Featured Are musical styles amoral?

Do you mean Bill Gaither?? Don't be knockin' Southern Gospel now!!!!

 

He's stated that he keeps going back and forth on the issue. I'm not looking for a fight, but I don't think it's constructive to the discussion to make such statements about other users. You may or may not be correct, but we don't know anything about him aside from what he tells us.

 

What is your source for saying a hand gesture is the devil's salute?

Reminds me of the contention in the late 60's that the peace symbol was really the symbol of the anti-christ.

 

Talk about some "Heavy Metal- Devil Music"....
Here's some of my favourite Christian Metal bands...

Pure Metal...............Outstanding Theology:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnHn_nY0rr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pygppEB4mFA

One of my favourites lyrically...is a Punk band called the Altar Boys...they turned the notion of "rebellion" against the enemy by "rebelling" against post-modernism and the wicked presuppositions of the modern age.
They spun rebellion back against the enemy. This song's lyrics are brilliant!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Hq1re1VKE

Everything is on the up swing in this land
Things are looking good
Yea we're looking strong again
Well I question it!!!

Looking at the way society has changed
What used to be a sin
Is now normal today!
Well I question it!!!

And I can't stop no!
And I can't stop no!

Look at what they're teaching in our schools today
Evolution's a fact
Creations a dream
Well I question it!

Well the law says it's ok to kill an unborn baby
It's a mothers choice
Throw the baby away
Well I question it!!!

And I can't stop no!
And I can't stop no!

 

Bringing this up as a point for consideration--I personally love Skillet. But I will grant that they and many other Christian bands produce a lot of their music purely for fun or for the joy of music itself. Not all of their music is going to be praise music. (Though some is, or has Christian undertones. Forgiven is one. I Can is one. Many of their songs from last year's album could be used in worship or have Christian undertones. Hard to Find, What I Believe, Salvation, etc.)

There is as much variety in Christian music as in secular music--this also means that you may not always agree with a particular artist's actions or words or attitude.

My personal view is that it's fine for Christians to make music just for fun--in the same way it's alright for me as an artist to draw just for fun. Not all of my art is Christian-themed--though some is. Some of my art exists purely for the joy of art. Some of it's there to get a message across--sometimes the message is directly to do with my faith, sometimes not.

But if some think that Christians should never write music that isn't usable for praise, I can see where the thinking is rooted and why they would be reluctant to change said opinion. (Having once held it myself.)
There are Christian bands that make music as much on the secular scene as they do the Christian scene. There are also Christian bands that have hardly a song that isn't about God--some examples would be Casting Crowns (soft rock) and Disciple (metal). Excellent, excellent bands with doctrinally solid lyrics.


P.S. Skillet is hard rock, not heavy metal.

 

Do a Google Image search of "devil's salute" and see what pops up.

 

Nice point...
Just for fun....
Petra once did this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6xv1D9C4OI

 

I'm sure all manner of kooky stuff will pop up. Why do you think this is known as the devil salute?

 

Because everyone who wasn't devoid of culture in the 80's and 90's knows that was Universally considered to be the "Devil's salute".

Why are you questioning the patently obvious?

That's what rockers did back then.
How do you not know that?

 

There are also Christian artists pretty much (so far as I'm aware) solely on the secular scene--Adam Young of Owl City, a very popular artist who has songs featured in several movies from recent years, is Christian. Though he has incorperated his faith into some songs* and he sang a hymn, he isn't really on the Christian music scene to my knowledge. I actually had no idea he was Christian until I came across his cover of In Christ Alone. (And no, I'm not saying he was Christian solely because he sung a hymn, since many secular artists have sung Amazing Grace and that certainly doesn't make them Christian. I did look it up.)

Think over all Owl City is categorized as synthetic(?) pop. His music tends to be very melodious and beautiful, his lyrics poetic and just different. (That's not to say there isn't any beat at all. And he has toyed with other music styles a bit.) It's impossible to listen to Owl City without your spirits being lifted at least somewhat, IMO.:thumbs:


*Galaxies has a fairly obvious Christian message/POV. Also, according to Adam Young, the song Kamikaze has a lot of spiritual meaning.There may be others.

 

The symbol means, "rock on," does it not?

 

I did a little "google" research and for some that hand signal is tied in with the supposed hands of satan. But, for most it simply means "rock on."

 

Skillet is not a Christian band. Skillet is a band consisting of Christians who sometimes tour with bands who are Christian, and they sometimes lend their vocal and musical talents to Christian bands recordings. Most of their songs, though, deal with things Christians deal with.

If you were to actually listen to the lyrics of Monster, the song you linked, you might actually realize the song is about the battle people experience between the spiritual and flesh sides. The flesh feels like a monster you have to fight that wants to take over. Kind of like the Hulk, which is where they got the original idea from for the song background.

Here is a link to a quality lyric video with the music which can actually be heard. http://youtu.be/dUhREXHADsk Enjoy... Great song by the way.

 

The modern usage of the 2 finger rock salute began in 1969 when the band Coven, famous for One Tin Soldier, used it on their album cover. They were a group of self proclaimed witches and warlock and their music, songs like Burn the Cross, promoted their hatred of religion. They decided it stood for the horns of satan. It really got popular when Ronny James Dio used it when he took over singing duties for Black Sabbath when Ozzy left.

It mostly a comical stereotype of rockers these days used to get folks stirred up and fretting over the devil and rock music. It's modern rock usage is rooted in the notion of it being evil, though, not that it actually is. Coven members were actually into satanism and it wasn't just a gimmick to sell albums.

It's original usage came from it being a "charm" to ward off bad luck and evil beings in India.

 

In the Catholic countries, giving that sign to someone is a symbol of…well, it's origins are not nice.

 

What do we say to the African tribesman who, as part of their thousands of years old tradition, sing, dance, and play drums to honor their ancestors in Christian ceremonies?

What do we say to the East Asian village that uses a variety of stringed instruments along with percussive effects and a beat in their worship celebrations?

The examples could go on. But if your example doesn't fit all people it isn't generally true.

 

Well you guys would understand better the truth of the use of the two finger gesture if you only understood truth about anything as delineated in another thread:

So.....there are facts and absolute facts which are completely different. There there is truth and absolute truth which also are completely different.


Truth yields facts and absolute truth yields absolute facts. :BangHead:


There now you all know. :laugh:

 

Ain't that a Texas Longhorn thingy?

 

In Texas it is. In Portugal, it's not.

It has no power, but it isn't a nice gesture.