Artists on religion

[todoeldiapulpin]

Hello.
Is this the wrong forum? If so, please rearrange it.
I saw this interesting thread, “Scientists on Religion”. It was made so that people could post quotes about the topic and comment on them. Now, I was thinking of creating one about artists´ opinions (be them plastic artists, novelists, poets, storytellers, screenwriters or musicians).
I just ask you one thing: post about serious artists, such as, say, Helman Melville or El Greco. Don´t post what, say, Justin Bieber or Shakira think (sorry, Justin, Shakira).
Here´s the link of the scientists thread: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=1000250
I wonder if this thread will be successful. That said, thank you very much.
Peace and good. Blessings.
P.D.: Pray for Peru (specially for Piura, which is flooded).

 

[gam197]

Sounds interesting. I would love to read all the quotes even if I don’t feel I can contribute.

 

[Allegra]

“Bach gave us God’s word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us Music that we might pray without words.”

It’s not by an artist, about God. But it’s about artist’s expressions of God. It’s an inscription on a concert hall in Frankfurt, but I don’t know who first said it.

 

[friardchips]

“Bach gave us God’s word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us Music that we might pray without words.”

It’s not by an artist, about God. But it’s about artist’s expressions of God. It’s an inscription on a concert hall in Frankfurt, but I don’t know who first said it.

I tend to think that Mozart :harp: gave us joyful glimpses into the heavenly angelic places whereas Beethoven beckoned us to trudge through the muddiness of earthly emotional struggle: Mozart’s spiritual fire vs Beethoven’s emotional fire.

 

[ett]

Hello.
Is this the wrong forum? If so, please rearrange it.
I saw this interesting thread, “Scientists on Religion”. It was made so that people could post quotes about the topic and comment on them. Now, I was thinking of creating one about artists´ opinions (be them plastic artists, novelists, poets, storytellers, screenwriters or musicians).
I just ask you one thing: post about serious artists, such as, say, Helman Melville or El Greco. Don´t post what, say, Justin Bieber or Shakira think (sorry, Justin, Shakira).
Here´s the link of the scientists thread: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=1000250
I wonder if this thread will be successful. That said, thank you very much.
Peace and good. Blessings.
P.D.: Pray for Peru (specially for Piura, which is flooded).

So my girlfriend, of wherest we met on catholicmatch.com and had been dating since January this year, just broke up with me. She said I have to leave my performance music out of my life if I really want her. She quotes Beyonce “All the Single Ladies” because it says “Do not treat me to these things of the world.” I don’t lead a wild and crazy lifestyle, I just practice some motown/funk cover songs and play saxophone in a band at 2 local bars, but I was more involved in music before we met, and committed to her and even told her several times that several of the musicians I play with are married themselves, not as Catholics, but to themselves they see themselves as married, even though a Catholic marriage is the only valid marriage according to the church.

I go to church every Sunday and sing in choir, but I don’t see singing in choir as performance time, but as prayer time.

I see her point that the people I play music with are leading lifestyles where there is marijuana smoke and drinks, these devil’s highs, rather than God’s highs, but is a song like “I’d rather go Blind” by Etta James, and other songs that encourage dancing really all that bad?

so I am just out there using the skill of playing an instrument I learned all through my younger days, just making use of it, to play music, and often communicate to the other musicians that I am there to play the music but do not want to stay at all night parties, or big music festivals out in the desert, or do any of the drugs.

So am I a true catholic, or is this a double life? Can a true catholic still play performance music in the likes of Motown? (James Brown, Gladys Knight, Tina and Ike, etc.).

True that pride is a cardinal sin and so maybe the lyrics to Proud Mary if it is attributed to our Blessed Mother would be that big a sin, but nowhere in the song does it say it is about our Blessed Mary, so it really could be the name of someone else, or even of a Ferry, as I believe it actually is named for.

Sometimes timing recent changes comes to mind…In 2004 I had a saxophone and was more interested in finding a woman to settle down with than to play it.

Time went by and I never found a woman to settle down with.

