Influences of Rock Music

[sweetycakes]

I was looking through this website about rock music and it's (often) satanic influences. Now, I like music as much as the next person, and I like some of the artists shown on this site, but things like this teach us to at least be aware of what we are listening to sometimes. Is anyone else aware of these things?

Any comments?

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%...anic_quotes.htm

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%...c_no_effect.htm

*edit*

See also a portion of the video 'They sold their soul for rock and roll' here

The full version is about 10 hours long. This part deals with the allegiance to Aleister Crowley by many mainstream musicians.

And this following part deals with lots of popular musicians today. To see this clip, you have to click on the link on the right hand side of the page entitled '28 minute preview':

http://goodfight.org/

[LadyRaven]

As to the first page:

Most of the "groups" listed on those pages are mass market, and they will sing anything they think will sell. Some of them like Manson actually are satanists. Some of them are just, well, people who sing about sin. Sin sells, so yeah, the lyrics are gonna eventually be sinful. In any case...

The lyrics of a song determine the usefulness of that song to me. If a song is blasphemous and there is no reason for it, then I'm not gonna listen to it.

And yes there may be a reason for it. If you take certain verses in Ecclesiastes out of the context of the whole bible they would be speaking lies. A while back there was a gothic group with a singer who became a Christian. She made a dual album set, I think it was called the black and white, I'm not sure. One represented her life before Christ, one represented her life after. It's been years since I listened to it, but the whole message of the set was a gospel message, however there was stuff in the first album which out of context said evil things. It was her life before she was saved and was not written from the point of view of looking back at it, but as she was living it. Both albums were created from a "now" standpoint. I'm not going to tell people to avoid the whole set, just as I'm not going to section off parts of Ecclesiastes. The album has a coherant message and the message is good.

Should a person listen to music which is produced or sung by people which sing about sin, even if the song in question is not singing about sin? I don't think you can make that rule and make it stick biblically. Even totally evil people speak the truth once in a while and when they do, there is nothing wrong with listening to them.

Should a person listen to music which discusses sin from the standpoint of a sinner (ie someone who is either doing it or likes to do it or wants to do it?). That is a debatable topic, and I don't think we can make a rule about that, otherwise you can't read part of Ecclesiastes either.

As to the second page: See comments above.

Also: I don't know of any Christian, or any CCM band who promotes the lifestyles of the secular bands which are involved in "rock" music, so you won't have any comments there I don't think.

Also: I can find nothing in scripture which indicates there is a beat or set of beats or sounds which is inherently evil. There is no music theory at all in the bible, there is no beat which is used by evil which could not also be used by good described in scripture. If we are to not sin, then we have to know that something is a sin. All sins are listed in scripture. Demonic beats are not. And if it's truly satanic I'm sure it would have been, God would not want us to sin by accident. The bible is sufficient, everything we need is in there. if certain music was evil, it would have been mentioned or the bible could not be sufficient for life and godliness.

Second, Satan does not create, he imitates. He did not create any kind of music, even if he influenced people who invented the music to put evil lyrics in the songs. The music style is a frame, the song is the picture. A picture frame can hold a picture of a family or an orgy. It's not the frame's fault if a sinful person stuffs a porno pic into the frame. If we are to take this arguement that because some rock music has evil lyrics all rock music is evil regardless of the lyrics...you have the same line of reasoning which says people don't kill people guns do and flies cause garbage. Therefore if CCM wants to use a structure of music which is common in society, there is nothing wrong with it. It's like putting a nice picture into a frame that used to hold a porno picture.

The critique of CCM was interesting (Christian or Satanic?). I could assent to some of the things said about what the content of a good Christian song should be. I do get really tired of choruses which repeat the same thing over and over again or songs which don't say who you are loving and adoring is so it could just as well be a spouse or boyfriend (I call them "Jesus is your boyfriend songs"). I don't think that a song which doesn't directly say is EVIL, but I know that most christian musicians are better lyric writers than this and could actually come up with songs with good doctrine. I don't think that Petra is evil, but they certainly don't compare to Steve Camp do they?

However the arguement had to degrade into the"well the devil used this venue so now we can't" nonsense. And they mentioned Martin Luther making his hymns to the tunes of German drinking songs...(I would like to know which one A mighty fortress was written to, I can't imagine slamming my beer mug to that)... but never addressed the crux of the issue. The issue is that a song had (potentially, I don't know if ALL German beer drinking songs are about being drunk but all the ones I learned in German class were) evil lyrics and Luther took the format and made consecrated music to it. It does not matter if, as the article says "But the thrust of the popular music of Luther's time and the thrust of our pop music is as different as night is from day. There was a systematic unity in the sixteenth century musical world which no longer exists in today's music.

[deafcanada]

As to the first page:

Most of the "groups" listed on those pages are mass market, and they will sing anything they think will sell. Some of them like Manson actually are satanists. Some of them are just, well, people who sing about sin. Sin sells, so yeah, the lyrics are gonna eventually be sinful. In any case...

