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Way Of Life - The Beatles


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This isn't an attack, just a serious question, what is the actual point of this?

 

I don't know of any IFBs who don't recognize worldly music for what it is. Even the older ones who may have listened to the Beatles back in the 60s and really enjoyed them know what they were about and don't listen to that today.

 

For the younger folks, even if they know who the Beatles are, for most the Beatles are an old, odd group that they really can't understand how or why people were so excited by them or their music.

 

"Sex, drugs, and rock and roll" has long been badge of honor and battle cry for rock music and those who listen to it. This is common knowledge and we should expect nothing else from the world. Today, "booze, sex and country music" has an even larger audience that in some ways is even more dangerous than the rock and roll counterpart.

 

As others have pointed out, if we are going to address worldly music we should at least address contemporary bands, artists and songs rather than talking about the music from decades ago before many who listen to music today were even born. Today music from the 80s is being called "classic" and younger folks talk about music from the 90s as "the old stuff" or the music from when they were kids.

 

While there may indeed be an audience of this message, it's a limited one. Just who is the target audience of these messages?

 

If we want to reach the lost then we need to take the Gospel to them, begin with the Gospel and then, if necessary, discuss specific sins which they may need to recognize before they see their need for salvation.

 

If we want to reach those who are saved but are yet babes in Christ or carnal, then we need to disciple them, work first on their heart, not the externals.

 

 

On a purely personal note, I'm old enough to remember the Beatles being a big deal and I had a few of their 45s that came with a bunch of other records from a yard sale someone bought for me. Yet I'm young enough that the Beatles didn't impact me much. Had I seen this article in the 70s while I was yet lost, or even the early 80s when I was a babe in Christ, it would have meant nothing to me. I would have seen the article as irrelevant since I wasn't a Beatles fan (nor did I hate the Beatles) and the music I was listening to didn't sound like the Beatles.

 

That's just a personal note, but in talking with folks younger than myself I find most share a similar view or even a "who?" when talking about bands from "way back then", and even a "people really listened to that stuff?".

 

On another note, the "classic rock" stations were born out of the baby boomers getting older and their desire for nostalgia. If one follows the trend of "classic rock" when it began it was mostly confined to 50s music. Then, as the baby boomers got older they began mixing in some 60s music...then later some 70s music, and some today are even mixing in some early 80s music as the older boomers are dying off and the younger boomers are now in their 50s.

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I think its because so many of the new artists cite the Beatles as an inspiration of theirs, so it does connect.

 

As well, compared to the trash today, the Beatles almost seem safe and innocent. And even some serious believers don't see it.

 

three, there are always new believers who need this rehearsed to them. We may get it, but what about the new Christian who hasn't heard it?

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I think its because so many of the new artists cite the Beatles as an inspiration of theirs, so it does connect.

 

As well, compared to the trash today, the Beatles almost seem safe and innocent. And even some serious believers don't see it.

 

three, there are always new believers who need this rehearsed to them. We may get it, but what about the new Christian who hasn't heard it?

Yes, various artists cite them, and if the article was directed at them, this would make sense.

 

Yes, new Christians need to learn stuff, but far more important to disciple them than to talk about the Beatles, who they likely either don't know or don't care about.

 

Try talking to someone about how Patsy Cline paved the way for Madonna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and see the blank look on their face.

 

As I said, there is an audience for this message but it's a rather specific and limited audience that this will likely not be reaching.

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I know a number of young people who like the Beatles.  Even, sadly, IFB. Just because they are an old group doesn't mean their music isn't still popular. (and, although I'm not a fan of Patsy Cline, she in no way paved the way for Gaga and Madonna...IMO)

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Patsy Cline is credited with breaking barriers against women singers as well as breaking barriers with regards to the type of songs women sing.

 

As I've said, I've no prOBlem with the article itself, but I don't see how it would be very effective given the typical audience of this material. Perhaps there are more crazy IFBs out there than I realize. :face:

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Yeah, breaking barriers is one thing. Presenting oneself as Gaga and Madonna do is another. I'm sure Cline would be horrified to think that someone would link her to them.  :freaked:  :nuts:

 

Well, even IFB are human - and many stores use Beatles music (you know, "golden" oldies), so people do hear it. And compared to today's "music", it can sound pretty or intriguing. I think articles like this can be good reminders - especially for those of us who were Beatles fans in our youth.

