Should a Christian listen to secular music?

by Musico_4_Cristo (from the guitarpraise forum)

Many secular songs that have entertaining melodies, thoughtful insights, and positive messages. There are also many talented secular musicians to learn from. Given the attractiveness of secular music, many Christians wonder if its alright to listen to it. Here are three points to consider: (1) the purpose of the music, (2) the style of music, and (3) the content of the lyrics.

(1) The purpose of music.
Is music designed solely for worship, or did God also intend music for other purposes? King David primarily used music for the purpose of worship (Psalms 4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; 76:1). However, when King Saul was tormented by evil spirits, he would call on David to play the harp in order to soothe him (1 Samuel 16:14-23). The Israelites also used musical instruments to warn of danger (Nehemiah 4:20) and to surprise their enemies (Judges 7:16-22). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructs Christians to encourage one another with music: "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Ephesians 5:19). So, while the primary purpose of music does seem to be worship, the Bible definitely music to be used for other purposes.

(2) The style of music.
The issue of music styles can be very divisive among Christians. For example, some feel that musical instruments should not be used, and others feel that only traditional hymns should be sung. Only the other hand, some Christians prefer contemporary music in a "rock concert" environment. Instead of recognizing these differences as personal preferences and cultural distinctions, some Christians declare their preferred style of music to be the only "biblical" one.

The Bible does not condemn any particular style of music, nor does it declare any musical instrument ungodly. The Bible ,mentions numerous types of string and wind instruments. While drums are not mentioned specifically, the Bible does mention other percussion instruments (Psalm 68:25; Ezra 3:10). Nearly all of the forms of music are variations and/or combinations of the same types of music instruments, played at different speeds or with heightened emphasis. There is no biblical basis to declare any particular style of music to be ungodly or outside of God's will.

(3) The content of the lyrics.
Philippians 4:8 is an excellent guide as to what we should look for in song lyrics, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things". This is because whatever a person allows to occupy his mind will eventually determine his speech and his actions. This is the premise behind Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2,5 - establishing wholesome thought patterns. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says we should "take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ."

As the qualities in Phil 4:8 are the things God wants us to think about, and we should encourage ourselves through song lyrics. If the lyrics in a secular song is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and/or praiseworthy, then there is nothing wrong with listening to the song.

Admittedly, many secular songs encourage immorality and violence. If a song glorifies what opposes God, a Christian should not listen to it. However, there are many secular songs that have no mention of God, but still uphold godly values, such as honesty, purity, and integrity. If a love song promotes the sanctity of marriage and/or the purity of true love–but does not mention God or the Bible—such a song can still be listened to and enjoyed.

In closing...
Obviously, the best kind of music we can listen to is that which praises and glorifies God. There are very talented Christian musicians in nearly every musical genre, from rock to rap and reggae. As there is nothing inherently wrong with any particular style of music, it is the lyrics that determines whether a song is "acceptable" for a Christian to listen to. Ultimately, if a style of secular music, whether in the music itself or in the lyrics, leads you to think about or get involved in something that does not glorify God – it should be avoided.

posted by kenny on Sunday, September 14, 2008
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This is a post from Kenny's blog, guitarpraise.blogspot.com
Visit his blog for guitar chords, music sheets, theory and more.

Secular Music

Hey guys, I've read this post from Kenny's Blog. It's about Secular Music and I thought you might want to check it out.

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I looked at the top ten songs on a radio station in my country (Power 98) then, and their lyrics:

1) Rihanna - "Unfaithful"
"And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful, And it kills him inside, To know that I am happy with some other guy..."

2) Nelly Furtado - "Promiscuous"
"Promiscuous Girl, Wherever you are, I’m all alone, And its you that I want... Promiscuous Boy, I'm calling your name, But you're driving me crazy, The way you're making me wait..."

4) The Pussycat Dolls - "Buttons"
"I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby... I'm a sexy mama... Come on baby, loosen up my buttons babe, Loosen up my buttons babe, Baby, won't you loosen up my buttons babe..."

5) Shakira - "Hips Don't Lie"
"You make a woman go mad, So be wise and keep on, Reading the signs of my body... You know my hips don't lie... All the attraction, the tension... Oh boy, I can see your body moving... My will and self restraint, Have come to fail now, fail now..."

10) Paris Hilton - "Stars are Blind"
"If you show me real love baby, I'll show you mine, I can make you nice and naughty, Baby i'm perfect for you It could get physical, oh no, no no"

Notice that half of the top ten songs are all about the promiscuous, unfaithful, 'pick-me-up' kind of sex, something that God does not condone. Furthermore, 4 of the 5 top songs are on this topic.

I also looked for songs with meaningful lyrics, and found just one about counting your blessings when you're in trouble:

7) Hoobastank - "If I Were You"
"You seem to find the dark, when everything is bright... If I Were You, the first thing I'd do, is thank the stars for all that I have..."