Around 2007/2008, still with no girlfriend, feeling extremely alone I let music come back into my life by singing karaoke at a local bar, but didn’t want it to lead me to bad places, so being I also was coming back home to the church after a long departure and just gone to RCIA (as a Candidate, not Catechumen, since I was already baptised and had First Communion when I was younger) and aimed at a balanced life where I wasn’t just so alone but going to church seeing all these happy families whereas I was just this single guy in his 30s who didn’t really fit in, I sang karaoke to make friends I may have more in common with. I also went to watch football at the local Sports Bar. So I also mentined to my local Parish that I was there and if it was a bad thing, but was invited to sing in the choir, so I accepted. I have been singing in the choir ever since then.

But the bar wasn’t the answer, because even though fun at times, I never saw the people I knew at the karaoke/sports bar outside of the bar but maybe 2 or 3 times in several years. They seemed more into the drinking, and I saw myself as a church goer who just was looking for some friends to fit in with.

Then I saw these instruments, a bass guitar and an alto saxophone, sitting there, that I hadn’t touched in a very long time, and during this time, without me even eluding to wanting one, one of my brothers buys me an acoustic guitar for Christmas. So I thought I could fit in with musicians, and so wow, I started to meet al kinds of people just through going to Open Mic nights and following some of tha bands around.

Still going to church during all of this has been my stronghold from participating in any drugs or excessive drinking or just doing anything sinful. Just playing music with them, is that really all that bad?

…

 

[ett]

But then the events I was invited to were things I didn’t know much about until I went, and some of which I decided I don’t want any part of, and that is something I decided before ever meeting my girlfriend. I also saw my work productivity threatened if I went out too much, an added reason to keep myself in from those bigger events. Still I didn’t do the drugs, just played the music. I did end up losing my job, but turns out it wasn’t due to bad productivity, but from lack of enough understanding of the subject needed to pass a certification required for keeping the job. Knowing whether I could have passed if I looked only at that subject without playing the music is debatable, because sometimes we need something fun in between studying, to give us a break.

Then I met my girlfriend, who understood me but was very hurt from a previous love who was in a club scene and cheated on her… so now I’m thinking of leaving music again because I found the girl whereas I was willing to put music aside for before, is here now and feeling the clubs and drugs are dangerous for our relationship. I sure have bad timing

So my girlfirned says music is my passion, but really it’s just something that worked into my life when I was lonely, and kept me going, but now she wants me to leave it as if it’s not worth a thing, simply because it’s in the clubbing/drug environment.

But is playing a few songs in a club really that bad, if that is all I am doing? AM I a bad Catholic? Am I giving into the Devil just because I play motown music?

One practice a week and lately 1 show a month is all it is. Am I just to leave music for my girlfriend who I have talked engagement with?

may be more thoughts later.

 

[Viki63]

But is playing a few songs in a club really that bad, if that is all I am doing? AM I a bad Catholic? Am I giving into the Devil just because I play motown music?

One practice a week and lately 1 show a month is all it is. Am I just to leave music for my girlfriend who I have talked engagement with?

may be more thoughts later.

Hi Ett,
you might be better off starting your own thread, as the OP created this one to ask for quotes from musicians, artists, etc.
But in my opinion, playing music in a club isn’t bad at all, unless you find that temptations are too strong for you there. But if your girlfriend strongly objects, you may need to discuss it with her, maybe reach a compromise.
God created music, heaven is said to be full of music, praise, and joy.

.

 

[Viki63]

From G.K. Chesterton, Christian apologist and novelist:

'Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." - Orthodoxy

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As far as pop artists, why not include them? They also have a big impact on people’s lives. People listen to Justin Bieber who wouldn’t cross the street to see an El Greco, And here’s what Justin has to say, which I find pretty impressive:

"I do not want to shove this down anyone’s throat. I just wanna honestly live like Jesus. Not be Jesus—I could never—I don’t want that to come across weird. He created a pretty awesome template of how to love people and how to be gracious and kind. If you believe it, he died for our sins. Sometimes when I don’t feel like doing something, but I know it’s right, I remember, I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t feel like going to the cross and dying so that we don’t have to feel what we should have to feel. "

From this article.

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