What's Your View on Secular Music?

[Daniel1611]

I grew up on secular music and spent years playing in rock n roll/blues bands, writing my own songs and playing covers like Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, the Stones, The White Stripes, Sublime, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf etc. Since converting to Christianity, I find most of secular music to be evil, and have stopped listening to the most vulgar of it, but still do listen to some of my favorites.

Thoughts on secular music?

 

[Doom]

The music is fine, it's the lyrics that are often foolish.

 

[Arthur Brain]

I grew up on secular music and spent years playing in rock n roll/blues bands, writing my own songs and playing covers like Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, the Stones, The White Stripes, Sublime, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf etc. Since converting to Christianity, I find most of secular music to be evil, and have stopped listening to the most vulgar of it, but still do listen to some of my favorites.

Thoughts on secular music?

Are you limiting 'secular music' to rock with lyrics? Otherwise there's a plethora of genres and subgenres in music including rock so it's too basic a premise.

 

[Daniel1611]

Are you limiting 'secular music' to rock with lyrics? Otherwise there's a plethora of genres and subgenres in music including rock so it's too basic a premise.

Popular music that is not Gospel or Contemporary Christian; I.e. rock n roll, rhythm and blues, country, hip hop, and assorted pop music, etc.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Popular music that is not Gospel or Contemporary Christian; I.e. rock n roll, rhythm and blues, country, hip hop, and assorted pop music, etc.

Well, there's a myriad genres on top of the ones you've described that wouldn't fit with the former two including forms of classical music so this thread seems a bit contrived to me...

 

[Tambora]

What's Your View on Secular Music?

There's a whole lot of it that I like.

 

[Lon]

Wherever your heart and mind go. "Saturday in the Park" has God's Creation all over it for me. So, for me, themes that are true of God can encourage our faith and lives: Creation, love, family, food, exercise/dance etc. I even enjoy music as creativity and thank God for reminding me of His creativity and giving His creation that beautiful creativity. So, for me, if it encourages and has God on your mind as you listen, in prayer and reflection, I think that's good.

As a father, I don't have to have my kids go down the slide saying "this one's for you Dad." I can enjoy them enjoying themselves, watching from a distance. For me, that is what doing all things for the Glory of God entails.

 

[Angel4Truth]

I grew up on secular music and spent years playing in rock n roll/blues bands, writing my own songs and playing covers like Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, the Stones, The White Stripes, Sublime, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf etc. Since converting to Christianity, I find most of secular music to be evil, and have stopped listening to the most vulgar of it, but still do listen to some of my favorites.

Thoughts on secular music?

Some of its good, some of it isnt. Same with any other media. Do you find most to all of secular books "evil", how about poetry, art, movies, television, etc.. or anything? Do you also stop reading everything that isnt Christian, or watch anything that isnt Christian, and why stop just at rock music, isnt all the other music if it isnt Christian, considered secular including classical, jazz, blues, country, etc?

 

[IMJerusha]

I grew up on secular music and spent years playing in rock n roll/blues bands, writing my own songs and playing covers like Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix, the Stones, The White Stripes, Sublime, Nirvana, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf etc. Since converting to Christianity, I find most of secular music to be evil, and have stopped listening to the most vulgar of it, but still do listen to some of my favorites.

Thoughts on secular music?

Getting into that KJVO mentality, eh?

Next thing ya know you'll be posting that all women should wear long denim skirts with tennis shoes and ankle socks.

But anyway, here's a commentary on a secular sort of song (well, I guess it depends on what one means by secular):

TH at his best

Okay, I'll be fair, that song's really not very secular. How about this video:

More TH

It would seem that a lot of Christians like secular music.

 

[Buzzword]

I grew up on Christian music only (especially southern gospel and whatever was "contemporary" at the time), and only started discovering the rest of the musical world when I hit high school.

My wife and I are musicians, so really nothing which involves people actually singing and/or playing instruments is out of bounds.

She was raised on the classics of '70s rock, so my discovery of those classics as an adult based solely on their artistic merits (rather than the nostalgia which keeps my elders rocking past age seventy) has been a wondrous experience.
Especially when my wife and I were able to see the tribute to Led Zeppelin live, and Queen + Adam Lambert this past summer.

I discovered jazz (in jazz band, no less) just before high school, and have been an avid enthusiast ever sense.

Of course, the creme de la creme for both of us lies in the vast potential filed under "a cappella". Virtuosos of this form leave a visceral impression upon us, literally left breathless as we experience the overlapping and clustered harmonies, the variety of genres which can be adapted into voice-only form, the RANGE of the vocalists involved...the hits just keep coming.


Let me be crystal clear on the following point:
MUSIC IS NOT EVIL.
Never. Ever. Regardless of whether you think the lyrics are "appropriate" or not.

The act of creating music is one of the few remaining ways we human beings extend our innermost being out into the world in order to connect with one another.
The act of performing music latches the musician's soul onto that of the composer (assuming they are not in fact the same person), and creates a depth of connection seen nowhere else.
The act of listening to and experiencing music latches the listener's soul onto both that of the musician and that of the composer, and allows potentially thousands of people to join in a communion which leaves us in tune with each other as soul-possessing beings, in ways that no other experience in the human condition can equal.