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Many of us love music, and listen to secular songs, from 'top-ten' pop songs to heavy metal and jazz. However, a lot of the stuff out there isn't too healthy, from the examples given above. We may be attracted to a particular song because it has a great guitar riff, or a nice jingle, but if the message it portrays is not in line with what we as Christians believe, listening to it may alter our perception of right and wrong, away from what God dictated in His Word. We may, for example, think that promiscuity is cool because the music associated with it is cool.

One example comes to mind. I chanced across some really cool guitaring by a band called 'Dragonforce', and thought to explore their music. Furthermore, they were going to have a concert in my country. Fortunately, I had the sense to check out their lyrics (you can never hear what they're really singing, the music is so loud, and the guitaring is way cooler), and it turned out to be quite satanic, with song titles like "Invocation of Apocalyptic Evil".

On the other hand, I became interested in Tommy Emmanuel's (a talented acoustic guitarist) music last year. Turns out (at least what I found on the net) that he is a devout Christian, and somehow his music, although instrumental, is infused with his gentle and kind personality, and makes you feel that you can be a better person.

Hence, we must be very careful in choosing the things we listen to. I'm not advocating that secular music per se is wrong, because I believe that God gives us music to enjoy, and also because secular music is one platform we can use to build bridges to non-believers. So examine the lyrics of the songs you listen to, and read up on the bands' & artists' backgrounds.

posted by kenny on Thursday, May 24, 2007

You may visit Kenny's Blog here. htttp://guitarpraise.blogspot.com

Awesome video.

I found this awesome video on Godtube.com

It's a skit about how this world had taken us away from the one who really loves us most... Jesus.

Share this with your friends and family.

Books I've Never Read

I like books. Even with all the technology and gadgets around, books are still as informative and enjoyable to read.

I've a lot of books lying around the house which I've never read. These are some of them:

The Jesus I Never Knew by Phillip Yancey
What happens when a respected Christian journalist decides to put his preconceptions aside and take a long look at the Jesus described in the Gospels? How does the Jesus of the New Testament compare to the "new, rediscovered" Jesus--or even the Jesus we think we know so well?

Best-selling author Philip Yancey says, "This Jesus I got to know in writing this book is very different from the Jesus I learned about in Sunday school. In some ways he is more comforting; in some ways more terrifying."

Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

If you're fed up with self-centered relationships that end in disillusionment, it's time to rethink romance. Finding the loving, committed relationship you want shouldn't mean throwing away your hopes, your integrity, or your heart.

In Boy Meets Girl, Joshua Harris--the guy who kissed dating goodbye--makes the case for courtship. As old-fashioned as it might sound, courtship is what modern-day relationships desperately need. Think of it as romance chaperoned by wisdom, cared for by community, and directed by God's Word.

Magnanakaw! Magnanakaw! Thieves That Robs Us Of Happiness by Ed Lapiz
People get robbed of happiness by thieves like lust, anger, perfectionism, grief, guilt feelings, compulsiveness, and insecurity.

How can we stop the thief? How can we reinvent ourselves so we won't attract the thief? How can a broken heart be happy again?

This book proposes the answers--from the Bible, no less! Written by Pastor Ed Lapiz whose books and message tapes bring immeasurable joy, comfort and strength to innumerable people all over the world.



I believe we can learn a lot by reading so I'm gonna start reading these great books. Sorry, you can't borrow mine! Go get your own copy. Hehe. Peace.

Warfare... or Discipline?

I pray we learn something from this devotion I've read from one of my favorite daily devotionals.

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. Hebrews 12:6

There is a tendency among Christians to view anything unpleasant that happens to them as the result of "spiritual warfare." When a difficulty arises, many immediately ask God to remove their distress. The problem is that their predicament may have nothing to do with Satan or with spiritual warfare. It may appear far more glorious for us to explain our hardships as Satan's determined attacks against us, rather than admitting that we are merely reaping what we have sown and are being disciplined by our heavenly Father. (See Galatians 6:7)

What is often mistaken as Satan's attack may actually be chastisement from our loving Father. If you have neglected your role as spiritual teacher to your children, God may allow them to fall into sin. If you have been dishonest at work, God may correct you by letting you face the consequences.

God's discipline will not help you if you dismiss it as Satan's doing or spiritual warfare. Not every hardship you face is the chastisement of God, but Scripture indicates that God will discipline you.


From Experiencing God Daily Devotionals by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby. January 14 entry, page 14.

The Pioneer Post.

Hooray! The first post in my first blog!

Honestly, I don't know how this blogging thing works. I've read some articles here and there about blogging but I think I need to find it out myself.

This is gonna be a great journey! Yeah!