Is Modern Music Evil?

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cynic

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By this I mean music based on rhyhm, beats, dynamics. For arguments sake let’s assume that no negative messages are in the lyrics, and just focus on the type of music itself.

Isn’t rock music based on african rhythmes designed to inflame the passions, lust, aggression, the ego? Think about it, what do the words Rock and Roll actually refer to?

Is this an example of man taking the gift of music, given to us by God to be used for worship, and twisting it to glorify himself? If so, then what place does ‘Christian Rock’ have if they are using such an inherently egotistical style of music ? A bit of a contradiction maybe…
 
Coldplay ain’t evil…X&Y is the most soothing album I own, Rush of Blood is quite soothing aswell. Nothing wrong with that is there? I don’t get all lustfull and full of pride by listening to Coldplay, I just lay there and reflect. 🙂
 
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canadianlife:
Coldplay ain’t evil…X&Y is the most soothing album I own, Rush of Blood is quite soothing aswell. Nothing wrong with that is there? I don’t get all lustfull and full of pride by listening to Coldplay, I just lay there and reflect. 🙂
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are these ‘Coldplay’ you speak of Christians?
 
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cynic:
are these ‘Coldplay’ you speak of Christians?
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You would have to ask Gwenyth Paltrow aka Mr. Chris Martin that question.

Seriously, they are not a Christian-music band - they’re secular musicians that are very popular in secular music.
 
heh, I’m sorry I was joking around then, but the topic is seriouse (well…)
 
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cynic:
By this I mean music based on rhyhm, beats, dynamics. For arguments sake let’s assume that no negative messages are in the lyrics, and just focus on the type of music itself.

Isn’t rock music based on african rhythmes designed to inflame the passions, lust, aggression, the ego? Think about it, what do the words Rock and Roll actually refer to?

Is this an example of man taking the gift of music, given to us by God to be used for worship, and twisting it to glorify himself? If so, then what place does ‘Christian Rock’ have if they are using such an inherently egotistical style of music ? A bit of a contradiction maybe…
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It can be, but that depends entirely on how it is used. Music is a language. Other languages have many words, none of which are inherently evil – it depends on how those words are used.
 
Isn’t rock music based on african rhythmes designed to inflame the passions, lust, aggression, the ego? Think about it, what do the words Rock and Roll actually refer to?
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Not really. Most is based on the Blues which is loosely based on African ryhthms. The similarities are VERY few. Many rock bands, most notably Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, base their music more on classical music.
 
I don’t think there is anything inherently evil in the music. Lyrics maybe, but not the music itself. Both Psalms 149 and 150 mention the Timbrel (a drum or tamburine). Both mention it in reference to praising God. God is not offended by this music.

On the issue of the origin of the music, I don’t think it makes too much of a difference. If the wheel had been invented by pagans (and who knows, maybe it was!) we would still use it. Either that or I’m going to have become hyper-amish! :rolleyes:
 
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cynic:
By this I mean music based on rhyhm, beats, dynamics. For arguments sake let’s assume that no negative messages are in the lyrics, and just focus on the type of music itself.

Isn’t rock music based on african rhythmes designed to inflame the passions, lust, aggression, the ego? Think about it, what do the words Rock and Roll actually refer to?

Is this an example of man taking the gift of music, given to us by God to be used for worship, and twisting it to glorify himself? If so, then what place does ‘Christian Rock’ have if they are using such an inherently egotistical style of music ? A bit of a contradiction maybe…
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No. That’s absurd. Music is not in and of itself evil, even as a product of the creative mind of fallen man. The lyrics and the behaviors associated with certain music are evil. If you take the beats and put a Christian message with them instead of pornographic lyrics, the song becomes good, so how could the music in and of itself be evil. People may not like the way certain music sounds, but that does not make the sound evil. Marijuana is not evil. Marijuana is good. Marijuana is a creation of the Father. What people do with marijuana is evil; it is an abuse of the creation. We must get away from the Manichean notion that all things material are evil. The material world is good. God said so. It’s pretty much the first thing you would read in the Bible.

World = good
Man + world = very good
Musical notes, created by God, arranged by man = good
Musical notes, created by God, arranged by man + sin = abuse of creation; bad
 
A certain type of rhythm, beat, and such just by themselves cannot be evil. If they have an evil message attached to them, then they can be evil, but only if the listener is able to grasp the meaning, which I would say is impossible with no lyrics.