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I once saw a news item about the Beatles and they were showing the usual stock footage of crowds of girls grabbing their '60s bOBs and screaming, and I remember at the time thinking that one of them looked like you, HC.

Really? Hehe. Well, I never went to any of their concerts or saw any of them in person. Just records and radio. The only time I had short hair  was when I was really young (4-7 years old) and my second year in college, so it wouldn't have been me.  :biggrin:  (I would have preferred buying an album to paying for a concert - the music lasted longer.)

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Really? Hehe. Well, I never went to any of their concerts or saw any of them in person. Just records and radio. The only time I had short hair  was when I was really young (4-7 years old) and my second year in college, so it wouldn't have been me.  :biggrin: (I would have preferred buying an album to paying for a concert - the music lasted longer.)

Makes it easier to learn the lyrics that way, too!  Right??

 

Before salvation, my wife was all about the Beatles; Jim Croce; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; etc.

After salvation (1976) she wanted to know more hymns than secular songs than she had learned.

 

We tease about how she doesn't need a songbook. She has well over 200 hymns (and about another 150 "spiritual songs" not in the hymnals) memorized ---- ALL the verses, not just the "Baptist" first and last or first, second and last!! (being the 3rd verse of a 4 verse hymn in a Baptist church is worse than being the Vice President from 6 or more administrations past).

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This article left me with a profound feeling of sadness. Here we have real life illustration of Mark 8:36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? John Lennon was a man who clearly was looking for something to fill the God-shaped vacuum in his heart, and I wonder if he may have found it if those who bitterly attacked him had prayed for him to find God's truth and shown Christ's love instead. I remember a visiting speaker in my chapel once gloating that half the Beatles were in hell, and he was praying that they could soon have a full reunion concert.  

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This article left me with a profound feeling of sadness. Here we have real life illustration of Mark 8:36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? John Lennon was a man who clearly was looking for something to fill the God-shaped vacuum in his heart, and I wonder if he may have found it if those who bitterly attacked him had prayed for him to find God's truth and shown Christ's love instead. I remember a visiting speaker in my chapel once gloating that half the Beatles were in hell, and he was praying that they could soon have a full reunion concert.  

Unfortunately I've encountered many Christians over the years with similar attitudes. They carry on about the evils of certain performers and their music, often saying unsavory things about them, and then with what seems a sense of pride and satisfaction talk about how they are, or one day will be burning in hell.

 

We tend to be very lax in our praying for the lost. Too many of us take glee in the idea "they'll get what's coming to them" seeming to forget, or not realize, that there but for the grace of God would we be.

 

It's the same thing with certain criminals and political leaders. I've heard Christians wish some horrible stuff upon such and boast about the "special place" in hell where they will really suffer. We seem to forget, or just neglect, the command to forgive others, to pray for them, to share the Gospel with them, to desire to see them saved when it comes to certain people we deem especially bad.

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On another note, I had to spend much time on the road this morning so I scanned for the classic/oldies channels and found three. To my surprise, all three only played songs from the mid-70s to mid-80s; even the station which called themselves the home of the oldies. I listened to each station for about an hour to get a good sampling. I had to keep it low because I didn't want to actually listen to it; just hear enough to know who it was and from when.

 

These are the ones I remember hearing:

 

Billy Joel

John Cougar

Earth, Wind and Fire

Chic

Heart

Bryan Adams

Journey

 

Those are all I recall off hand, but the rest were similar. Each song I heard came out between 1976 and 1983.

 

Anyway, that's what passes for "classic" and "oldies" radio around here it seems.

 

I'm sure near bigger cities there are prOBably many more such stations, some which do play music from the 50s and/or 60s; but apparently not around here anymore.

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John Lennon had a real contempt for Christ and Christianity.  One of his quotes was "Jesus Christ was a fascist Spanish [illegitimate child]".  When he died, one of my professors made the comment that he was in Hell. Not gleefully; he was saddened by it because he didn't want anyone to have to spend eternity in Hell.  But one of my class-mates took major offense and said that no-one could really know. Well, yes we can. When one knows what Lennon stood for re: Christianity and Christ there is no way one can think maybe he might have been saved.

 

Yeah, the oldies that I hear with their music is usually in the grocery story or elevators.  

 

It truly is sad how that group was used to bring so much harm here.

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