The good thing about Christian music, there's plenty of variety to satisfy every taste. However, saying more than what the Bible says about music and then deciding that is God's view is a little arrogant. There are no intrinsically evil instruments, beats, chord progressions, etc. Music is neutral. There are evil people and spirits out there that influence music. When the devil fell (became the devil), music fell, but not all music. God is more creative than that.

Drums aren't evil (Psalm 150). Any kind of music that causes people to have ungodly thoughts and do ungodly things, yes the Bible says that is sin. It isn't always the music's fault, though. The listener can have lustful thought no matter what kind of music is playing. When rhythmic music is playing, a baby's first instinct is to bounce up and down. People have to be taught to do the hip-swaying and other kinds of "dancing". No one came out of the womb doing the twist (etc.). They have to learn it and emulate it.

I hate it when women are on the church platform leading music and their attire is lewd. The music can be lovely with lyrics that glorify God and they ruin the whole thing because they are drawing attention to their "uniqueness". Then there are women who are 1st timothy 2:9 type of modest leading music with a full band (drums included) using back beats that some people get offended at that praises God and there is no lascivious behaviour going on. The attention isn't on them.

If you had a past involved in something that was sinful and something in the way of music brings back the memories of those days, don't blame the music unless the lyrical content and the musicians are truly guilty.

If you don't like a certain style of music, then don't listen to it. Don't hide behind your personal preferences and say you speak for God on the issue.

I did a concert at a church and started doing hymns and a man got up and walked out because I wasn't doing what he liked (Vineyard Music).

Opera music seems to always be about tragic romance. Is it the music's fault or is it the people and lyrical content that are to blame? When people dance in skimpy form-fitting tights at a ballet should we "ban" all classical music or put the blame where it belongs, on the performers and choreographers?

There are around 800 verses about music in the Bible and nowhere is there anything that states music as the evil.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Calling a style of music or a musical instrument evil is like calling a specific kind of hammer evil. Every kind of hammer can either build or destroy (and even kill). But the blame or accolades should be placed on the person using the hammer and not the hammer itself. The same with music.

Psalms has no melodies or harmonies listed. Why? Because it is the lyrics that are the focal point. Motives, lyrics and the spirits behind the evils that occur in music are to blame.

Originally Posted by Pastor Mikie

There are no intrinsically evil instruments, beats, chord progressions, etc. Music is neutral. There are evil people and spirits out there that influence music...

There are many solid Christians and many people who study out music who believe the rock backbeat IS evil in itself.

Drums aren't evil (Psalm 150).

Sorry, don't see drums in the Bible. A timbrel is the same as a tambourine.

Calling a style of music or a musical instrument evil is like calling a specific kind of hammer evil. Every kind of hammer can either build or destroy (and even kill). But the blame or accolades should be placed on the person using the hammer and not the hammer itself. The same with music.

Faulty analogy - a good comparison would be saying no notes in themselves are evil - but to teach that no style of music is evil in itself is not right. There is worldly/fleshly music.

The fact other Christians esteem the "back-beat" as evil doesn't mean the Bible does. As with you, I have the Scriptures as my final authority.

There are no piano's mentioned specifically either. So, not all instruments are mentioned, but most "instrument families" are and that should suffice.

I believe my "faulty analogy" is not so faulty. What makes music worldly/fleshly? Is it the music itself or the composer/arranger/performer/spirit behind it?

My point isn't to just be right. My goal is to not have people get into bondage over the music issue. My wife when she was first saved was "taught" as others have stated in this thread. So, she thought she could only listen to "maranatha" music. She was in bondage.

Having someone get all ugly at me for using a certain rhythm, chord progression or some other nonsense is quite annoying. I know I can't please everyone. The annoying part isn't that they didn't like it. The annoying part is that they thought they were speaking for God in rebuking me and calling me names besides.

Galatians 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

I know some will tell me this verse is in the context of those who came into the Galatian Church to make them live under the law. That is true, but the principal is the same regarding the subject of music.

For many years, some churches have taught that it was a sin to go to the movie theatre. It was the contents of the movie and other goings-on that was sinful, not the building or the medium itself.

Pastor Mikie;

You state: The good thing about Christian music, there's plenty of variety to satisfy every taste.

I state: We shouldn't be looking to satisfy our taste for music, we should be looking to satifsy our taste for the Word of God and pleasing Him, not our flesh. Music pleases the flesh.

I have attended many a church that spends 45 minutes to an hour playing their CCM. Pastor preaches for maybe 20 to thirty minutes. Somewhere along the line they have gotten it all backwards. I'm not disagreeing with prayer and praises to our King~don't get me wrong. However, no wonder so many Christians can't walk the walk, because they are dancing the dance.

You are a music composer and arranger/gospel musician. No wonder you feel the way you do about CCM.

I rest my case.

Music is a tool for God's creation (humans, angels etc.) to worship Him. I believe the Bible teaches that. All you've expressed is your opinion, and I'll accept that. Your last sentence was an unsubstantiated insult. You don't know me and jumped to a conclusion based on my profession.

FYI: I think most "CCM" is garbage. A lot of it sounds like the song was written for the sake of writing a song. Lot's is motivated by money. Lot's of it is fame and fortune like the world. However, the principal I'm expressing is: saying it is evil because of the rhythm, chord progressions and sequence of notes is not accurate. That's like the phone company blaming their computer for an error. It isn't the computer's fault. It is the fault of the person(s) who entered in the information (unless the computer just broke or something). The same is true of music. People do music, therefore it is people who make it good or bad.

So, your last sentence on your posting (DarlovesJesus) was made out of prejudice, not knowledge. So you rested your case on an assumption.

I agree with you Pastor Mikie that music in and of itself is not bad, it's the person involved as to how its written. Another good example is, many people think guns are bad because we have alot of murders, robberies, ect. but it's not the gun that is bad it's the person behind the gun that is the problem. So yes Pastor Mikie I agree with you on this viewpoint.

Lei-kjvonly

[Biblestudent]

I think I got this from one of Dr. Garlock's lectures, if I remembered right. "Music" is a combination of notes. A note is simply a tone, and it is that which is amoral. Therefore, "music" CANNOT be amoral. It had to either be GOOD or BAD, depending on its combination or arrangement.

I did not intend to offend you. I was stating a fact. Your profession is music. You are defending your music. That is all.

DarlovesJesus, I would also wish to state that I DO NOT support the CCM industry. There is a lot of corruption, manipulation and life ruining aspects to it. There is a big movement away from it where musicians can be independent of the major CCM industry.

As a musician, I desire to glorify God, draw people to Jesus and edify His church.

I've done music in various venues where there were many different musical tastes. I got their attention with the music, and lead them to Jesus preaching the Word. In churches, I preached with the music, lead them into worship with the music and praised and glorified my Lord with the music. Some was fast, some was slow, some was "jazzy", some was with back-beats (beats 2 & 4), some orchestral, some that was humourous, etc.

This isn't a new technique. The Salvation Army used it (still does). They've re-written many popular songs with Gospel lyrics. The Wesley's did the same thing. The song "Revive Us Again" is a re-written song entitled "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum".

That's where I'm coming from. A person would be hard pressed to find music that doesn't use "back-beats". Many of the Gaither's songs uses it. "Something Beautiful", "Because He Lives" and lots of other songs of theirs have "back-beats" in them. I really don't think those songs are evil because of that.