You can’t listen to a piece of music and tell by just its beat and structure and rhythms what the creator was trying to say.

Its like holding up your middle finger. There’s nothing intrinsically evil about it, but we’ve come to attach an evil meaning to it, so don’t do it. But if you grew up in a culture where this was not the case and you knew nothing about it being evil, then there would be nothing wrong with it.

I think sweetchuck said it nicely! 🙂
 
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sweetchuck:
No. That’s absurd. Music is not in and of itself evil, even as a product of the creative mind of fallen man. The lyrics and the behaviors associated with certain music are evil. If you take the beats and put a Christian message with them instead of pornographic lyrics, the song becomes good, so how could the music in and of itself be evil. People may not like the way certain music sounds, but that does not make the sound evil. Marijuana is not evil. Marijuana is good. Marijuana is a creation of the Father. What people do with marijuana is evil; it is an abuse of the creation. We must get away from the Manichean notion that all things material are evil. The material world is good. God said so. It’s pretty much the first thing you would read in the Bible.

World = good
Man + world = very good
Musical notes, created by God, arranged by man = good
Musical notes, created by God, arranged by man + sin = abuse of creation; bad
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isn’t the the ‘beat’ of rock music sexual? The way notes arranged, as someone said, is like a language, so what soes the sound of rock music communicate? Isn’t it mans base, sensual urges put into sound? Does not christian contemporary music use this sensual musical style but try to make it good with worship lyrics, what they are inadvertedly doing is introducing young people to rock music.
 
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cynic:
isn’t the the ‘beat’ of rock music sexual? The way notes arranged, as someone said, is like a language, so what soes the sound of rock music communicate? Isn’t it mans base, sensual urges put into sound? Does not christian contemporary music use this sensual musical style but try to make it good with worship lyrics, what they are inadvertedly doing is introducing young people to rock music.
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I believe gregorian chant tried to avoid rhythm altogether, as that led to dance, which was sexual . . . do you think dance is really sexual? Well, I suppose in certain circumstances it certainly can be, but dancing at Catholic weddings isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

I don’t see how any beat could be interpreted as being intrinsically sexually in nature though :confused:
 
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cynic:
isn’t the the ‘beat’ of rock music sexual? The way notes arranged, as someone said, is like a language, so what soes the sound of rock music communicate? Isn’t it mans base, sensual urges put into sound? Does not christian contemporary music use this sensual musical style but try to make it good with worship lyrics, what they are inadvertedly doing is introducing young people to rock music.
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Music isn’t evil in and of itself. Modern culture has a learned association with beat and sexuality. The beat does not elicit the behavior, the culture teaches the behavior. The beat then becomes the trigger…but only because of the learned association. It’s basic Pavlovian principles. The lyrics are the real evil. The pairing of the beat and lyrics is only the abuse of what could be good and pleasing.
 
Music has both subjective and objective elements to it. Its subjective meaning and effect are dependent on its cultural context. Differrent cultures associate certain rhythm patterns or scales and harmonies with different meanings.

However, music also has distinct physical properties and has objective effects on the brain. These effects can be conditioned by the subjective meaning, but are nonetheless present.

Let us suppose for a moment, for the sake of argument, that highly rhythmic music such as rock objectively communicates a sensual meaning. To that I say,

So?
 
You might want to check out Allan Bloom’s Closing of the American Mind and chapter 2 on music. He essentially makes the argument (actually Plato’s argument) that music (irrespective of lyrics) has direct access to the soul and thus has the power to exalt it or warp it. Good read even if it doesn’t quite establish the case since it is considering something hard to pin down rationally.

Scott
 
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Prometheum_x:
.

Let us suppose for a moment, for the sake of argument, that highly rhythmic music such as rock objectively communicates a sensual meaning. To that I say,

So?
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So?!? If it’s sensual, carnal, then it glorifies the flesh
 
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cynic:
So?!? If it’s sensual, carnal, then it glorifies the flesh
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Explain how something being sensual in some aspect causes it to “glorify” the flesh.
 
I don’t know much about “modern music” but that Gangta Rap (did I spell it right) that a certain young man in my neighborhood likes to blast all the time if full of the “F” and “B” word, is just plain disgusting. If that’s not evil I don’t know what is.
 
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