Why I'm thankful God convicted about Rock'nRoll

[lilrabbi]

Hello everyone!

I'm 20 years old. When I was 13/14 years old, I was pretty much tone deaf because all I listened to was hard rock music (of the "christian" variety), and pretty much no good music except when I was at church. I couldn't really sing in church because I figured I just wasn't gifted with a good singing voice or ears for music!

My Pastor, some BJU people, and some other folks were trying to get me to give up my rock'n roll music. Finally I did (it was a rather SLOW and painful process).

In the 4 or 5 years that followed, I grew ears for music and even developed a singing voice! What a coincidence, huh?

Basically, my mind just needed to spend time with good music so it could understand it.

About a year ago I lost all of my hearing. 3 months ago, I had cochlear implants put in. Now I can hear very well (my audiologist said she hasn't seen anyone do so well so quick with the implants). The way the implants work is that there are thousands of little nerve/hairs inside your cochlea, each of which signals a different tone to your brain. The implants can only stimulate those in wide swathes....think of it as if you played the piano with mittens on instead of your fingers. Lots of notes all at once! Its up to my brain to pick out those individual notes from the big clump of nerves that is stimulated....

I say all of that for this reason: Had God not had me get rid of all my junk 'music' and train my brain to discern good music for 4 years before I went deaf, I would probably not understand music at all now with my implants. But, as it is, music sounds good (not as great as it once did, but it DOES sound like music and my brain recognition gets better every day!).

The point of the book of Job, IMO, is that God doesn't owe anyone anything! He didn't owe it to me to give me those 4 years of good music...He didn't even owe it to me to give me any hearing back at all. These are all gracious gifts...given in spite of me, not because of me. Regardless of your music convictions, you can't argue that listening to good music wasn't better for me, because of what I was going to go through. God is too good.

 

[James_Newman]

That is a great testimony, lilrabbi! Praise God for His mercy, and I pray that you will use that gift to glorify Him for many years to come.

 

[Eric B]

Praise God for your ability to hear again!
But the problem with your hearing was from loud music (especially if it was the heavy metal/acid/thrash/rave, etc. type.)
But you need to be careful with BJU and some of those other "old-line" type people (esp. the KJVO movement); because their ideas of the goodness or badness of music is not just concerned with loudness, but also rhythms, which in turn comes from heterodox views of the what "flesh vs. spirit" means, and defended by shallow arguments from tabloid science; and ultimately boils down to continents and cultures of origin. Sometimes you have to dig deep to find these roots; and sometimes it comes right up to the surface.
It is better to have a more balanced view.
http://members.aol.com/etb700/ccm.html

 

[James_Newman]

Eric, I think that there are good and bad arguments for why a Christian should not listen to rock music, but I know in my case it is a matter of casting down a high place that Satan has already used once to get me out of church and back into the world. When we were in the world, we listened to this kind of music because it appealled to our flesh, certainly not because we were spiritual. Just because I am a Christian now, does not mean that all of a sudden my flesh stops liking rock music. You can change the words, but I don't know anyone who started listening to rock because of the words

. It is still the beat, the heavy guitar, that makes our flesh happy. When we get saved, or make a decision to live for Christ, we should be walking after the spirit, not the flesh. In fact we are supposed to deny our flesh, crucify our flesh even, and allow our spirit, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, to be leading us. Satan has offered us an unholy compromise, which is to appeal to our spirit with 'Christian' lyrics but continue to please our flesh with the worldly music styles that we loved. This seems fine to many, but it makes it that much easier to slip right back into your old ways and start eating your vomit again. And in the case of someone who was raised Christian, and didn't have much experience with the world at large, it makes it that much easier for them to be decieved into thinking that possibly the world really isn't as bad as they were told, and maybe they should check it out for themselves?? In any case, we are each going to be accountable for ourselves. Tread carefully, whatever you do.

 

[Eric B]

Depending on what you mean by "please the flesh"; if it was a problem for you; then you should avoid it. Problem is; too many people try to project this into a universal ban for everyone else; and then when you look into it further it is ultimately a cultural issue. Only Classical and traditional American styles end up as "acceptable". But not everyone's is led to sin, or has that bad association.
And then, you have to be careful what you mean by "please the flesh". If it simply means "that rhythm is pleasant", or it makes you "happy" that is getting into a gnostic assumption that all pleasure is bad. Is "happiness" bad? Is enjoying classical (being made "happy" by it) wrong too? How about enjoying a hymn? Or enjoying food in a fellowship? If you mean "appeal to the sinful nature"; then once again, it does not affect everyone that way; and it is only by overgeneralized assumption (and then unsubstantiated science/"nature" claims) that this is projected onto everyone else. (And the so-callee "good" styles surely appeal to many people's pride; which is just as much the "flesh" as anything bodily!)

 

[Aaron]

lilrabbi,

Praise God for your testimony.

There is good and evil music. Eric has said so himself. The only disagreement is on where to draw the line. He in his postmodernistic world view will draw it in a different place than you or I will.

I've never heard a testimony on how classical music went hand-in-hand with bondage to sin, but the testimonies concerning rock music and bondage to sin are countless.

 

[Su Wei]

Amen, lilrabbi! God works in wonderful ways and He knows the road even before we get to it!

So what kind of sounds do you hear now?

