Is music bad?

[Anna><>]

I was reading this one website and it basically said CMT was of the devil and causes divorces and all sorts of bad stuff. Now I've been listening to country music for a few years and I know that not all of it is good, but this site got me to start questioning whether I should listen to it, or any other secular music at all. The site was extremist but it had some convincing arguments. Now I'm just left here wondering if I should delete all the music off my iPod or not. What do you guys think? Should I delete it all or not? If I delete it I'll have plenty of aio, dgl, and podcasts to listen to. I just like some of it for working out with but if God is against it I'll delete the music.

[Amethystic]

It's not so much a matter of starkly designating between secular and non-secular, but about the attitudes and lyrics of each individual song. There are plenty of harmless non-Christian songs, and there are also plenty of ungodly Christian songs. So go through all your songs and ask yourself, "What message is the artist trying to put across? Is it uplifting?" and decide what should stay and what should go. That's my advice.

[31899]

That is your decision to make, but this website sounds extremely fraudulent, and I would not let one encounter change your thought pattern. It's like food, someone might like apples, but one time they accidentally eat a bad apple. Do they stop eating apples? Probably not. I wouldn't let it bother you unless you feel God is leading you to delete all your "non-Christin" music, which I highly doubt he is.

@Amelia, in most music there are redeeming qualities, if not in the lyrics, there usually is in the music itself, although sometimes there is complete rubish (in my opinion).

31899

[Jesus' Princess]

I don't think you're doing something wrong, by listening to country music, I mean there is some bad country out there, but theres also some great country songs with good lyrics, or a great message or something. Unless you feel God telling you to delete it all, and if so, thats a different matter. But if not, I don't think you're doing something wrong. One song that my mom really likes is Temporary Home, which is a Carrie Underwood song. Great song

[Sherlock]

I don't think the question so much needs to be one of Christian v. Non-Christian, but rather a look at the messages being presented in the music itself as well as the content and merit of the music overall. Some so-called "Christian" music is so stylistically and lyrically similar to secular music (think metal, rap, R&B, etc) as to be practically indistinguishable. On the other hand a lot of so-called "secular" music (jazz, classical, folk, country, world, electronic, etc) can be much more uplifting and musically worthwhile than slapping some Christian lyrics over a cacophony of noise. So I would kindly suggest ditching the preoccupation with lables (and perhaps taking those who advocate that with a grain of salt) and looking instead to the content of the music itself when you are deciding whether a song is worthwhile to listen to or not.

Look to the music that has survived for generations. In 100 years are people more likely going to be listening to and appreciating CCM or Tchaikovsky? Which one is "secular?" Does it matter?

But that's just my opinion.

[Taps]

It all depends on the songs, like Amy said. If the songs don't promote bad values or inappropriate themes I don't see any reason to delete it even if it isn't necessarily promoting Christian themes. However if you are listening to songs with some bad values there is that Garbage In Garbage Out concept. What you take in is what you will be thinking about and probably ultimately what you will be sending out. So that's my thoughts. If it's not inappropriate, or explicit, or something like that I say keep it on.

[Marvin D.]

A song can be made by a Christian group and yet be just like any kind of secular music, or it could be made by a non-Christian group and be moral, or just fun to listen to (take Rent's Seasons of Love). Now, a lot of country music can be about drinking and gambling--seems every time I listen to it, that's what's on; I got Kenny Roger's The Gambler stuck in my head--but ultimately, it's your choice. Does it glorify God, I'd ask myself. Music istself is not bad, it's what people make out of it.

[The Top Crusader]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

[God's Daughter]

A song can be made by a Christian group and yet be just like any kind of secular music, or it could be made by a non-Christian group and be moral, or just fun to listen to (take Rent's Seasons of Love). Now, a lot of country music can be about drinking and gambling--seems every time I listen to it, that's what's on; I got Kenny Roger's The Gambler stuck in my head--but ultimately, it's your choice. Does it glorify God, I'd ask myself. Music istself is not bad, it's what people make out of it.

I agree!

[Termite]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

There goes my 1k iTunes list.

[Joanne]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

Top I just got in trouble for deleting all my mom's Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber... why you trying to get me trouble?

[Marvin D.]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

There goes my 1k iTunes list.

And here comes a bunch of boring classical. It helps drive the demons away

[Shennifer]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

There goes my 1k iTunes list.

And here comes a bunch of boring classical. It helps drive the demons away

Classical music isn't boring (in fairly small doses, it's actually beautiful. To me anyway

[Marvin D.]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

There goes my 1k iTunes list.

And here comes a bunch of boring classical. It helps drive the demons away

Classical music isn't boring (in fairly small doses, it's actually beautiful. To me anyway

Hah! Some of it is, but when it goes on and on and on. .it's not the best

[Jesus' Princess]

If it has a drum beat, delete it. It summons demons and causes lust.

There goes my 1k iTunes list.

And here comes a bunch of boring classical. It helps drive the demons away

Classical music isn't boring (in fairly small doses, it's actually beautiful. To me anyway

I agree, It's nice in small doses, but after a while it can get kind of repetitive

[Buzz]

It's not necessarily bad. But if you start listening to songs that cuss and have inappropriate lyrics, well yeeeaahhhh that's obviously not good. Classical, Coutnry, Rock 'N' Roll, and Pop, those are all fine. As long as cussing and inappropriate lyrics aren't involved with them. And nobody should listen to music about singer's making fun of Jesus/God or Christianity, I mean, I don't know about you but when I listen to people like that it just makes me angry. I get angry easily, I guess.

[Anna><>]

A song can be made by a Christian group and yet be just like any kind of secular music, or it could be made by a non-Christian group and be moral, or just fun to listen to (take Rent's Seasons of Love). Now, a lot of country music can be about drinking and gambling--seems every time I listen to it, that's what's on; I got Kenny Roger's The Gambler stuck in my head--but ultimately, it's your choice. Does it glorify God, I'd ask myself. Music istself is not bad, it's what people make out of it.

But... the gambler's not actually about gambling. It's more of a metaphor.

I don't like CCM or classical music at all!! I hate classical. I was forced to play classical piano and go to hours of recitals and classical concerts by orchestras and stuff and I HATE IT SO MUCH. I basically only listen to music so I have a rhythm to bike or to at the gym or to block all the annoying people at my school out of my head when I'm doing homework.

I think Top's right though.

But Amythestic is more right...

[SoccerLOTR]

I'm with Amythestic. And I dislike classical as well!

[Steve]

It's not necessarily bad. But if you start listening to songs that cuss and have inappropriate lyrics, well yeeeaahhhh that's obviously not good. Classical, Coutnry, Rock 'N' Roll, and Pop, those are all fine. As long as cussing and inappropriate lyrics aren't involved with them. And nobody should listen to music about singer's making fun of Jesus/God or Christianity, I mean, I don't know about you but when I listen to people like that it just makes me angry. I get angry easily, I guess.

Okay, here's a question about the singer making fun of Jesus/God or Christianity. What if listening to say, Bad Religion's music helps you understand what you believe? What if someone questioning your faith makes you want to deepen it all the more? This can happen.

[TigerintheShadows]

If you hear it by accident, that's one thing, but why should you repeatedly listen to anti-Christian garbage? If we talk about the music we listen to, it can only be assumed that we're talking about what we listen to on a regular basis. Why would we listen to trash with the excuse of, "Oh, it's just making my faith stronger by making me question it"? You can be forced to think critically about your faith by listening to people at a public school; you don't need Bad Religion or whatever to do that for you.