What song is that lyric in?–“Jah Rastafari”?When someone sings “Jah Rastafari”, that is a declaration that the singer considers Ras Tafari (Prince Tafari of Ethiopia) to be God. I guess if you don’t sing or cheer such a lyric the music is no worse than any pagan, shamanic or Taoist regular rock star’s work. So if Jim Morrison is acceptable, why not Bob Marley, who is far more interesting?
Music is very powerful. It moves the human soul. The word music is derived comes from muse, spirit. The ancients undersstood that music connects us to the spiritual dimension.I am new to the church and begin the RCIA next month. I know that by becoming Catholic we should surround ourselves with music, tv and books that do not go against our values. Bob Marley is my favorite musician, as i love the music and lyrics. His songs are about freedom, love, friendship, and rising up in hard times. He was yes a Rasta, but did respect Christianity. Is it okay to admire and enjoy his music as a Catholic?
That’s an awfully dubious charge.There are drugs that people take to put them in altered states of conscience. Many popular musicians find inspiration for the music that they create under the influence of drugs. Bob Marley was one of those people. His music is drug induced and by listening to it people are influenced spiritually by the same forces that he tapped into when he created it.
The most popular saint of the 1900s and still today is probably Saint Therese of Lisiuex. She was a contemplative and lived in a cloister. Pope John Paul II decleared her a doctor of the Church. She died at 24 and wrote only one book, her autobiography, under obedience. She has certainly made a difference in our Church and influenced the faith in a very powerful way, with her Little Way.Bob rocks.
This whole idea that Catholics are obligated to basically cut themselves off entirely from secular society is just mind-blowing.
No recluse ever made a difference. Not one.
Do you have evidence to show Bach and Beetoven used cocaine?That’s an awfully dubious charge.
If what you say is true then nearly all music should be boycotted, including the likes of many famed classical composers, many of which would have used cocaine, for pleasure or medicinal purposes – or else CDs and digital downloads ought to come standard with drug test results.
Who would have know of St. Therese’s “Little Way” had it remained in the confines of her cloister and someone else had not made it know to the world?The most popular saint of the 1900s and still today is probably Saint Therese of Lisiuex. She was a contemplative and lived in a cloister. Pope John Paul II decleared her a doctor of the Church. She died at 24 and wrote only one book, her autobiography, under obedience. She has certainly made a difference in our Church and influenced the faith in a very powerful way, with her Little Way.
The Church has always believed, from the time of Jesus that “Mary chose the better way”, over Martha’s way. Contemplatives bring more grace to the world than the rest of us, according to all the saints of all ages. It is just not easily visible to us.
If I choose to listen to Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, or even Bob Marley, I can do so conscientiously. I am not going to condone everything they say as gospel, nor will I condemn other truths which their lyrics reveal. God is revealed in the destitute and the profane as well as the good and sacred, a process known as apophatic theology.Look at the way the icons of the age flamed out. Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, how many others ODed and choked on their own vomit? They are still cult figures. You want to follow that path?
What occurred to me the first time I read Story of a Soul was that there are many thousands of contemplatives hidden away that we do not know about, known only to God, who by their prayers and sacrifice bring much grace into the world. To say these people contribute nothing to us is ignorance.Who would have know of St. Therese’s “Little Way” had it remained in the confines of her cloister and someone else had not made it know to the world?
Their music, the drugs, the suicides, sexual licentiousness, overdoses and moral degradation, are all linked to one another. The music was influential on millions of people and that influence, judged by the fruits of a very broken generation, that damaged itself morally, psychologically and physically, and its children, was spiritually dark. You know a tree by its fruits. The fruits are rotten. It is difficult to distinguish between symptoms and cause. The cause of evil is evil.Grandfather, I don’t disagree with you that the 60’s saw an unprecedented rise in drug abuse and that it’s “icons” flamed out in a most miserable way, but the music was a symptom of that, and not the cause.