 

[Eric B]

Oh, boy. I had just been noting how peaceful this forum has been for months; with no Aaron around with charges of people's styles being sinful. Oh, well; it had to start up again sometime!

There is good and evil music. Eric has said so himself. The only disagreement is on where to draw the line. He in his postmodernistic world view will draw it in a different place than you or I will.

Of course; postmmdernism is supposed to be bad or wrong; but this assumes premodernism was so good all along. But any era after the Fall is equally sinful; though the manifestations of sin change from era to era. Just think about it; the premodern era led into the modern and postmodern. There IS a causative connection there. But premodernists love to claim that they had civilization all nice and under control and godly; and then out of nowhere, some "forces of godlessness" sprung up and wrecked it all. Sorry; but the Fall did not occur with the Enlightenment, or the birth of rock & roll or the sexual revolution, or anything else like that. Premodernism mixed the truth with superstition and neurosis; and this led people to rebel and create modernism and postmodernism.

I've never heard a testimony on how classical music went hand-in-hand with bondage to sin, but the testimonies concerning rock music and bondage to sin are countless.

Ask both former Nazis and Jewish survivors, about the classical/traditional music that was prevalent in that culture. They weren't marching to rock or jazz. I know you'll claim "oh, but that is one example; overall; it wasn;t assocated with sin like rock was". But if you look at the history of the cultures which classical came out of; all of them have their sins in that area. The problem was pride; and pride is what leads people to think of themselves as superior and oppress others. So even where there was no oppression; the music has been associated with a smug pride of "superiority"; even if just cultural; and not racial/ethnic. We used to see people in traditional CCM-shunning churches sing their old hymns, and you can see it. You have to wonder is it worship of God, or of "godly old culture". This is very subtle; and is not as easily discerned up front as the overt sins rock is associated with are. But God sees the heart; and it does surface into very visible and vvile sins when given enough time and the right circumstances. All have sinned; none are "good" or "better". But just like not ALL who have produced or listened to it are guilty of those sins; likewise ALL who have produced or listened to rock are not guilty of the sins of the physical flesh, or unruly behavior. (And didn't someone here before mention classical concerts that got out of hand).

 

[ASLANSPAL]

I like all kinds of music...indie pop...electronic...progressive country...only

one kind of music is from THE DEBIL!! imho


POLKA

Do you realize how many accordian players they're
are in blue blazes.

btw congrats on your implants ..can an audiologist
program you ears not to pick up accordian music

just curious...thanks for the testimony.

 

[mountainrun]

I'm sure there's no sinful lifestyle involved with honky tonk country music, is there?

I might point out that listening to "bad" music does not cause one to lose their hearing.

It happens when you listen to LOUD music.

I love rock and roll and make no apologies for it.

MR

 

[Guitar25]

I agree with mountainrun. There is nothing wrong with listening to rock music, especially christian rock music. Just as long as the rock that you're listening to has lyrics that wouldn't upset God. i have yet to find it in christian rock. Don't try to give me examples cause i know there probably is someout there but not in the stuff i listen to

You're testimony was nice, but im using my talents of singing, writing music and playing guitar in a christian rock/praise band and theres nothing wrong with it

Everyone has their own opinion on it and ours differ. We dont need to get into a fight, i was just simply stating my opinion

 

[Archeryaddict]

I like many styles of music

Contemporary Christian
Gospel
Blue grass
Country
R&B
Southern Rock

 

[Bartimaeus]

Hey All....Ever heard of Christian Raggae? They play it all over the islands....mon.
Thanks -------Bart

 

[Guitar25]

Im lost, what does that have to do with this topic?

 

[Bartimaeus]

25,
That's easy, your last post mentioned Christian Rock and Roll. I just wanted to know if anyone ever heard of putting the truth of Christ with the music of Voodoo?
Thanks ------Bart

 

[Bro. Curtis]

God never covicted me that rock was evil. But a lot of fundy preachers have tried.

I like Jimi Hendrix. The man could play. I don't agree with his lifestyle, but I enjoy his music.

 

[mountainrun]

Have you heard any of Jimi's Christmas stuff?
He played Silent Night and Little Drummer Boy among others.

It's in his style and pretty hard to find.

MR

 

[Guitar25]

you guys are gettin a little off topic. he's convicting Christian Rock. And i still disagree with him but like i said, to each his own.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Originally posted by mountainrun:
Have you heard any of Jimi's Christmas stuff?
He played Silent Night and Little Drummer Boy among others.

It's in his style and pretty hard to find.

MR

No, but I heard his version of "Hound dog" and it's hilarious.

I went to a music museum in Seattle, and saw a whole display of Henrix. They had his paratrooper uniforms an medals, and some letters he wrote his grandmother when he was eight. It was really moving. He's right up there with Mozart & Bach, as one of the best musicians ever.

 

[Trotter]

It's called ersonal conviction" for a reason...it is personal.

I can be convicted that Chinese food is of the devil, but that would be my personal convictions (even though my wife would agree).

When people start trying to paint their personal convictions onto the rest of the world, I get fighting mad. If God wanted us to abstain from certain styles or sounds of music, He'd have outlined them in His word. But no one can show anything akin to that without ripping something out of context and making dance on the end of their strings.

'Nuff said.

In Christ,
Trotter