I agree, in terms of right or wrong, and aware of that in Islam. In Christianity with so many denominations and sects, there are a myriad of rules and dogma that lead one to feel that it could be immoral or lead one into immorality in one sect/denom, and it not be at all potentially offensive, in another sect. Of course there are Christians who feel that listening to anything outside of instrumental type music, and Gospel hymns might be considered blasphemy. lol
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Is it wrong for religious people to listen to secular music?
- Thread starter Deidre
- Start date
I agree, in terms of right or wrong, and aware of that in Islam. In Christianity with so many denominations and sects, there are a myriad of rules and dogma that lead one to feel that it could be immoral or lead one into immorality in one sect/denom, and it not be at all potentially offensive, in another sect. Of course there are Christians who feel that listening to anything outside of instrumental type music, and Gospel hymns might be considered blasphemy. lol
Most everyday things are at least arguably secular, and most music is very much religiously neutral, and therefore secular.
It seems to me that the OP means to ask a somewhat different question, namely whether music that nominally challenges one's beliefs should be avoided.
That probably depends on how vulnerable to those challenges one is, as well as to whether avoiding such challenges is perceived as desirable.
It seems to me that the OP means to ask a somewhat different question, namely whether music that nominally challenges one's beliefs should be avoided.
That probably depends on how vulnerable to those challenges one is, as well as to whether avoiding such challenges is perceived as desirable.
I listen to all types of music, but upon returning to faith, I wonder if it's wrong (for want of a better word) to listen to certain types of music, with lyrics that might be too worldly. Thing is, a lot of hip hop and dance music is really fun and has a great beat...so, it's hard to turn it off, sometimes. lol
If you are religious, do you think there is anything wrong with listening to secular hip hop music, or secular music in general?
Y'know, Deidre, this is a very thought-provoking question, and I'll try to answer it as honestly as I can from two perspectives:
As a HUGE fan of Hip Hop, I feel like the older I get (I'm 19 now), the more I begin to vomit over the state of Hip Hop music (some of it). Black youths, we're looking up to the WRONG TYPE OF PEOPLE, namely the WRONG KIND OF ARTISTS who are putting out there the WRONG KINDS OF LYRICS. At least, that's true for the mainstream....
As a Bahá’í, I especially LOVE religious Hip Hop from artists of different religions: Christian, Jewish, Islamic! Black people are religiously diverse, more so than other people might think (though, the Abrahamic faiths are the most followed, especially Christianity and Islam), and I think that when that's reflected in the music, the music becomes much more powerful, y'know?
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
I listen to all types of music, but upon returning to faith, I wonder if it's wrong (for want of a better word) to listen to certain types of music, with lyrics that might be too worldly. Thing is, a lot of hip hop and dance music is really fun and has a great beat...so, it's hard to turn it off, sometimes. lol
If you are religious, do you think there is anything wrong with listening to secular hip hop music, or secular music in general?
Trying to apply Buddhist ethics and practices again that I lost for good six year break, I find its a good spiritual fasting to limit secular things close to sins. For example, thou shall not kill. Id extend that to limit the amount of news, movies, etc you read and listen to. Cleansing your mind and heart so after fasting you can decern what will bother your relationship with Christ and what not.
I think this goes with secular music just as much as listening to Brick House and It Wasnt Me.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
I'd say it depends of the lyrics. AC/DC shouldn't be taken too seriously (except for the irony of Phil Rudd making his own call for some dirty deeds), some bands like Korn or Nine Inch Nails deal heavily with being an outsider, but some bands, like the sex and drugs of Aerosmith it would fall on each person to decide for themselves. And then there are bands like Symphony X, Fleshgod Apocalypse, or Nile that make songs that are based in classic mythology such as Greek and Egyptian. And then of course Iron Maiden makes for a great study tool for English literature and history.
Behemoth, Thy Art is Murder, Venom, and Puscifer are probably off limits for various religious followers though. But you can't go wrong with Hatebreed, whose lyrics are very motivational and inspirational and in a very positive way (it puzzles me that their mosh pits regularly turn so violent).
And if music can lead you away from your faith, your faith probably wasn't very strong to begin with.
Behemoth, Thy Art is Murder, Venom, and Puscifer are probably off limits for various religious followers though. But you can't go wrong with Hatebreed, whose lyrics are very motivational and inspirational and in a very positive way (it puzzles me that their mosh pits regularly turn so violent). And if music can lead you away from your faith, your faith probably wasn't very strong to begin with.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
I don't have a religion.....and I used to hang out at discos...I listen to all types of music, but upon returning to faith, I wonder if it's wrong (for want of a better word) to listen to certain types of music, with lyrics that might be too worldly. Thing is, a lot of hip hop and dance music is really fun and has a great beat...so, it's hard to turn it off, sometimes. lol
If you are religious, do you think there is anything wrong with listening to secular hip hop music, or secular music in general?
that's how I met my wife of thirty years
worldly music is natural
we have eternity for the heavenly choir pending
Well, i wouldn't listen to music that is anti-god; it's in bad taste imo. But really, all music is 'secular'. Types of music aren't in categories of 'theism' or 'atheism' but of 'punk' to 'classical'. Why would listening to secular music be wrong? Why even call it 'secular' music?
Spideymon77
A Smiling Empty Soul
I'd say it depends of the lyrics. AC/DC shouldn't be taken too seriously (except for the irony of Phil Rudd making his own call for some dirty deeds), some bands like Korn or Nine Inch Nails deal heavily with being an outsider, but some bands, like the sex and drugs of Aerosmith it would fall on each person to decide for themselves. And then there are bands like Symphony X, Fleshgod Apocalypse, or Nile that make songs that are based in classic mythology such as Greek and Egyptian. And then of course Iron Maiden makes for a great study tool for English literature and history.
And if music can lead you away from your faith, your faith probably wasn't very strong to begin with.
True, or you care enough about your faith, that you don't want to jeopardize it. For me, it's not an issue, as much as just wondering if it is wrong ...either way. If I were to talk say with a LDS believer, he/she would think it's wrong to be using the internet, to listen to youtube videos of secular music, etc. So, maybe some cling to a certain dogma over others. Idk. Just tossing the conversation around for now.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
When last I went to church, it would have been described as music that isn't glorifying god. But that was also the ultra-conservative/ultra-crazy type of church that threw away literature from its library for being of a different denomination.
I watch secular tv...the walking dead, game of thrones, etc. One of my Christian friends suggested I should stop watching GoT. LOL Nope, not gonna happen. I would have to live in a bubble to avoid any and all things secular. And it's art. Perhaps, that could be a way of looking at music and film, as forms of art. The Bible makes a few things known about allowing one's self to be tempted to sin, and I think that is where many people get tripped up. If your faith is sound, watching a fictional tv show, or reading a fictional book, shouldn't throw you off track. Depending on the content. I do believe however, there is something to be said for what you listen to and watch on a steady basis, can eventually become thought...thought leads to action...etc
Oh I getchya. That I understand.
So you can dance. That's cool
Etritonakin
Well-Known Member
It can potentially be a bad influence, I suppose, but I like to consider many viewpoints. Depends on your mindset -why you are listening, etc.I listen to all types of music, but upon returning to faith, I wonder if it's wrong (for want of a better word) to listen to certain types of music, with lyrics that might be too worldly. Thing is, a lot of hip hop and dance music is really fun and has a great beat...so, it's hard to turn it off, sometimes. lol
If you are religious, do you think there is anything wrong with listening to secular hip hop music, or secular music in general?
Though religious, I find it difficult to listen to religious music other than classical stuff. Some of it just doesn't sound good.
There is a song by "Disturbed" which has absolutely horrible lyrics -but the music rocks -fortunately, there is an instrumental version.
If you buy a song, you can edit it any way you want, also -just zap out the bad stuff -look for anything which breaks the commandments, promotes doing so -anything which is not positive in some way -good practice for zapping bad stuff out of your mind.
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Personally I've never understood the taboo of listening/watching "secular" things.
We need a challenge, art should ideally make you think or question things. Right? So why cut yourself off to a potential growth experience like that? Art shouldn't just conform to your worldview, it needs to broaden it.
Also I think some basic analysis techniques are warranted when deciding where one's threshold is. All too often I have seen religious people deem a song or book or whatever "bad" or "promoting sin" because they took something either out of context or interpreted something very literally.
I mean people can interpret things as they wish. But it does impact on what message they can get from said source.
