Answering AV1611's Christian Rock Page

This is the site: http://www.av1611.org/crock.html

I will be working on formally reviewing this article, but I do have to get this off my chest:

This is one of the worst articles to use against Christian music that I have ever read! The attacks aren't even on Christian rock! They are focused on the artists! The author even goes as far as to say that music has morals based on a statement by Micheal Jackson!

This issue must be answered and this article needs a formal review, even if its materials are outdated (a lot of the artists I haven't even heard of or even listened to!).

Just because this author claims that this article is based on the Bible, that doesn't mean it is. In the question area "But aren't you limiting God?", he "beats-around-the-bush" and never answers the question. He merely repeats to test all the spirits, something that we all should do, but never does he conclusively answer the question.

I will be examining this article, but it may take some time. The majority of his material is outdated, biased, and secularly based.

Let's all look into this issue. Does music have morals? Or is it the emotions an individual derives from the music that drive them to do improper things. Jesus displayed anger, sadness, and happiness (the Basic 3, as they are called b/c all others are derived from them). Did He display them righteously? Yes. He takes his own uninvestigated opinions on music psychology.

He attacks the past of individuals, but love "keeps no record of wrongs". Although I do believe that he did his best to have a loving attitude, his statements are nonetheless prejudiced towards the individual's past and (at that time) present. It had very little to do with music, but rather focused on the roots of the terminology used in Rock.

I'll post later with a review.
-David

 

That's a very good criticism Robert B. But you missed a couple of points that I would have brought out, so I will be working on doing the same thing as you today. It's spring break (FINALLY! ) and so I have plenty of time to do so.

Also, when you were talking about an underlying bias that the author had before writing about dc Talk, I thought I'd post this up about pressupositions:

"Once upon a time there was a man who thought he was dead. His concerned wife and friends sent him to the friendly neighborhood psychiatrist. The psychiatrist determined to cure him by convincing him of one fact that contradicted his belief that he was dead. The psychiatrist decided to use the simple truth that dead men do not bleed. He put his patient to work reading medical texts, observing autopsies, etc. After weeks of effort the patient finally said, "All right, all right! You've convinced me. Dead men do not bleed." Whereupon the psychiatrist stuck him in the arm with a needle, and the blood flowed. The main looked down with a contorted, ashen face and cried: "Good Lord! Dead men bleed after all!"
(Montgomery, TAMD, 21-22)

-David

 

Wow! Everyone! You need to check out this site right here:
http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/craindex.htm

This is 2 years worth of research that this guy has done on Christian rock and even CCM. I agree with him about CCM -- that it isn't perfect, but then again, neither is the church, but the motives (like any conservative critic would say) are the right ones. Even Christians make mistakes, get over it! God did for you when you asked for his forgiveness!

Oh, the halarious issues I have found in this quest for the truth! I have found an article fully focused on body-surfing! While I would say it's dangerous and, as one author said, (1 Corinthians 7:1) "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman.", I have to say...?

You bump into people all the time! Have you ever done a COPE course? You end up touching people! I believe that that passage is being misquoted based on the fact that when you read the verse in context, you see that it means to have "relations" with a woman and to avoid fornification. I'm not trying to justify fornification here at all! It's wrong! The Bible plainly states that! But, to use this verse in opposition to body-surfing...I think you should sit down for a while and take a load off. Besides, 2 things: 1) Body-surfing is something that CAN happen at a CONCERT, it has nothing to do with the music aspect of it, and 2) I've personally never met a girl who would body-surf! (LOL)

I'm now researching the use of the words "sing", "sang", "play" (relating to music)", and "praise" (not necessarily related to music). I also am looking at the Hebrew and Greek words of each.

But...and you had to have known there would be a but...I have one last thing to say about the morality of music.

There has been an argument made that when a musical note is played by itself, it has no morals. But when other notes are added, it communicates to the listener. While this is partially true, a single note also transmits a frequency to the brain.
The BRAIN interprets the note or the collection of notes (chords) and, if repeated, an automatic rhythem, and it incorporates all of the individual's surrounding circumstances - mood, enviroment, etc. - and produces an emotional response. The individual then takes that response and creates an action that fits their method of handling emotions.

Music --> Brain --> Response(Emotion) --> Actions

Here's a little bit to soak up for the moment. Sry for such LOOONNNNG posts!

God-bless!
-David

Also! A note to all Pro-Christian Rock'ers:
If those who oppose Christian Rock think that it is a sin in their lives, then they shouldn't listen to it! Their convictions, however, are not binding on anybody else. Those of us excercising the freedom that Paul talked about in Romans should not bother these young people or attempt to change their personal convictions about music. (from http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/twosides.htm)

[ March 29, 2005, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: CubeX ]