Bill Gaither and the Southern Gospel Crowd

[kevinmiller]

So you are looking for a verse that says "thou shalt not listen to rock music?"

[Will]

So you are looking for a verse that says "thou shalt not listen to rock music?"

No.

[kevinmiller]

http://www.dccsa.com/greatjoy/music.htm

[John81]

It's not overly accurate to compare various music styles without being very specific. To say "country music" is evil, or rock based, and thus wrong, and then to equate that with Southern Gospel, which is equated to rock and CCM, is missing a great deal.

Traditional country music is vastly different from modern country music which is much more "pop" based. Many Christians used traditional country music to sing Christian songs and hymns with the same as with Bluegrass. It really wasn't until the 20th century that country music became dominated by the "cheatin' and drinkin'" stuff.

The same is similarly true of Southern Gospel. Some of what passes for Southern Gospel today wouldn't have even been thought of as Southern Gospel a few decades ago.

The fact that some today mix pop and rock in with what they call country, bluegrass or Southern Gospel, does not make all the traditional Christian music in those categories evil.

[kevinmiller]

"How I Learned to Recognize the Rock Beat"

"I pressed my foot against the accelerator. The windows were rolled down, and the wind was rushing across my face. The car stereo was cranked up loud with one of my favorite Christian songs.

"'Feel the beat, feel the beat,' boomed this musical command. I listened to it; I embraced it; I obeyed it.

"I loved the beat. It was my comfort in sorrow, my solace in grief, my counselor in confusion. I was willing to stand against the disapproval of my parents, my pastor, and even some of my friends in order to satisfy my desire for the beat.

"This pursuit for the beat began when I was a little girl. My uncle, who i sonly six year older than I, would care for us while my parents were gone. He was my hero in every way. He would play 'hard rock' in his car.

"One afternoon we were stopped by a policeman and given a ticket because the music was so loud. My uncle's love for rock music progressed along with rebellion, drugs, suspension from school, thievery, and a police record.

"My uncle eventually moved away, but his music stayed with me. I began following in the same footsteps as my hero.

"I remember the first record I bought. I t had pictures of prostitutes on the front. I noticed that the album covers of my favorite songs often depicted evil things. The beat seemed to increase my thirst for evil. My clothes, my habits, and my attitudes changed to reflect the rebellion within me.

"Shortly after my thirteenth birthday, my entire family responded to the message of salvation. Many changes took place as a result of our commitment to Jesus Christ. Alcohol bottles were emptied, books were burned, even my records and tapes were destroyed. I experienced great joy and freedom from the sins that had been controlling my life.

"However, it didn't take long for unresolved bitterness toward my mother to surface. I experienced anger and deep loneliness. Meanwhile, it seemed as if the rock beat was popping up everywhere. I tried to resist its influence, knowing the association that it had with my habits of the past, and yet I struggled to find something to fill my void.

"Then I was introduced to 'Christian rock' music as a means of evangelizing my unsaved friends. I was so excited, because I could find contemporary Christian artists that sounded like my old secular favorites. At first, I started with a mild beat, for fear of getting involved with rock music again. However, I was told by many respected Christians that is was the lyrics that made secular music wrong, not the tune.

"My old desire for 'the beat' was satisfied again, but the things it required of me waged a war within my soul. It seemed as though there was always a conflict between my family and me. Thoughts of suicide came to me during the this period of times. I had a deep desire to follow the Lord, yet I could not understand why I had no victory in my daily life.

"I attended a seminar where I was challenged to dedicate my life to the Lord. This included yielding my rights in the areas of music, friends, and clothes. I confessed my hidden sins to my parents and asked them to forgive me for my rebellion.

"I purposed to seek their counsel for my decisions. When they started talking about 'my' music, I struggled to find where to draw the line between good and bad music.

"The Striving for Excellence music course(IBLP) was presented in my Sunday school during that time. It gave examples of music that contained the rock beat. I laughed out loud as I heard these example. I could not even hear the beat in those mild songs. Instead of having my questions answered about the rock beat, I was left with more questions.

