, I will probably step aside and not continue to engage here. Your “house” your rules, and I need to spiritually focus on being productive. I do wish you well, Bruce, as well as your family.
I respect you as a person, but I in no way respect your views. Evangelicalism is inherently Fundamentalist and often causes psychological harm (and at times physical).
When I talk about respect, I mean respecting me as a person and my wishes as owner of this blog. Thus it is disrespectful to preach or quote Bible verses instead of engaging in discussion. Hundreds and hundreds of Evangelicals have used the comment section to preach, cut and paste Bible verses, and evangelize. I put up with this for years until I realized it was harming and bothering many of my readers (and me personally).
I generally give Evangelicals one shot at saying whatever it is they think God wants them to say. Preach away, quote away….but do it all in one comment. The reason for this is that I,along with my regular readers, have heard this stuff countless times. Remember, we were once Evangelicals. We know the Bible, theology, etc. No need to repeat what we already know. Sadly, far too many of the people in your tribe refuse to act decently and with respect. This is why I have zero tolerance for preaching, evangelizing,or Bible quoting.
Ok. I did try to click on a link to read the policy before commenting, but it either didn’t work or I did something incorrectly. I thought about the distinction you made between respecting a person vs. respecting their views. It makes sense, and to be honest, I can say that while I respect you, I don’t respect the view of atheism. I recognize this is your space. I came here after a Google search about something related to secular music, and probably shouldn’t have comment. I felt the need to defend/empathize with the woman you were criticising. (Probably should have let it go :)) I will step aside out of respect. Take care.
Autumn…
How old are you, how long have you been a christian and what denomination of Christianity are you?
I think you were very kind and considerate. It is hard to see a person with so much knowledge hang up his faith when he is almost home.
I am satisfied and happy as an unbeliever. Life is good. ❤️
My husband had to stop listening to the words of most music so many artist are Luciferian now it’s almost 90%. He figured out a way to play the instrumental of the song or the beat only. This way he does not hear the filth and the cursing and he can sing along his own words even better. Plus now with AI making music nothing will be done by a true human creation much longer. The AI are putting out all computerized natural looking videos of artists that look and sound exactly like the band or person. They don’t know even know about it and it sounds even better than the actual person. So freaky this dimensional AI.
“Sigh”
OMG! Your words are exactly what I needed. I have worked and struggled so long trying to find this and suddenly, right here, completely unexpected, it hits me.
I never thought a Christian would lead me to what I needed, but wow, it just happened. I guess god works in mysterious ways and brings answers when you least expect it.
I am so excited. I cannot begin to tell you how ecstatic I am.
Yes, after a long search, through so many false turns and dark moments, thanks to you and your gods guidance, I have found my new favorite name – Luci Ferian.
Wow.. thank you so very much!
Great big smile. Hi Luci!
Luci Ferian, meet Felonious Punk.
Yes, that was my last stage name!
Religion causes mental illness. Music is what you make it; it’s the person’s choice to decide if it’s ‘evil’ or not. Anything can be pro or con if it’s presented that way. Do you have the courage to find out the truth before judging something, or just hide and listen to what somebody tells you? That’s what this is really about. As a former Lutheran I can tell you that the wise, logical, loving person will eventually weed out the falsehood as they go through life; and if not, then be swallowed by the very distraction that they refuse to accept as one. That’s death to me.
Third comment by Michael, above names Randy Stonehill. Anecdote: Hubby and I ran our church teens group in the 1970-80s. It was in a remote rural UK county which kids had often never left. We organised a coach trip to London to go to a Randy Stonehill concert. Soccer coach-hubby had previously taken a busload to see a top soccer match at a London Stadium and a couple of kids couldn’t leave the coach when they got there, the crowds were too big and scary for them to cope with. But our problem with Mr Stonehill was also something else. His name. We had a real problem with letting the word ‘Randy’ pass our lips as we advertised the proposed trip….seriously….such a naughty word for a x-tian to use and we couldn’t understand why he hadn’t changed it to something more, well, x-tian!
Matilda, We in America generally don’t think of “randy”as a swear word, or as a”nasty” word. Perhaps It is in the UK. I GREW UP AS A FRIEND TO SEVERAL GUYS NAMED RANDY, and it’s just another name over here.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/randy
I wonder if a lot of rock music is referred to as ‘satanic’ because it’s not glorifying God? I imagine there are some… colourful views on the likes of Linkin Park and Green Day, which are popular in my house. I can’t say I’ve picked up on any satanic verses in their music. I would say it’s passionate and emotive and a means for the artist to express themselves, whilst hopefully pressing some emotional buttons in the listener too. Isn’t that the point of music?
