From: ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming"
Date: 23 Nov 92 18:17:29 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Nov23.012719.18138@sei.cmu.edu> tef@sei.cmu.edu (Tracey Fox) writes:
 
>Have you ever read the lyrics to 'Slow Train Coming' by Bob Dylan?  They're
>pretty THOUGHTFUL lyrics, too, but I don't believe he's anymore sincere
>towards the Lord than Metallica!  I think that particular album (STC) came
>from the pit of hell, especially the song, "Man Gave Names to all the
>Animals".  The lyrics in the last verse are VERY SUBTLE.  The words appear
>theological correct from a Judeo/Christian context, but the spirit behind them
>is NOT.  Maybe he's acknowledged by the world and the music industry as a
>great secular artist, poet, and musician but spiritually speaking, IMHO, he's
>just as philistine as Metallica.
>
>Jesus taught us to take heed to what we hear, and that includes the music we
>listen to!!!

The Bible also tells us to test the spirits.  This means more than "I've
got a bad feeling in my gut/heart/spirit about Album X or Christian Y."
It means that there should be a correspondence between belief and 
behavior.  Jesus, when accused of casting out demons by the power of  
Satan, said that a house divided against itself cannot stand.  That is,
Satan would not work in such a way as to undermine his own power.  

Bob Dylan claims to be a Christian.  "Slow Train Coming" contains some
of the most blatant Christian content of any album I've ever heard, 
and is, in fact, far more blatant in its presentation of the gospel
than 95% of the CCM released these days.  My heresy detecter doesn't 
register when I play the album, and the demonic song in question,
"Man Gave Names to all the Animals," is a children's song recounting
the events described in Genesis 2 and 3.  Yep, the song alludes to 
Satan.  You know why?  Because Genesis 2 and 3 talk about Satan
as well.  If you have trouble with the imagery, you're really going
to have a tough time dealing with the Book of Revelation.  

I saw Bob Dylan in concert twice when he was touring to promote the
"Slow Train Coming" album.  Both times he focused exclusively on
music that he had written after his conversion to Christianity. 
He was booed lustily.  I'd estimate that between one third and one 
half the audience left the concert facilities in a huff well before 
the concerts were over.  In between songs Dylan preached the gospel,
telling people that unless they repented and followed Jesus they
were going to hell.  A number of people who were playing music with
Dylan at the time - T-Bone Burnett, Bob Neuwirth, Roger McGuinn, and
Steve Soles - became Christians shortly thereafter, at least partly
as a result of the positive changes they saw in Dylan's life. 

This hardly seems like the fruits that would be borne by one who makes
music that "comes from the pit of hell."  If you feel the need to 
judge him, then at least follow a biblical example and judge him by his 
fruits.  Slander is unbecoming of Christians.  Wild, unsubstantiated 
claims about Christians making music from "the pit of hell" sounds a lot 
like slander to me, and I'd respectfully suggest that you cut the crap.

Andy Whitman
AT&t Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
att!cblpn!ajw  or
ajw@cblpn.att.com