For example, we had to dissect this song for class once. I'm not Jesus by Apocalyptica ft Corey Taylor. (My teacher happened to be a fan, don't ask.)
Now the only time I had heard of it before class was when my Christian friend wasn't sure if she should listen to it. Apparently her religious leader claimed that it was promoting atheism and mocking Jesus. Supposedly because of the lyrics "I'm not Jesus, Jesus wasn't there." But if you actually look at the song as a whole, it's actually about child abuse! And based on the lyrics, one can gather that said abuser was a member of the cloth and using religion as a shield. It's not so much about "mocking god" as it is an angry kid trying to come to terms with the abuse, confronting the abuser (either literally or metaphorically) calling them out for their hypocrisy among other "flaws", refusing to forgive them and expressing a mixture of confusion and resentment at the religious promises made to him/her as a child. The lyrics "I'm not Jesus" is a reference to the fact that they will not or cannot ever forgive said abuser. Which is hardly "anti Jesus/god" imo.
Take another song. Gangster's Paradise. (My god that was EVERYWHERE when I was in primary school.)
Now more often than not, I have seen it being accused of promoting the ghetto lifestyle to the youth. Which always baffled me because pretty much the entirety of the lyrics do anything but glorify "street gang culture." In fact, it's more a lamentation of the seemingly never ending cycle of the youth being sucked into such a life, without getting real help and trying to promote a sort of wake up call to try to stop it happening in the future.
Then of course you have all the religious (mostly very strict Christians) backlash against Harry Potter, which ironically enough, promotes all the exact same teachings of Christianity. Harry is even a Jesus within his own story. D&D, 80s children's TV (no seriously.) Even freaking Pokemon was being denounced in some Churches!
My point is, people can interpret almost anything as "evil" or "unsafe for religious people."
But one should make up one's own mind at the end of the day. A lot of that may well come down to how one interprets art, whether that be music, literature, paintings or even television.
We need a challenge, art should ideally make you think or question things. Right? So why cut yourself off to a potential growth experience like that? Art shouldn't just conform to your worldview, it needs to broaden it.
Also I think some basic analysis techniques are warranted when deciding where one's threshold is. All too often I have seen religious people deem a song or book or whatever "bad" or "promoting sin" because they took something either out of context or interpreted something very literally.
I mean people can interpret things as they wish. But it does impact on what message they can get from said source.
For example, we had to dissect this song for class once. I'm not Jesus by Apocalyptica ft Corey Taylor. (My teacher happened to be a fan, don't ask.)
Now the only time I had heard of it before class was when my Christian friend wasn't sure if she should listen to it. Apparently her religious leader claimed that it was promoting atheism and mocking Jesus. Supposedly because of the lyrics "I'm not Jesus, Jesus wasn't there." But if you actually look at the song as a whole, it's actually about child abuse! And based on the lyrics, one can gather that said abuser was a member of the cloth and using religion as a shield. It's not so much about "mocking god" as it is an angry kid trying to come to terms with the abuse, confronting the abuser (either literally or metaphorically) calling them out for their hypocrisy among other "flaws", refusing to forgive them and expressing a mixture of confusion and resentment at the religious promises made to him/her as a child. The lyrics "I'm not Jesus" is a reference to the fact that they will not or cannot ever forgive said abuser. Which is hardly "anti Jesus/god" imo.
Take another song. Gangster's Paradise. (My god that was EVERYWHERE when I was in primary school.)
Now more often than not, I have seen it being accused of promoting the ghetto lifestyle to the youth. Which always baffled me because pretty much the entirety of the lyrics do anything but glorify "street gang culture." In fact, it's more a lamentation of the seemingly never ending cycle of the youth being sucked into such a life, without getting real help and trying to promote a sort of wake up call to try to stop it happening in the future.
Then of course you have all the religious (mostly very strict Christians) backlash against Harry Potter, which ironically enough, promotes all the exact same teachings of Christianity. Harry is even a Jesus within his own story. D&D, 80s children's TV (no seriously.) Even freaking Pokemon was being denounced in some Churches!
My point is, people can interpret almost anything as "evil" or "unsafe for religious people."
But one should make up one's own mind at the end of the day. A lot of that may well come down to how one interprets art, whether that be music, literature, paintings or even television.
