From: jimh@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Jim)
Subject: Re: Opinions on the Grateful Dead? (no flames, please)
Reply-To: jimh@aplcen (Jim)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 17:27:21 GMT

In article <1992Jul29.165235.8335@phx.mcd.mot.com> charles@phx.mcd.mot.com (Charles Wolff) writes:
>	A lot of it has to do with their association with the 60's
>	psychedelic era & the association with drugs.  

And still associated with drugs.

>	However, you
>	cannot equate liking the Dead with drug use - I have _never_
>	done drugs _at all_ and I still have fun at a Dead concert :-)

Agree, if you like the music and dig dancing to it.

>
>	They are not a Christian band, obviously;
>	but neither are they an "anti"-Christian band...

I disagree there.  I believe the group to be very
"new age".  This observation comes from listen to
many hours of thier music, hanging out with Dead 
Heads and seeing them twice.  I don't think Dead
Heads believe they are "anti"-Christian, though.
I say this in the spirit of John 10.

>	The concept of the "Grateful Dead" has to do with ancient
>	belief that if a person dies and their body is not (properly)
>	buried, their spirit will be forced to wander the earth.  When
>	a person comes along and buries the body, the spirit is released,
>	and, in appreciation, does some sort of "favor" for the person
>	who buried the body.  The band actually picked the name at
>	random out of a large dictionary.

Is this "anti"-Christian thought?

A friend of the devil is a friend of mine?
>
>
>
>	I think "harmless" is a reasonable description to use in
>	rec.music.christian, if one can do that without rekindling the
>	"can Christians listen to secular music" thread.  

Disagree.  See thoughts below....

>	I really
>	think that comes down to a personal level; if a person had
>	been heavily into the Dead and became a Christian, they might
>	find that they needed to get rid of their Dead albums and
>	stop going to concerts just to avoid the pressure to slip back
>	into "old ways," whatever those were.  Others wouldn't need
>	to.  Substitute "baseball" or "French cuisine" for "the Dead" in
>	that sentence, and the sentence is just as true...  some things
>	in our past need to be gotten rid of; others don't.  

Supporting this group is endourcing the lifestlye that
leads people away from Christ.  I keep hearing this thread of
thought that God uses evil to spread His message.  Christ
can not be found in the Dead.  If He speaks to a Dead
Head through the Dead, it is God speaking, not the dead.
That is, say a DH is listening to Going To Hell in a Bucket.
He/she realizes the Dead has nothing to with Heaven.  
Why would one realize that going to hell in a bucket is not
about Heaven and fellowshiping with the ONE and LIVING God?
Only because he/she has heard the word.  Romans 10:17.!

Also, I don't believe salvation can be earned.  ie
Burning all your Greatful Dead albums and never
listening to them again will not earn your salvation.
Nor, will you loose your salvation because you 
listen to the Dead.  read on .....


>	Work out
>	your own salvation with fear and trembling...

I couldn't agree more!!!  Without doubt!!! But, Is  supporting
a group that sings about going to Hell in a bucket
and enjoying the ride, expressing salvation 
in fear and trembling??????

Jim