From: hill@spot.Colorado.EDU (Michael Hill)
Subject: Re: What do you do when....
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 21:04:35 GMT

In article <1eatb8INNaot@transfer.stratus.com> markc@eomer.hw.stratus.com
(Mark Christensen) writes:
>This isn't an issue of "reflecting Christian values".  Please, I thought
>I was clear in some of my previous postings about this but I guess not.
>There are several principles I have tried to focus on, not the least of
>which has been one's testimony.  Another is that of embracing the same
>music as the world at large has.  

Gads!  I thought we'd made the folly of this approach clear, but apparently
not.

>These principles apply to ALL areas of your life.  Not just music.  Is 
>it a wonder that the church has strayed so much when so many believers
>have adopted the look and ways of the world around them.

<sigh>  Here goes.

You!  Yes, you!  Reading this message!  I know you're there!  Well, I
look at you and can't see any difference between you and the pagan at
the next terminal.  You're breathing the same air he is!  You're typing
on a keyboard just like she is!  I challenge you to change your walk!
Stop sleeping!  Stop staying awake!  Stop working/studying!  Stop eating!
Stop walking around!  Stop talking!  The heathen do these things!  Nay,
they even EMBRACE these things!  You are committing practices that are
sinful because they are accepted by the world!  But it's not enough to
stop living because the Hairy Unwashed Masses do it and enjoy it!  Nay,
because if you drop dead right now, you're following in the footsteps of
hundreds of millions of atheists and sinners of all sorts!  But I exhort
you to STOP!  STOP living like the heathen!

For the last time:  "Guilty by Association"

>>  Christians
>>throughout history have taken popular musical forms and made them into
>>hymns of worship -- our hymnals are full of them.    
>>
>Please give me a history lesson here and point to some examples.  I
>really am unaware of this, though I wouldn't doubt it.

Okay, the easiest case that springs to mind is Martin Luther's hymn, "A
Mighty Fortress is Our God".  He used the tune of a popular drinking
song in the taverns of his time, and substituted Christian lyrics.  Yet
you claim that just singing Christian words to the world's music is
sinful.  Martin Luther had more understanding of God and wisdom than you
may ever have.

>This wouldn't
>make much difference though, since these hymns are not embraced by the
>world, neither do they sound like the world or appeal to the world.

Non sequitur.  It doesn't matter if the world doesn't now rally around
the hymn, just because the drinking song it came from has long been
forgotten.  Point still stands.

>>Why, then, do you make the point that because some rock promotes
>>ungodliness, all rock is forbidden?
>
>I think I've answered this.

I think not.  Your "answer" is a non-answer.

>And yes!  I used to listen to rock music and "Christian" rock
>music and loved it.  In fact, if I happen to hear a secular rock
>song from periods in my life before I was saved, there is definately
>appeal to it.  It invokes emotional feelings that I had back then.

Then it is quite appropriate for YOU to avoid 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.

And there you have it - the emphasis is your own.  In YOUR life.
That doesn't mean that your spiritual struggle has yielded any
Truth worthy of being considered part of the Bible and applicable
to all Christians.  Let each of us work out our own salvation with
fear and trembling, no?

			--Michael

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Hill   <><  Isaiah 9:6 | "Don't you forget now that Somebody died for
hill@spot.Colorado.EDU         |  you/ I'm tellin' you the truth, man, I ain't
                               |  gonna lie to you/ Good guys, bad boys, we're
University of Colorado@Boulder |  all the same/ Saved by grace is the name of
$ mv net.flames /dev/null      |  the game."            --Allies, "Burden Down"
-------------------------My boss is a Jewish carpenter!------------------------
Did you ever notice that everybody in favor of abortion has already been born?!
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian