Since my former evangelical Christian colleagues and friends think that I am on my way to hell now and that I am running with the Devil, here are two songs that prove it.
Great songs! Thanks for posting these videos. John S are you one of those people that think there are Satanic messages hidden in pop music if you play them backwards?
Ken - These songs, and the bands who play them, don't just mock hell and the devil, they take a very cavalier attitude toward the subject, let alone anything spiritual. Psa. 14:1; 53:1
Clare - These guys aren't hiding anything and there's no need to play it backwards.
Do you ever feel like if you go from Christian most of your life to agnostic or atheist, people expect you to start robbing banks, cheat on your spouse, etc?
As for me, I'm still the same person and act the same. I'm just slightly less confused and more at peace and feeling much free-er (sp?) to question and think without trying to put all thru a certain worldview.
You probably take a cavalier attitude towards the Joker or the Riddler in the Batman series too. If you believe the Bible is no more true than those comic book series, then why not have some fun with the concept of hell and the devil?
I think it's cute, in a good way. When my mom wants to "get wild" she sneaks slice or two of chocolate, my dad rides his Harley, and Ken listens to an 80s hair band. Seriously, if this is "immorality", it's pretty obvious why so few people think they need to be saved.
Do you keep keep cloves of garlic above your bed to ward off vampires? Do you check your closet every night before you go to bed to make the Boogeyman isn't in there? Have you made sure your house isn't built over an Indian burial ground? Do you lock your doors during a full moon, and keep your kids inside, just in case there are any werewolves in your neighborhood? Do you pray towards Mecca five times every day to appease Allah? Have you cleansed your aura lately?
If no to the above, why do you take such a cavalier attitude toward such serious matters?
You are partly right. When I was a fundamentalist I was taught that rock and roll was the devil's music and some of the clearest examples was AC/DC and Van Halen. I was taught that movies were of the devil and especially such movies as The Exorcist, The Omen and Poltergeist. Today I just see all of these as forms of entertainment. Their shock value adds to their entertainment value, in my opinion.
If the devil was real, then I guess one ought to be afraid of such music and movies but to me he is no more real than the Riddler or Joker in Batman or the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz (she scared the daylights out of me as a child--couldn't sleep for days).
Call me a dork, but when I do have the time, I like to play video games. In "Batman: Arkham Asylum" the Joker scares the crap out of me but also almost made me piss my pants with laughter.
@Ken - I played a clown in a local ballet a few weeks ago; first time I ever dressed as a clown. I literally made some little girls cry. Kids either loved it or were terrified, *instantly*. It was very eye-opening for me (and I felt powerful, LOL).
Speaking of the music, IMO those fundie warnings are a form of idolatry. I sympathize with the desire to shield yourself from bad influences, but the fundies ignore these massive towering beams in their own behavior while getting obsessed with superficial surface characteristics of a few selected cultural phenomena.
Living in Australia, and having AC/DC as one of the best Australian musical exports I have to contribute. Driving the vast roads of empty land it can be seen where the inspiration came from. Music is however, an art form, and thus open to interpretation. We had people telling us in the 70's and 80's that rock music was of the devil, but now we have full rock bands power-riffing for praise. My mother regrets being convinced to burn her original pressing of Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
My parents turned away from fundamentalist Christianity in the early 80's, and they have never looked back. I have listened to a lot of the evangelical praise and worship songs, and the message they portray of Christ is quite scary. And not scary, as in afraid of the truth, but scary "That's not right, how does that relate to scripture?"
Ken
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting is that you seem to have gone the route of immorality in music (and who knows what else).
Why can't you just leave christianity behind and not leave morality behind?
Your definition of immorality is not mine. These songs just mock the belief in hell and in the devil. I see nothing immoral in them.
ReplyDeleteGreat songs! Thanks for posting these videos.
ReplyDeleteJohn S are you one of those people that think there are Satanic messages hidden in pop music if you play them backwards?