I listen to all types of music, but upon returning to faith, I wonder if it's wrong (for want of a better word) to listen to certain types of music, with lyrics that might be too worldly. Thing is, a lot of hip hop and dance music is really fun and has a great beat...so, it's hard to turn it off, sometimes. lol
If you are religious, do you think there is anything wrong with listening to secular hip hop music, or secular music in general?
Music is nothing but a way of expressing one's thoughts and passions...
We who -hopefully are- truly religious people have different world views and intentions than those who are after the worldly lusts ...
So we need to walk the walk of the prophets...not the walk of those who follow the steps of Satan the Devil!
When I was in highschool I had a Christian biology teacher who believed that Christians were to have no part in secular pop-culture. Not because all of it was necessarily immoral (although a lot of it is) but because it can lead to worldliness which itself can lead the progressive acceptance of influences that are bad for Christian virtue and ultimately your salvation. In other words, even the seemingly innocuous can open the door (however slightly) to slow moral corrosion.
I don't take such a hardline position, but I do think it's naive to believe that the media you consume has no influence on your moral outlook. (How ever slow and gradual). Ask yourself what kind of influence you want in your life. I try to expose myself to what uplifts and edifies. When I listen to classical music, religious polyphony or chant; or read good literature and admire classic art it has a perceptible effect on my outlook and mindset in ways amicable to my values. Stuff that wallows in violence, death, sex and banality I try to avoid.
It's really a case by case thing. Just because something is pop culture doesn't automatically make it immoral. (I'm starting to really enjoy old movies. I just watched Seven Samurai for the first time a few days ago and it was fantastic). But I do think a serous Christian should practice discernment.
I don't take such a hardline position, but I do think it's naive to believe that the media you consume has no influence on your moral outlook. (How ever slow and gradual). Ask yourself what kind of influence you want in your life. I try to expose myself to what uplifts and edifies. When I listen to classical music, religious polyphony or chant; or read good literature and admire classic art it has a perceptible effect on my outlook and mindset in ways amicable to my values. Stuff that wallows in violence, death, sex and banality I try to avoid.
It's really a case by case thing. Just because something is pop culture doesn't automatically make it immoral. (I'm starting to really enjoy old movies. I just watched Seven Samurai for the first time a few days ago and it was fantastic). But I do think a serous Christian should practice discernment.
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Subhankar Zac
Hare Krishna,Hare Krishna,
Vaishnavism, Buddhism, Taoism have secular content in them immensely.
Pastek
Sunni muslim
The music we have today ... the videos clips ... i think it's very bad for the youngers.
People are used to listen to bad words, to see people half naked.
Even if some songs are catchy, i don't understand how people sometimes say it's great.
It's very different from what we used to have before.
People are used to listen to bad words, to see people half naked.
Even if some songs are catchy, i don't understand how people sometimes say it's great.
It's very different from what we used to have before.
Omega Green
Member
I think that there's a habit of interpretation that people pick up in churches where they self-identify with the songs that they are singing - they basically think of them as songs from them to God; and so when they approach secular music, they carry on this habit of self-involving with the songs lyrics and the result can be a disaster depending on the particular song. I think that - not every song is a song to God; certain nursery rhymes that we learned as children have nothing to do with God and though we remember them as cheery, many of them were quite dark in terms of their actual meaning. Ring around the Rosie, for instance, was about the black death (or black plague) "ashes, ashes, we all fall down...", and so when I listen to music, the point of view that I try to consider is that of the artists own intended point of view, rather than thinking of it lyrically as yet another song to God. Like with the Sir Mixalot song 'Baby Got Back' from the 1990's, The opening verse has the line: "I like big butts and I cannot lie..." - Now, I wouldn't sing that song to God (unless I was first convinced that God legitimately has a big butt) - Nobody's made that argument to me so far... But, people in my church would try to suggest that songs that don't include indisputable lyrical "glory to God" are songs that one shouldn't listen to and I almost instinctively disagreed with them. A song doesn't have to be your own point of view just because it's playing; it can be an insight into other peoples points of view on different subjects and considering where they've come from can help to enrich your own attitude and better understand other walks of life at the same time; and if you remember this then I don't understand why you can't be free to listen to whatever music you decide to. I enjoy most genres of music; Heavy Metal, Electronic, Rap & RnB, - so my suggestion would be that you don't have to think of secular music as passive tools for worship... Sometimes a song is just a song.
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