You do not have moral high ground just because you do not prefer to listen to a particular style of music or enjoy the lyrics of a particular song.

And just to counter this beforehand, NO, the lifestyle of the composer or musician does NOT inflict a particular morality upon his/her music.

Music is music. It stands on its own.

 

[IMJerusha]

The act of creating music is one of the few remaining ways we human beings extend our innermost being out into the world in order to connect with one another.
The act of performing music latches the musician's soul onto that of the composer (assuming they are not in fact the same person), and creates a depth of connection seen nowhere else.
The act of listening to and experiencing music latches the listener's soul onto both that of the musician and that of the composer, and allows potentially thousands of people to join in a communion which leaves us in tune with each other as soul-possessing beings, in ways that no other experience in the human condition can equal.

And when this guy reached out and latched onto me, well...

TT

This is definitely like no other experience in the human condition! Gracious me!! You should have seen the looks on my parents faces! :rotfl:

 

[Quincy]

I've grown up in a musical family. My grandfather and his band played many different genres of music and songs from various artists. I don't pay attention to genres or lyrics in most songs. Actually, I prefer songs that don't have lyrics. So I only have an opinion on music in general and that is to say music is amazing to experience.

 

[TomO]

I grew up on Christian music only (especially southern gospel and whatever was "contemporary" at the time), and only started discovering the rest of the musical world when I hit high school.

My wife and I are musicians, so really nothing which involves people actually singing and/or playing instruments is out of bounds.

She was raised on the classics of '70s rock, so my discovery of those classics as an adult based solely on their artistic merits (rather than the nostalgia which keeps my elders rocking past age seventy) has been a wondrous experience.
Especially when my wife and I were able to see the tribute to Led Zeppelin live, and Queen + Adam Lambert this past summer.

I discovered jazz (in jazz band, no less) just before high school, and have been an avid enthusiast ever sense.

Of course, the creme de la creme for both of us lies in the vast potential filed under "a cappella". Virtuosos of this form leave a visceral impression upon us, literally left breathless as we experience the overlapping and clustered harmonies, the variety of genres which can be adapted into voice-only form, the RANGE of the vocalists involved...the hits just keep coming.


Let me be crystal clear on the following point:
MUSIC IS NOT EVIL.
Never. Ever. Regardless of whether you think the lyrics are "appropriate" or not.

The act of creating music is one of the few remaining ways we human beings extend our innermost being out into the world in order to connect with one another.
The act of performing music latches the musician's soul onto that of the composer (assuming they are not in fact the same person), and creates a depth of connection seen nowhere else.
The act of listening to and experiencing music latches the listener's soul onto both that of the musician and that of the composer, and allows potentially thousands of people to join in a communion which leaves us in tune with each other as soul-possessing beings, in ways that no other experience in the human condition can equal.


You do not have moral high ground just because you do not prefer to listen to a particular style of music or enjoy the lyrics of a particular song.

And just to counter this beforehand, NO, the lifestyle of the composer or musician does NOT inflict a particular morality upon his/her music.

Music is music. It stands on its own.

:thumb:

 

[vfirestormv]

I used to be a hard rock and grunge drummer. Listened to all kinds of music growing up. Have had a great love for music. After I got saved I had to give up listening to most rock and grunge music. It still appeals to my flesh but I know it isn't good. To me even the music itself is not OK. I can listen to just some grunge music and it makes me feel like I want to take some aggression out on something. I mostly only listen to Christian music now, but some country, some blues and some orchestra music. I wont even listen to rock christian music, to me that is an oxymoron.
But that is just me...

 

[journey]

I don't listen to music with dirty, immoral, or violent lyrics. Otherwise, I listen to a variety of music, mainly on the mild side.

 

[Nick M]

Rock of Ages

At least I beat Trad and his crappy Metallica.

 

[musterion]

Do you also stop reading everything that isnt Christian, or watch anything that isnt Christian, and why stop just at rock music, isnt all the other music if it isnt Christian, considered secular including classical, jazz, blues, country, etc?

Speaking only for myself...yes, mostly. But I find almost all modern 'Christian' music among the most detestable of all.

For most music these days, it's morally neutral at best, tending toward degenerate and wicked for the vast majority of it. Primarily in the lyrics but not exclusively so. Various styles seem carnal by design. My appetite for music is greatly diminished from what it once was; I can't in good conscience enjoy much of it anymore, but I don't particularly miss doing so, either...orchestral music and some classical, and other eclectic non-mainstream music is all I listen to when I do listen, which ain't often. The above is just the opinion of an old man.

As I write this, my 4.5 year old is singing "Last Christmas," which she must have heard at preschool. Although I know it's been redone since, I cannot help but associate it with old sodomite group Wham.

 

[This Charming Manc]

Music become much less important to me of late.

Rock music used to be a big part of my identity and who I was, Since i got a family and hit my mid 30's its just become less important.

I'm liking more worship, classical and folk music now.

Its not that I don't enjoy or like music anymore it has just become less important to me.

 

[musterion]

Rock music used to be a pig part of my identity and who I was

Indeed. Same here.

 

[This Charming Manc]

Indeed. Same here.

lol typo