Hip-hop is...

Hip-Hop may be spiritual, but it is definitely not Spiritual.

As I pointed out in a previous thread, there is nothing decent about hip-hop.

Nor is there anything edifying about hip-hop. And the only glorifying hip-hop does is glorifying the world. It certainly does not bring glory to God.

 

How many churches use hip-hop as their corporate or responsive "songs" in the service? (which is what the "singing" in this verse is applied to). None that I have ever heard. The same goes for much of the other "contemporary" styles people complain of.

Rap is a type of poetry, and if done in Church, is usually a performance (like "special music"). Now, you can argue against performance as being "worldly", but that would implicate whichever style/genre is used for it. (Including "classical/traditional").

 

Scripture please?

What does your church do during worship? How do they do it? Are you saying there is nothing of "the world" used in your worship service and in your home? What musical styles are used in your church? How are prayers doen? What preaching style is used? Does your church use an "altar call"invitation? (that is a direct descendant of the 19th century revivalist movement and not mentioned in scripture in association with a worship service) Does that make it worng? No.

Probably a good deal of these things are culturally influenced in style not content.

 

I answered "all of the above" because the way the survey is phraesed that was the only answer I could find that fit. I love biased surveys.

There needs to be an "It could be all of the above" answer.

I've always loved it when people try to use a very narrow definition for what constitutes music.

Context and usage could fit in each category.

 

Good point.

 

Some people may be coming from that "culture" and want to put it all behind. I can undersatand this and support them in their decisions. However, that necessarily make it "evil" or immoral" for others to use.

The passage about meat sacrificed to idols comes to mind. This scripture fits the context.

 

Poll is flawed, as Hip Hop can be USED for what's mentioned in the poll...and for sinful reasons.

 

Now, Rufus, why would you leave this obvious link out of this thread?

http://www.holyhiphop.com/streetgospel101.html

 

The very first paragraph on the link npetreley provided is flawed. When they say the ark was just an ark until God made it holy is very deceiving.

Since God gave the instructions and told what the ark was for, the ark was holy from the very beginning. It was not just an ark.

I won't read the rest of the page since the writer was using deceit from the very beginning.

 

Scripture was provided in the OP.

 

And out of that scripture, I chose "spiritual" assuming it is Christian lyrics with the music....

 

You realize that the early Middle-Eastern Civilazitions were the predecessors to rap music as well as their African neighboors. The're influence on melody and rythim even crept into european music and white americans were playing the same-style beats as hip-hop as early as the 1920's!

[email my papa if you want refrences to my statement]

 

The problem with hip-hop and rap noise isnt the form or the rythmns or anything else like that. In my opinion it most certainly CAN be used for godly puposes if it is used in a godly way and manner.

But when I see rap and hip hop noise being used for godly purposes the ones involved sound like goons and thugs, they look like goons and thugs, they lurch around like goons and thugs and the you cant understand anything they are saying. A good message with the gospel included is utterly worthless if the message can not be understood plainly.

At that point they become instruments of the evil one for sowing confusion and chaos rather then truth and the clear gospel.

And its not just rap and hip hop noise. I've heard the same chaos and confusion with some of the harder rock groups that some young christians enjoy.

The point of any gospel music is to deliver a godly message, not deliver a goonish, thugish, unintelligable chaotic message.

If I ever see a gospel rap group, or hard rock group, behaving and looking like like christians, and delivering their message in a godly and civilized manner, I'll joyfully give them the "thumbs up" and support them enthusiastically.

Mike

 

Where is it written that words are the sole, or even the primary criterion to judge the spirituality of a song? It isn't. It's simply an arbitrary assumption on your part.

You're basically saying that when Paul said "psalms, hymns and spirital songs," he was saying "songs, songs and spiritual songs." Paul wasn't describing lyrical content so much as he was styles, contrasted, as they were, to the characteristics of excess and riot sought by the world. (Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess...) An hymn was a distinctive style recognized by the Greeks. Paeans and dithyrambs were also sung to deities, but their characters were quite set apart from those songs described as hymns.

So, again. The Scripture was provided in the OP. You simply haven't worked to understand it.

 

But that "contrast" is not about one rhythm contrasted with another, or the "Western traditional" styles we associate with "hymns". (People can get drunk and riot and have excess listening to "traditional" styles as well).
You read this passage as if it says "plain psalms, plain hymns, and plain songs".

Again, rap is not used as a "worship song", so the people using it in Church are not even claiming it is a "psalm, hymn or spiritual song". It is a performance. If you think it is wrong for being a performance, then it would nto matter which style it was.