May a Baptist sing Catholic hymns?

[Covenanter]

This is a good topic, but honestly, should we sing songs by people like Hillsong who preach error as well? I do think we need to pause and think before we introduce certain music into our congregations.

There is an essential difference between accepted hymns by RCs which have been in our hymnbooks for generations and "worship songs" by influential living writers who may include sound doctrine in some songs, but teach error.

 

[JonC]

I think we need to look at the song. I like A Mighty Fortress is Our God, but that is Lutheran. I like Bill Gaither's music as well.

 

[ChurchofChristguy]

This is a good topic, but honestly, should we sing songs by people like Hillsong who preach error as well? I do think we need to pause and think before we introduce certain music into our congregations.

If we applied the "preached in error" test, our hymnals might be pretty skinny. Haven't we all preached in error somewhere along the way?

 

[Reformed1689]

If we applied the "preached in error" test, our hymnals might be pretty skinny. Haven't we all preached in error somewhere along the way?

Yes, but some do intentionally.

 

[OnlyaSinner]

I sing Ave Maria. It is one (two actually,you have the Bach one and the Gonoud) of the great examples of western culture. I'm proud to sing it.
I tell you, we protestants need to stop killing culture.

Some pedantry: Those "two" Ave Marias are but one, as Gounod laid the words atop the C-major prelude from Well Tempered Clavier #1. The other well-known Ave is by Schubert. They're both beautiful listening (though I prefer the prelude by itself) but I would sing neither due to the mariolotry.
As others have posted, it's not the authors but the lyrics that count - are they doctrinally sound? And is the song/arrangement honoring to God. (There's liberty for different tastes there,) The one exception I'd make would be an otherwise acceptable song written/sung by one who has a notoriously bad testimony, as that might cause a brother/sister in Christ to stumble. If that bad testimony occurred 150 years ago, I'd have no problem with the hymn.

 

[ChurchofChristguy]

Yes, but some do intentionally.

God’s will is done unknowingly even by those who oppose.

 

[rsr]

They're both beautiful listening (though I prefer the prelude by itself) but I would sing neither due to the mariolotry.

Which is why Mozart's Laudate Dominum is superior to either.

 

[JonC]

Which is why Mozart's Laudate Dominum is superior to either.

Unless you're Baptist. We use Ravel's Boléro .