The lyrics of a song determine the usefulness of that song to me. If a song is blasphemous and there is no reason for it, then I'm not gonna listen to it.

And yes there may be a reason for it. If you take certain verses in Ecclesiastes out of the context of the whole bible they would be speaking lies. A while back there was a gothic group with a singer who became a Christian. She made a dual album set, I think it was called the black and white, I'm not sure. One represented her life before Christ, one represented her life after. It's been years since I listened to it, but the whole message of the set was a gospel message, however there was stuff in the first album which out of context said evil things. It was her life before she was saved and was not written from the point of view of looking back at it, but as she was living it. Both albums were created from a "now" standpoint. I'm not going to tell people to avoid the whole set, just as I'm not going to section off parts of Ecclesiastes. The album has a coherant message and the message is good.

Should a person listen to music which is produced or sung by people which sing about sin, even if the song in question is not singing about sin? I don't think you can make that rule and make it stick biblically. Even totally evil people speak the truth once in a while and when they do, there is nothing wrong with listening to them.

Should a person listen to music which discusses sin from the standpoint of a sinner (ie someone who is either doing it or likes to do it or wants to do it?). That is a debatable topic, and I don't think we can make a rule about that, otherwise you can't read part of Ecclesiastes either.

As to the second page: See comments above.

Also: I don't know of any Christian, or any CCM band who promotes the lifestyles of the secular bands which are involved in "rock" music, so you won't have any comments there I don't think.

Also: I can find nothing in scripture which indicates there is a beat or set of beats or sounds which is inherently evil. There is no music theory at all in the bible, there is no beat which is used by evil which could not also be used by good described in scripture. If we are to not sin, then we have to know that something is a sin. All sins are listed in scripture. Demonic beats are not. And if it's truly satanic I'm sure it would have been, God would not want us to sin by accident. The bible is sufficient, everything we need is in there. if certain music was evil, it would have been mentioned or the bible could not be sufficient for life and godliness.

Second, Satan does not create, he imitates. He did not create any kind of music, even if he influenced people who invented the music to put evil lyrics in the songs. The music style is a frame, the song is the picture. A picture frame can hold a picture of a family or an orgy. It's not the frame's fault if a sinful person stuffs a porno pic into the frame. If we are to take this arguement that because some rock music has evil lyrics all rock music is evil regardless of the lyrics...you have the same line of reasoning which says people don't kill people guns do and flies cause garbage. Therefore if CCM wants to use a structure of music which is common in society, there is nothing wrong with it. It's like putting a nice picture into a frame that used to hold a porno picture.

The critique of CCM was interesting (Christian or Satanic?). I could assent to some of the things said about what the content of a good Christian song should be. I do get really tired of choruses which repeat the same thing over and over again or songs which don't say who you are loving and adoring is so it could just as well be a spouse or boyfriend (I call them "Jesus is your boyfriend songs"). I don't think that a song which doesn't directly say is EVIL, but I know that most christian musicians are better lyric writers than this and could actually come up with songs with good doctrine. I don't think that Petra is evil, but they certainly don't compare to Steve Camp do they?

However the arguement had to degrade into the"well the devil used this venue so now we can't" nonsense. And they mentioned Martin Luther making his hymns to the tunes of German drinking songs...(I would like to know which one A mighty fortress was written to, I can't imagine slamming my beer mug to that)... but never addressed the crux of the issue. The issue is that a song had (potentially, I don't know if ALL German beer drinking songs are about being drunk but all the ones I learned in German class were) evil lyrics and Luther took the format and made consecrated music to it. It does not matter if, as the article says "But the thrust of the popular music of Luther's time and the thrust of our pop music is as different as night is from day. There was a systematic unity in the sixteenth century musical world which no longer exists in today's music.

[LadyRaven]

It is really sad because I have seen in my boys they are influence by that rap music that is really not right and i am having hard time to raise them because they think it is alright to listen even though i am deaf mom but i know in my guts it is really wrong and it is not right in God's eyes and it can lead them away from God. We have to look at the lyrics even though include with christian music like rap music christian rap music i mean all of the music, it can astray us away from God like love to listen the music and cause our life change dramatically completely change.

Myself i cant stand with kind of the rock music or rap music because they needed to know about Jesus Christ. they think they dont need Jesus christ because the music is their need that has been met. I love music but I can sing on my own from my heart or find the christian music that lead us to worship God deeply.

that s why it is really sad because the music has been gone so much change and had been influence on kids like 10 years old boys to teenagers love that rock music which has dirty words, drugs, drinking booze etc. that is really sad.

thanks

DC

Nobody and nothing can lead a child of God away from God because nobody or nothing can lead someone where they don't want to go already. (I'm not talking about coercion, besides music doesn't coerce people into anything) One thing that concerns me here. I don't believe that if a person listens to music that they disagree with they will change their mind. Morris Dees will never like the Confederate Battle Flag, no matter how many times you play Dixie around him. Music is an art form and it has a message but only people who agree with the message will act on it when they hear it. Therefore if music is changing your behaviour for the negative, then of course it's not a good thing to listen to it, but it would be a good idea to do some soul searching as well. Songs with cuss words don't cause kids to swear if they don't want to. Songs about sex don't cause sexual behaviour if the kid doesn't want to do it. Songs don't make people who don't want to drink get drunk and they don't make people who don't believe in doing drugs do them. They might encourage those who WANT to do those things, and this indicates a bigger problem than someone getting rich off cussing and singing about sex and drugs. It indicates that the person listening to them has moral and spiritual problems which they have not conquered.

