From: logan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Logan Shaw)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: What do you do when your child thinks Metallica is cool?
Date: 19 Nov 92 09:51:39 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin

In article <nestabro.721687895@nova> nestabro@nova.gmi.edu (Noel Estabrook) writes:
>ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>
>>I think the primary difference in our approach to such things is that
>>I think it's possible to find something genuinely good and worthwhile
>>in the non-Christian works, even while I disagree with some or all
>
>What I don't get is _why_ you would want to even bother with something
>whose "major premise" you disagree with.  I'm not advocating hiding
>from the world, but I don't have to read a book by a New Age author
>to understand the New Age.  About all I care to know about Neitshke (sp)
                                                            ^^^^^^^^
I think it's "Neitsche".

>is that he was an atheist, therefore, I know his reasoning is going to
>lead me away from God.  Do I need to know anything else?  That he was
>brilliant?  Yes, but brilliant and in hell.

It's the same reason a staunch atheist might want to read C.S.Lewis's
literary commentary.  He was wonderful at English literature, and now matter
what your religious viewpoint, you can gain a knowledge about literature from
it.

This is sorta related to the reason I think it can be worthwhile to listen
to secular music and read secular books and so on.  You can learn something
from a really good band about music, whether or not they're Christians.  As
I understand it, we're supposed to be good stewards with our talents (pun
sorta intended there...) and develop them to use for the glory of God.
Listening to something musically good is part of that.

>  I believe God cares about
>our heart.  If I am , say, a mediocre musician (and I am), but I 
>decide to produce an album to the glory of God anyway, what do you 
>think God will joy in more: my somewhat poor (but wholehearted)
>attempt to pleasE him, or some incredibly talented musician (like 
>Eddie Van Halen) who does it all for himself?

Now, suppose you're a guitarist, and you listen to a bunch of really great
guitarists and you develop an exceptionally good guitar style, and then you
make an album, which goes to #1 on the pop charts, and therefore reach to
a much wider audience?

Note that, without thinking about it, I have allowed only for listening to
secular music to learn something from it, not because you might enjoy it.
Then again, I think enjoying the music is perfectly o.k., as long as you
don't enjoy any ungodliness possibly present in it.

This goes back to the idea that some people have that it's o.k. to
interpret a piece of literature/art the way *you* want to, not necessarily
the way the author intended it.

Once I looked at a camp fire and saw the sparks floating upwards and then
dying out, and suddenly I thought to myself, "Those sparks are like the
ones who try on their own merits to make it instead of trusting in God.
Some go higher than others, and for awhile you think they'll just keep on
going, but all the sparks die out eventually."  Now, the person who started
the camp fire didn't intend for me to see this in it, I'm sure.  Yet, I
worshipped God when I saw it and when I saw a symbol for His truth in
nature.  I think the same thing can happen for music.

Adios,
  Logan
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Newsgroups: rec.music.christian