But lemme guess, to the Evangelical, music must serve a higher purpose and cannot be a vehicle for self-expression. If it’s not for God, it’s against God. I can readily imagine that’s where the true Evangelical objection lies.
My parents listened to religious nuts on the radio who warned about the evils of rock music so this was forbidden in our house. I was forced to listen to the radio in my room at barely audible levels. I became a huge fan of rock music but even as a young adult, free from my parents, I was not free from the indoctrination of my youth. I felt the need to carefully screen my music purchases for anything that might make Jesus cry. I would record albums onto cassette tapes, deleting “offensive” words or even entire songs. I would settle for pathetic Christian rock music over the vastly superior secular options and miss out on the great music of that era. Now that I am free from religion I can finally enjoy any music I choose without fear or guilt
Hey Bruce, just curious. In a deserted island scenario where you were required to select at least one contemporary Christian music album to be part of your desert island collection, what album would you select?
For me, coming from mid-1980s, it would be either Steve Taylor’s “Meltdown” or his “On the Fritz”.
I don’t remember a lot being said at Southern Baptist church about music. Most of the devout kids in youth group listened to CCM, and the music minister incorporated more and more of it into worship services.
At fundamentalist Christian school, though, the only approved music was classical or hymns. That’s it. CCM wasn’t allowed. Even music by the Gaithers wasn’t allowed. And we got our fill of sermons about backmasking, rock music being Satanic, that it’s based on African paganism and sexual rhythms (good old racism there).
Nerd/good Christian kid that I was (sometimes) I only listened to classical music until I started working at age 16. Where I worked, they had the lite rock station in all the time, so I became familiar with Madonna, Michael Jackson, etc, though I didn’t have the courage to play any of that at home. When I went to college I was exposed to a wide range of music. When I was a sophomore my stepdad gave me his old stereo system because he got a new one, and I spent hours learning the music popular with my peers that I had missed out on.
It became so freeing to be able to enjoy good music of all sorts. I feel for kids stuck in the evangelical bubble (though many I knew found ways to break out).
Christian music is good,when properly used. When I was a freshman in a Christian college living in a dorm, the room next to us always played their country music very loud. I dislike country, and it was a pain to have it played loudly. I asked several times to have it lower, but I was ignored.
Then my general music class studied Gregorian chants. I took the cassette we used for the class, made a copy, and every time they played country, I played chants, even louder. The whole dorm was less than pleased and complained. I told them the religious chants stop when the country music stops.
It took about a week, but the country music volume did reduce to a respectable level, and the chants stopped
Hmm…Maybe I wasn’t as good a Fundamentalist Christian as I thought I was. I never could stand contemporary Christian music.
The funny thing is that I agreed, if unwittingly, with the teaching of Evangelical church of which I was a part. . It averred that contemporary Christian music was just as sinful as K.I.S.S. or Queen (two favorites of my formative years) because it was, well, contemporary: It was, as one preacher put it, “Christian-sounding lyrics set to sinful music like rock and folk.”
Now, I’ll admit that I like a Bach mass or a Mozart church sonata as much as anyone. But I now realize that my old church, and other Evangelical churches, were OK with such work, but not rock or jazz (let alone punk or hip-hop!) for essentially the same reasons that some of churches believe the King James Bible is the “best” or only true translation of the Bible–or even the direct words of God:. One of those reasons, I think, is their fetish for the old: If whoever made it is dead and no one can remember what, save for their surviving work, they did, they can’t harm anybody. (I think conservative academicians have a similar attitude.) The other reason is, I think, straight-up racism.
Sometimes I wonder what some of those priests, ministers and preachers were really thinking that night Elvis was shown, from the waist up, on the Ed Sullivan show. Did they really disapprove? Or did they secretly wish that that they could see Pelvis?
Fun fact. I discovered this blog by doing a Google search for Good Fight Ministries Katy Perry. Now I am a Christian but don’t have a lot of time for anti rock preachers as so many turn out to be wolves in sheep’s clothing as I’m sure you have discovered.
You are sick assassinating the character based on unsubstantiated rumours about him being a pedophile, which were likely lies created by his enemies. That’s how satanic writers such as yourself make their arguments. You ignore whether he might actually be right and post all the evidence proving he’s right but instead of looking at the facts you try to discredit the facts with unsubstantiated lies.
Sigh
And your rainbow suspenders tell me everything I need to know about you, homosexual, so that’s rich you condemning a man for unsubstantiated rumours about him being the kind of sinner that YOU ARE!
Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?