How can one claiming to be a Christian listen to Death Metal, Black Metal, or even some older generations will go to say all forms of Rock and roll? My focus is on the more extreme forms of music, more specifically Black Metal.
I am an avid listener to Black Metal. Black metal is essentially what the title says... Black, evil, scary, and hard to listen too. It has spawned a culture of extreme people who are very different than even most metal heads in the sense that they have formed an "elitist" attitude towards the music that they listen too. This elitist attitude has even rubbed off on me a little, but it doesn't consume my life as much as the crazy kids who listen to the stuff. Black Metal, which will be referred to as BM from now on is one subgenre of Metal littered with satanic, and blasphemous bands who scoff at the name of God, and many have an extreme hatred of Christianity, not to mention any organized religion.
This is the paradox presented.
How could I like this type of music? My answer is that its all personal preference, but I find it quite refreshing and almost cathartic to listen too. Ask me in person about it, and I would love to tell you about it in great detail.
For my opinion on whether or not we as Christian should listen to this will follow; seeing as the Bible has no specific mention of how to deal with modern secular forms of music I will try to establish what I think it is.
First off I want to try to walk you through the logic process I have in my head.
God created everything right? so that means God created music. Now since God is perfect, everything he created was originally perfect right(garden of eden for example)? But once sin entered the world, the world has taken what God has made perfect, and turned it into something imperfect. An obvious example would be sex. God created it to be perfect, to join a man and a woman together as one. The world changed it into something disgusting, impure and selfish. The world distorts everything that is made to be perfect into whatever it wants it to be. Which is usually selfish, and not loving.
Music has been distorted by the world.
Now hopefully you can see where I am going with this, I am not saying that God created Satanic BM but God did create music, and allowed people of the world to distort it how they wanted. If you believe that God is all and knows all, then you will understand that he allowed this to happen.
Who is to say that one cannot find beauty in something considered harsh, cruel, relentless, and hate-filled?
Well I find beauty in many things that many christians have essentialy blacklisted. And if you know me at all, then hopefully you will understand that I listen to 90% of music for the sheer music performance involved.
Music is Passion.
Passion is one fundamental aspect of love.
God is Love.
I have never let the lyrics of a band stop me from listening to them, because as far as I care, the vocals of a band are an instrument in themselves, I treat my band in the same way. Whatever they speak about, I could care less. It is about the musical experience, and not the agenda that the big ego frontman is trying to get across.
So now that thats out of the way. I would like to address why people in the world, such as BM bands, are hateful towards religion:
John 15:18-21 puts it nicely:"18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.
Christians face this opposition, because the people in the world; "do not know the One who sent me". Simply put, since they don't know God, then they will treat you as a christian with hatred and disrespect.
Now as Christians we are called to the Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20"19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
SO we are to be reaching all of the people of the world.
We are also to be living in the world and not of it: "19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."(see above)
To end this blog I want to propose a few questions...
If you have blacklisted this type of music, have you also blacklisted the kids who listen to it as well?
Didn't Jesus associate with prostitutes and tax collectors or sinners of the world?
Jesus also called us to love our neighbor, and to show them the love of God, so if you ostrasize these people because of the music they listen too, how is that showing love?
Just a few thinkers.
Comments and Discussion is encouraged.
Later,
Austin Death.
PS. Blog Title=Words written on the Gates of Dis... ala Dante's Inferno.
4 comments:
Well said. I've always been presented with the same question. It's also the same reason people blacklist me because I drink, smoke and curse.
Am I defending those actions? Not necessarily. But it seems to me there are a few more important things to worry about in this life.
I'd rather be remembered as a kind, gracious, giving, selfless person who drank and smoked and cursed than as a selfish asshole who didn't. And I get the feeling God will get past my shortcomings faster than he'll get past the shortcoming of being a selfish a-hole.
Of course, sin is sin, regardless of magnitude, so maybe I'm just missing the boat.
But given that you're not burning down any churches, I don't see the harm. I love BM, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have difficulty purchasing and listening to it at times. I couldn't even bring myself to spend money on the new Vital Remains album. It's difficult to effectively endorse something which hates all things Christian -- and thus, by default, purports to hate you.
Sorry. That's long and meandering. And it probably doesn't make sense. So I'll shut up.
You're so smart :)
I think the main opposition you face listening to any type of music that is not labeled contemporary will come from the notion that we as Christians must strike a balance between separating ourselves from unrighteousness and being in a position to minister to unbelievers.
Simply put, listening to bands that have negative or even blasphemous messages will not be good for your spirit, even if you do not see the immediate results, and to be seen in the company of these bands or participating in their shows can cause those around to view you as hypocritical to your faith.
Paul was avid in telling the church in Corinth to separate themselves from unbelievers and pagans so as not to damage their testimony.
2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And in Romans Paul speaks on not causing your Christian brothers to stumble. Even though you yourself claim you can retain your spirituality despite the dark environment, doesn't mean another can, and if you set an example that causes him to fall, you are accountable.
Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
The same argument can be used towards smoking, drinking, socialization and so on and on.
And honestly, when you hear any one who plays blasphemous music you should not support, through listening or attendance solely due to your respect and adoration to Christ.
Love ya brother
A note to Greg:
By no means am I judging you so don't take it that way....
But we as Christians should always be pushing ourselves to be better people and believers, that means coming to terms with our vices (smoking, drinking, cursing, etc) and acknowledging that we should change them. And never should we justify or gloss over those things.
Like you said, sin is sin, and God hates all sin, so we should strive to purge all of it from ourselves.
And you may not die a "selfish a-hole" but looking past your "short comings" and refusing to come to terms with them is, in and of its self a selfish action, so whats the difference??
A selfish a-hole?
or a selfish Christian who settles for mediocre faith?
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