What if those folks had used classical-style music to convey their message. Would you blame it on that, too?
I don’t think that even a small percentage of the people who listen to reggae become rastafarians, although I know of some young people who have recently. I do believe that there are spiritual dangers that we all encounter in the world and some of it is found in music. You think you can handle it and it will not harm you, that you can listen conscientiously, whatever that means. So do it. That music has no appeal for me. I find it offensive so I don’t choose to listen to it. It disturbs me. I find nothing redemptive in it. It is part of a culture that to me seems dark. So when I think of the cultrue I do want to embrace, that too has personalities I am attracted to, of our time, Kolbe, Pope Benedict, Therese, Teresa, Pio. I don’t think they will listen to Marly.If I choose to listen to Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, or even Bob Marley, I can do so conscientiously. I am not going to condone everything they say as gospel, nor will I condemn other truths which their lyrics reveal. God is revealed in the destitute and the profane as well as the good and sacred, a process known as apophatic theology.
Your response, however, suggesting that the individual is unable to appreciate the design, sound, or words of music without him/herself being manipulated into the most grievous of sinners only illustrates how little you value man’s free will, the true gift of grace, and the ability to distinguish between good and evil. If a person is unable to listen to Bob Marley without feeling the whims of deceit, concluding that the dictator of Ethiopia is God Incarnate, and marijuana is God’s True Manna, then I would agree that you should not listen to much of anything aside from hymns, which, even then, might be risky since even those men who wrote our hymns were sinners, as well.
You’re right, I doubt these holy men and women would take time to listen to Bob Marley, but I am quite positive they would agree with what his says:So when I think of the cultrue I do want to embrace, that too has personalities I am attracted to, of our time, Kolbe, Pope Benedict, Therese, Teresa, Pio. I don’t think they will listen to Marly.
I understand your point and I agree with much of it, but how would you have known of these people had you not read the Story of a Soul? Where did you get that book from…was it the recluse or someone else? It seems to me that, similar to the Sacraments, God used something physical to convey this message to you.What occurred to me the first time I read Story of a Soul was that there are many thousands of contemplatives hidden away that we do not know about, known only to God, who by their prayers and sacrifice bring much grace into the world. To say these people contribute nothing to us is ignorance.
So what? His drug induced music is dark. It causes disordered passions. His fan base is largely from the drug culture.You’re right, I doubt these holy men and women would take time to listen to Bob Marley, but I am quite positive they would agree with what his says:
Yes, you can hear the children singing: Hallelujah time!
As they go singing by and by: Hallelujah time!
Oh, “hallelujah” singing in the morning.
Hallelujah time! Let them sing; don’t let them cry.
I said nothing about the physical creation being evil or that physical things should not be used for good. The book was published by Catholic publishers endeavoring to spread the gospel, not endeavoring to get an audience worked into a frenzy of disordered passions. Music and all forms of entertainment influence people. There is something spiritual behind it all, for good or evil. There has always been sin. It has increased in these times. Statistics prove that. Violent crimes, drug addiction, sexually transmitted disease rates, broken families, perversion, all are up. In 1959 there were 49 murders in NYC with a population of 8 million. In 1989 the population was the same that there were 1800 murders. People are afraid to walk the streets in many neighborhoods and there are gunshots in the streets every night. I grew up there. The culture has gone upside down. Sin was always part of life. It is increased and grace has decreased. Nothing is compartmentalized. Part of the culture is its music. It is sick.I understand your point and I agree with much of it, but how would you have known of these people had you not read the Story of a Soul? Where did you get that book from…was it the recluse or someone else? It seems to me that, similar to the Sacraments, God used something physical to convey this message to you.
I will admit that I could have phrased my original point better. I apologize for that. I do, however, completely disagree with you that music is what causes people to sin. Before rock music there was sin. As a matter of fact, when classical music was “popular” there also sin existed.