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Post by OrthodoxBrit on Jan 20, 2013 11:52:59 GMT 2
Hi all,
I have recently found it interesting to speak to my Spiritual Father about music tastes and faith.
It is well known that in Nations with national Orthodox Churches there have been church supported protests against some musical acts (eg. Lady Gaga) playing in the country.
As someone who has spent his adult life as a Metalhead, I sometimes find it contradictory to my faith to listen to music which blatantly blasphemes. Other times I feel that if the band do not actively preach against Christianity I see no problem. An example of this is that Slayer's singer is a strict Catholic and Megadeth's frontman is a born again Protestant.
What do others feel on this matter?
Daniel
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Post by JamesfromTA on Jan 20, 2013 22:16:56 GMT 2
I don't really understand it to be fair. I get why people may have an issue with something which might be blasphemous or invoking the demonic but other than that I don't get it. If something is going to cause me to stumble or lead me into the dark place I was in years ago then I avoid it like the plague.
My music taste has definitely lost me followers on Tumblr before. C'est la vie!
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Post by immerlein on Jan 21, 2013 3:05:28 GMT 2
I listen to what I like. If it was lyrics that are very outwardly anti-God, that'll put me off, but I've never come across music that has, personally. If I listen to something and think, "Hey, this isn't good for me spiritually", I won't listen to it anymore. But there are a lot of songs on the radio that have themes that aren't Christian, and I still enjoy them from time to time.
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Post by Vlad on Jan 21, 2013 18:18:34 GMT 2
Music has a strong impact on a human, and it is for this reason that I would probably urge a degree of caution when it comes to listening to certain types of music. I'm probably on the same boat with Daniel because I adore Metal. I do like Marilyn Manson, and several other "sacreligious" artists. However, I try to avoid their blasphemous messages in certain songs, and I prefer to filter their music. No artist produces their songs exclusively about a certain topic (sex, drugs, satan).
Nevertheless, always caution. Sometimes we have to recognize what is wise. Sure, there is no actual rule or law that stops you from listening to certain types of music, but that doesn't mean you should listen to particular types of music.
At the same time, I get extremely annoyed when I hear legalistic Christians telling me that I'm "not saved" or "destined for hell" because I like rock, let alone heavy metal. This kind of attitude is something we should be more worried about than a couple of people listening to what their brain receptors perceive as good music.
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Post by JamesfromTA on Jan 21, 2013 21:56:35 GMT 2
^^
I agree with everything you just said Vlad!
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Post by timotheos on Jan 29, 2013 18:17:22 GMT 2
This is a good topic.
I myself am a metalhead, in that I'm a huge fan of the genre, I've been to many metal concerts, and I have a few band t-shirts. I am also Orthodox Christian in my convictions, and with a bit of discernment, I have come to find that there is no contradiction between my faith and my taste in music.
On its own, I don't believe that listening to metal will threaten my faith. At its base, I think it's a fantastic expression of energy and it instills a great sense of adventure (the happiness I discovered while listening to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath inspired me to want to see the world and seek different cultures, and it is along this path that I found the Orthodoxy). While not being directly spiritual, it has added a wonderful dimension to my life through this benevolent euphoria that its produced. When I hear music like that, I think of the creativity and thoughtfulness that went into making the music, and I that inspires me to pursue my own spiritual goals with diligence.
With that being said, I would stop listening to certain artists if they were doing things that I felt were hateful towards Christians. I would not want to be supporting that sort of activity, rather it be through buying their records, or through positively encouraging such behaviour. There are certain bands I really enjoy, like Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Katatonia, whose members are atheist. I will still listen to them because their music has a spiritual quality to it, and because the band members aren't antagonistic to people of faith.
If an artist did something like what Madonna Ciccone did in Moscow (stomping on an Orthodox cross on stage), then I would be outraged and distance myself from that artist (probably boycott them, too). Luckily, I think Madonna is an awful performer anyway, so I can proudly say that none of my money has ever gone towards her or her antics.
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