From: Phil.Powell@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Phil Powell)
Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll.metal.progressive
Subject: Re: Christian Metal ???
Date: 30 Sep 92 03:28:58 GMT
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service

In article <1992Sep29.192901.22082@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> cassidy@cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy) writes:
>In article <1992Sep29.010515.26105@reed.edu> mojo@reed.edu (The Man Who Lived On Top Of The Sun) writes:
>>
>>I think most bands that start with a message and try to build music around
>>it get boring fast; this is at least as true of political subjects as
>>religious ones.  (I'm thinking of ten thousand bad protest folksingers here.)
>>The monotonous, subject-obsessive Christian metal is, I think, made by
>>people who either: (1) think faith is a workable substitute for creativity;
>>or (2) don't distinguish between their identities and their religions.
>>
>>By just about any standard, King's X is a Christian metal band; I believe
>>Fates Warning is as well.  There are probably others we don't know about.
>>Presumably these are people who find Christianity to be a source of freedom,
>>rather than an impediment to it.  (I don't entirely understand how people
>>reconcile their individuality with *any* organized religion---but it seems
>>to work for lots of them.)
>
>	I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Christianity is NOT an 
>organized religion.  There have been some religions that have sprung up 
>around the ideas of Christianity.  But Christianity is about the living power
>of the Holy Spirit living through you.  The good Christian metal bands, ( and
>the good Christian alternative bands ) don't sing about the "Church".  "Gee, 
>wouldn't it be nice to go to Church?  Sing some hymns, and eat some doughnuts."
>etc.  They do not sing about "religion", and the do not sing about the 
>organization, they do not sing about church history, candalabras, or any
>church fixtures.  They reconcile individuality with the individual experience 
>of God in their lives.  King's X sings about "We Are Finding Who We Are.",
>Extreme sings that there is a hole in the heart that can only be filled by ( you ).
>In many cases these "Christian" groups are critical of the "church".  And I 
>will tell you why: because they stifle individuality and honesty to such an 
>extent that they totally close off people to the richness of what Christians
>actually believe.
>	Before when someone was talking about Metal being about Freedom, and 
>how Christian Metal was an oxymoron, I think he kinda forgot the anger that 
>comes from simple catagorization, and the freedom that comes from breaking
>other people's nice little catagories.
>
>
>>
>>Note, too, Maiden's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner": "To teach God's word by
>>his own example/That we must love all things that God made."  I don't know
>>if the sentiments are shared by the band, or just inherited from the
>>original poem.
>>
>>Damn, this is disorganized.  I thjink I've had too much coffee.
>>
>>	NT
>>-- 
>>"My wife is in Hell, where       @  Nathan Tenny           @  I barely even
>>I sent her.  She made good       @   mojo@reed.edu         @  _have_ an
>>biscuits, but her behavior       @ tenny@euclid.uoregon.edu@  employer.  Can I
>>was terrible."  -_Lonesome Dove_ @                         @  use yours?


I agree with you 100% dude, but I think he was referring to the apparent
contradiction of terms (which is absurd) of "Christian" and "metal"
combined, not necessarily the validity of the Christian part... but you
spoke the truth, dude!

Phil

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