From: snorthc@relay.nswc.navy.mil (Stephen Northcutt - K31)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Agree to disagree?
Date: 17 Nov 92 16:58:16 GMT
Reply-To: snorthc@relay.nswc.navy.mil
Organization: Naval Surface Warfare Center

Mark Christensen writes:
>Holy because you follow the precepts of God.  This is for you to
>determine through God's word and through Biblical teachings from
>pastors, teachers, and evangelists who are given unto us for our
>edification. Many things are very clear.  Others not so clear.
>But one who is truly saved has the benefit of the Holy Spirit
>to convict.

Well we clearly have the benefit of the Holy Spirit AND Mark
Christensen to convict....
"but if there is one person out there who will look closely to God's
word and be convicted in this area, I will have accomplished
something."

Thing is Mark, I don't really differ from you so much on the
issue (music) though I do differ.  I have ceased to buy, though
not play secular CDs.  I am very picky about the christian
music I buy, very big on praise.  This is not to say, I never
by christian trash (just luv the Throes!!!) or rock, but I
am careful about what I buy.

Let us look at HISTORY for a minute:
You started out by saying:
>I just subscribed to this newsgroup yesterday and I've already read stuff
>about "Christian night clubs" and christian rock music, and drums in 
>church services, and secular rock being okay as long as you don't listen
>too much to it, etc.  Am I the only reader of this who finds these attitudes
>sad.  C'mon people.

Do you really feel you have the right to judge us so quickly?
This was an arrogant and impolite thing to say.  This group has
existed without the benefit of Mark Christensen for a long time.
This issue has been debated into the dust numerous times before.
All you have accomplished is dissension.

> And please don't present
>the argument that you need to attract others to Christ  

You tell people they are wrong and disallow them certain responses.
How would you feel if people talked to you that way.

Now a good christian thing to do when a brother errs is to
approach him privately (better with one or two others) and explain.
The net.polite thing to do is send e-mail when somebody posts
something off the wall.  This shows common curteousy to the folks
on the list, so they aren't innundated with noise.  So I sent
you e-mail.  Not a flame, but a gentle refutation.  My key
point, that remains unanswered, is that the entire history
of biblical music, near as I can tell consists of stealing the
popular music of the day and making it Godly.
	David did it,
	The early church did it,
	The 18/19th century church did it,
	And we are still doing it
You recommended some music as being acceptable.  If you do your
homework you are liable to find they were singing those tunes
in taverns of yore with different lyrics.

And you answered with a FORM LETTER.  (Noel, I thought I saw you
on the distribution as well, tell em its so.)  Several of us took
the time to answer your position and you did not bother to respond
in kind.  Is your time more valuable than ours?  Why?

Mark, I think it is great for you to patronize:
Majesty Music in Greenville S.C. and
Sacred Music Ministries in Greenville S.C.
But you are WRONG to tell the other christians on the net what
they are should think and should listen to.  You have gone beyond
saying, my opinion is, my intrepretation is.  You are taking the
position of a teacher.  Are you truly prepared to be judged at
that standard?

You write:
I threw out a record collection valued at greater than $5000 of my
own accord.  No one prompted me to do it.  There was no "record"
burning party or special preaching against it.  I wrestled with
what I found in the word of God and finally submitted to what I
believe was God's will in MY life.  It wasn't easy at first, but
I am sure happy now that I did what I did.

I am going to accept at face value this is true and not ask you
to prove that you owned and threw  out a collection of this size.
I also got rid of my albums with no album burning party, but the
value of my collection was 2 orders of magnitude lower than
yours. But I do ask that you read the preceeding paragraph
again... if this should happen to be an exageration, I respectfully
suggest that you get confessed up in short order.

I am sorry to write so bluntly.  Please think about what I have
tried to tell you.  Please think about why
you have forced my hand to do it in public vis privatly which I would
prefer.  Please take note, that I am not a lone voice in the
wilderness, others have written you e-mail, others have challenged
your points.  Others have even pointed out your net.ettiquite.
This hasn't been easy for me to write, not fun, but rather painful.
This has taken my whole lunch period, as did my e-mail to you.
Know that I have prayed that this message will be received in the
spirit that it was written in, exposing, but not cruel or harsh.

Please note that I do not presume to speak for the list, only for
myself.  Know that I do not claim that your point of view is
wrong, only that I do not precisely share it.  You have quoted
many scriptures for this list in hopes of convicting our hearts,
now I want to return this favor:

Roman 14:1 NIV
Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgement on disputable
matters.

Please understand that christian music and nightclubs are disputable
matters.  You have an opinion, so does every other reader.  Can we not
leave it at that? 

From your last message:
Hey!  Guess what!  Not only do I not belong to the Church of Christ,
but I even differ with them concerning.....
           ^^^^^^

Know what I mean Vern?