Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: srh@cblph.att.com (Steven R Houser) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: "Christian" Rock Message-ID: Date: 13 May 91 05:25:33 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article jefff@locus.com (Jeff Fields) writes: >To reject the Christian rock groups solely for stylistic reasons is >ludicrous. Look to the message behind the style, before rejecting a >piece of music as Satanic. Look to the hearts of the musicians before >calling them spiritual rebels. Right. The original poster's attitude is nothing less than Pharisaical. Another tidbit that has some bearing on this discussion: I heard that many of the melodies of Charles Wesley's hymns were borrowed from old tavern songs. Can anyone confirm or refute this? Personally, I find most Christian rock far too tame. Too much of a Top-40 sound. I still like to listen to loud, raucous groups like Led Zeppelin and the Pretenders. I see nothing wrong with this. I always listen to the music critically. It's not like I'm taken in by it or anything. It's just fun. Christians are supposed to not "love the things of the world." But Paul also tells us not to submit to decrees like "do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, according to the teachings of men." Avoiding fun, morally-neutral things that the world has to offer is not spiritual. It's asceticism--a distinctly non-Christian teaching. Steve -- Steve Houser | All opinions expressed are mine, not my employer's. uunet!att!cblph!srh | (614)-860-2133 | [I can't speak for Wesley, but I can say that a lot of church music from the Renaissance and earlier is polyphonic invention based on tenors that were originally secular melodies. --clh]