Ken - These songs, and the bands who play them, don't just mock hell and the devil, they take a very cavalier attitude toward the subject, let alone anything spiritual. Psa. 14:1; 53:1
ReplyDeleteClare - These guys aren't hiding anything and there's no need to play it backwards.
Do you ever feel like if you go from Christian most of your life to agnostic or atheist, people expect you to start robbing banks, cheat on your spouse, etc?
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I'm still the same person and act the same. I'm just slightly less confused and more at peace and feeling much free-er (sp?) to question and think without trying to put all thru a certain worldview.
And thanks for the music-love it.
David,
ReplyDeleteYou probably take a cavalier attitude towards the Joker or the Riddler in the Batman series too. If you believe the Bible is no more true than those comic book series, then why not have some fun with the concept of hell and the devil?
How sad it is that people actually believe in the Devil and Hell. They must live in fear for most of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think it's cute, in a good way. When my mom wants to "get wild" she sneaks slice or two of chocolate, my dad rides his Harley, and Ken listens to an 80s hair band. Seriously, if this is "immorality", it's pretty obvious why so few people think they need to be saved.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that this topic would come up. Today, over at unreasonablefaith.com, they had a link to this site.
ReplyDeletehttp://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
I'm pretty skeptical of the messages-in-songs-played backward thing, but whatever.
But seriously, John and David, even though you're fundies, aren't you allowed to have a sense of humor and laugh a little? Sheesh!
---
ReplyDeleteDWSmith,
You're a hoot!
Do you keep keep cloves of garlic above your bed to ward off vampires? Do you check your closet every night before you go to bed to make the Boogeyman isn't in there? Have you made sure your house isn't built over an Indian burial ground? Do you lock your doors during a full moon, and keep your kids inside, just in case there are any werewolves in your neighborhood? Do you pray towards Mecca five times every day to appease Allah? Have you cleansed your aura lately?
If no to the above, why do you take such a cavalier attitude toward such serious matters?
J.S.,
ReplyDeleteYou are partly right. When I was a fundamentalist I was taught that rock and roll was the devil's music and some of the clearest examples was AC/DC and Van Halen. I was taught that movies were of the devil and especially such movies as The Exorcist, The Omen and Poltergeist. Today I just see all of these as forms of entertainment. Their shock value adds to their entertainment value, in my opinion.
If the devil was real, then I guess one ought to be afraid of such music and movies but to me he is no more real than the Riddler or Joker in Batman or the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz (she scared the daylights out of me as a child--couldn't sleep for days).
Ken, I'm a pretty big Joker fan. Please don't insult him by putting him in the same category as Satan. LOL!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCall me a dork, but when I do have the time, I like to play video games. In "Batman: Arkham Asylum" the Joker scares the crap out of me but also almost made me piss my pants with laughter.
ReplyDelete@Ken - I played a clown in a local ballet a few weeks ago; first time I ever dressed as a clown. I literally made some little girls cry. Kids either loved it or were terrified, *instantly*. It was very eye-opening for me (and I felt powerful, LOL).
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the music, IMO those fundie warnings are a form of idolatry. I sympathize with the desire to shield yourself from bad influences, but the fundies ignore these massive towering beams in their own behavior while getting obsessed with superficial surface characteristics of a few selected cultural phenomena.
Living in Australia, and having AC/DC as one of the best Australian musical exports I have to contribute. Driving the vast roads of empty land it can be seen where the inspiration came from. Music is however, an art form, and thus open to interpretation. We had people telling us in the 70's and 80's that rock music was of the devil, but now we have full rock bands power-riffing for praise. My mother regrets being convinced to burn her original pressing of Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
ReplyDeleteMy parents turned away from fundamentalist Christianity in the early 80's, and they have never looked back. I have listened to a lot of the evangelical praise and worship songs, and the message they portray of Christ is quite scary. And not scary, as in afraid of the truth, but scary "That's not right, how does that relate to scripture?"
But these are just my own personal opinions.