"I prayerfully decided to go on a 'music fast.' I packed up all my questionable tapes and listened only to music that was clearly unquestionable. I began memorizing large portions of Scripture during this 'music fast'-something that I had had a difficult time doing before.

"Instead of falling asleep listening to music, I went to bed reciting Scripture. For the first time, I could see definite progress in my commitment to the Lord. Whenever I faced temptation, I would go to Scripture instead of my tape deck.

"After the music fast, I reevaluated my music tapes and was shocked to recognize the rock beat in many sons where I had never even heard it before.

"I then made it my goal to create a gap between the music to which I would listen and the music of the world., rather than seeing how close I could come to the line. This gap was created by taking steps to regain the 'ground' in my soul that I had given to Satan through wrong music. Now I am so glad that I am finally free!"

Kathy Voyer, California

Note: If you are unable to carry out a "fast" from rock music for at least a month, it would confirm that you are addicted to it. The Apostle Paul stated that "all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." He stated that he kept his body under the strictest discipline, lest having preached to others, he himself should be a castaway.

Excerpt taken from "How to Conquer the Addiction of Rock Music-Written by Youth Who Have Found Freedom"

[Will]

Anecdotal evidence is not the best way to prove something right or wrong. All anecdotal evidence proves is why something is right or wrong for you personally. It's a very weak form of convincing somebody. Cold, hard facts are what is needed in this discussion.

[Anon]

Do this:

Turn up your music in your car to where its loud, but you can't hear the words outside your car. Now leave all the windows up and go in your house for a minute. Come back up and as you walk to your car, what do you hear? Does it sound like the world? Rolled up windows do a good job of filtering out everything but the beat and the heavy bass in a song. You would be surprised at what underlies some of your music.

[PreacherBen]

So since the scriptures refered to in the article refer to "rock" music, you therefore dismiss them? Oh well. It's your life. Live it as you see fit.

[Will]

Do this:

Turn up your music in your car to where its loud, but you can't hear the words outside your car. Now leave all the windows up and go in your house for a minute. Come back up and as you walk to your car, what do you hear? Does it sound like the world? Rolled up windows do a good job of filtering out everything but the beat and the heavy bass in a song. You would be surprised at what underlies some of your music.

Bluegrass has bass? 'Cause that's a lot of what's on my mp3 player that plays over my car sound system. And Southern Gospel, but SG doesn't sound much like what I hear on the Country Music stations or the rock stations. And most Christian Praise and Worship music doesn't sound much like the world's either if you perform that experiment. I perform that 'experiment' almost every night when I'm delivering pizzas. :mrgreen: :lol:

[Will]

So since the scriptures refered to in the article refer to "rock" music, you therefore dismiss them? Oh well. It's your life. Live it as you see fit.

What scriptures refer to rock music?

[Anon]

IMO Scripture does not talk about what kind of music is right. We are told to not love the world..therefore our music should not sound like the world at all. It should not be fleshly or be a mimic of worldly music styles.

The devil is a musical creature and it is not a surprise that this is a very controversial issue, because he is good at deceiving Christians in this way. He knows how to get us to listen to the wrong music while all the time thinking its okay.

[Will]

Just to point out:

A lot of my Christian music is rather soft music. I pay close attention to the lyrics as well. The music may have drums, but mostly the drums are played softly as well. I do sometimes listen to Messianic music, which is pretty neat, because it makes you wanna jump up and down and shake a tamborine or something.

[kevinmiller]

There is also a chapter in that book on the origins of rock in African voodoo. Both hard and "soft." I'll post it maybe later tonight after church.

[Anon]

This is a topic where I least understand...why would the Holy Spirit who lives inside me convict me about listening to certain music...but then He would allow other Christians to defend the exact same music I felt led to give up? Do we all worship the same God, or what? :?

[kevinmiller]

The Holy Spirit will only convict as long as we allow Him too. There is such a thing as "quenching" the Holy Spirit. You have to be willing to give it up. Most people choose to hold on to it. I did for too long...