Secular Rap most definately has lyrics and musicians which are evil and glorify it, but not every song does. I hate the stuff, it annoys the tar out of me, but there are songs which are not evil.

It can be argued that you should not listen to music which has lyrics which are glorifying evil, particularly if it reinforces evil traits in a person's life. I wasn't arguing that everyone should go out and listen to Ozzy, or 50 Cent. Just because I said that a Christian might have the freedom to do so in the right context does not mean you should or that you have to or that it is wise for you to do so. I also don't think drinking is automatically a sin, however some people most certainly should not drink. If you are one of those people who shouldn't though, it is legalistic to tell someone else they shouldn't unless you know for a fact they are having their own sins reinforced.

Also, I have no problem with people who say that for them and their house they will have no secular music at all in their house, as long as they are consistent. Rap is no more evil than country, or pop, or metal, or whatever as a format. The lyrics can be problematic, but that is not the only format which has these types of lyrics. I can find evil lyrics in country, I can find them in jazz, I can find them in many styles of music. If you only want your family to listen to Christian music, go for it, but don't listen to Some "adult contemporary" on the sly and expect your kids to value your judgement on Rap. Remember that it's not the format, if anything is evil about music it's the lyrics.

DC, if your kids are acting out based on music they are listening to, then they have spiritual problems. Based on other things you have posted, I'm sure that you will not feel as though you are taken seriously at home and this might become another issue to have trouble with. Don't concentrate on the outward expressions of your family but on their spiritual condition. Because the outward expressions are symptoms...

[apothanein kerdos]

I was looking through this website about rock music and it's (often) satanic influences. Now, I like music as much as the next person, and I like some of the artists shown on this site, but things like this teach us to at least aware of what we are listening to sometimes. Is anyone else aware of these things?

Any comments?

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%...anic_quotes.htm

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%...c_no_effect.htm

Lyrics influence a person whilst the beat does not necessarily do so. The beat can influence emotional response, but it is the lyrics that can do the damage. Thus, no style of music is wrong, it is the lyrical content.

I actually wrote an "article" about this, but it has a link to the actual study.

[sweetycakes]

Thanks to all those who responded. You surely seem to have studied this in depth and taken the time to write well thought out answers.

The reason I posted this in the first place is not to label all of this type of music inherently evil, by no means, but just to say that we should at least be wise concerning these things, and aware of where some of the influences originate.

[Gerioke]

Why is rock n roll always the first style to get picked on when it comes to identifying evil music? I've heard at least as many country tunes that have un-godly lyrics.

Divorce, adultry, murder, thievery have all been continuous topics of country music.

I'm sure you would find the same thing about jazz and blues.

Jesus was the first to roll the rock so don't pick on the rock n roll

[sweetycakes]

I'm not picking on R & R, or indeed singling out any other music genre, Gerioke. The website listed includes links which study the influences from a wide variety of music. Also, you've got to remember that the website isn't mine. It's just one I found, when searching for something else. I think there can be good and bad influences in most music, that's all.

The reason I posted it was so that people can at least be informed a bit more than they were before, and then make up their own minds. I'm not one of those who believes that 'there is a demon behind every tree', but, equally, we should not be too complacent about everything, without enquiring sometimes about where 'some' things originate.

Regards, Stephen H

[deafcanada]

I'm not picking on R & R, or indeed singling out any other music genre, Gerioke. The website listed includes links which study the influences from a wide variety of music. Also, you've got to remember that the website isn't mine. It's just one I found, when searching for something else. I think there can be good and bad influences in most music, that's all.

The reason I posted it was so that people can at least be informed a bit more than they were before, and then make up their own minds. I'm not one of those who believes that 'there is a demon behind every tree', but, equally, we should not be too complacent about everything, without enquiring sometimes about where 'some' things originate.

Regards, Stephen H

I understand that and just Let God guide you about the music that you can use and use it for touch people to know about Jesus Christ. I dont mean all is evil no but i have to be very caution with that as i cant hear any music but i know some music are bad and some are good. we are supposed to worship God way like hymns that please God more that comes from our hearts down deep.

I dont mean to say the music are bad for everyone but those music are good for us to listen and encourage us to worship God from our heart and listen music that about Jesus Christ etc.

I hope you will understand my opinion

thanks

DC

[sweetycakes]

Or course I understand, deafcanada

All I'm saying is that if people are given all the facts, then they can at least make in 'informed decision' instead of blindly accepting what is fed to them by the mainstream media, which, after all, is in it either for the money (our money), and worship, or maybe something more insidious? I don't know.