Christians refusing to listen to certain bands...

[XSASweet]

How about this: Knowing his friend's preferences and knowing that they were not based on musical quality, but on something to do with his faith, Zeph purposely decided to play something overtly Satanic and disrespect his friend. He did this based on some idea of convincing his friend that he should discard his personal convictions based on the quality of the music. Seems childish to me.

And it's really not that big of a deal to mess with a friend, but when you then come in here and rant about how much it pisses you off, I think you're taking it all a bit far.

To be honest, he doesn't mention playing it because it's satanic, but playing it based on what he wanted to listen to. I'm pretty sure he didn't want to disrespect his friend...

 

[AchrisK]

He knew his friend's preferences. He knew Melissa has Satanic themes. What more is there?

 

[Satanstoenail]

Ack: must you defend every single Christian soldier out there no matter what? If his friend is so staunch with his convictions and easily offended by lyrics he doesn't agree with, how come Highway to Hell is ok?

 

[Cythraul]

I really do not see what is so wrong about choosing not to listen to a band because one finds the lyrics objectionable. Sure, the guy is a Christian and therefore a faggot, but some of you are acting as if he's being irrational because he chooses to avoid artistic expressions he disagrees with.

 

[XSASweet]

He knew his friend's preferences. He knew Melissa has Satanic themes. What more is there?

He could have, I dunno, forgot about them? I don't know about you, but I don't always remember every single lyrical theme a band has. Human error is common, you know. He could have even thought his friend would have been ok with it. You know a lot of the bands with satanic lyrics aren't satanists. Maybe his friend didn't, which wasn't a problem of zeph's nor his friend. It's just music, man

 

[AchrisK]

Ack: must you defend every single Christian soldier out there no matter what? If his friend is so staunch with his convictions and easily offended by lyrics he doesn't agree with, how come Highway to Hell is ok?

Well, yeah there is that. You know how people are. Those are the type of things that people mature and start to realize. I know "every Christian solider" lol doesn't need or deserve my defending. I know a lot of people do and think silly things. I guess I just think it's almost as silly to freak out over it. Plus I was more defending the right of each person to work out their own convictions, and I do mean work out. They do change. And again, I understand discussing and debating and even messing with friends, but I guess I was annoyed by what I perceive as Zeph's overreacting.

 

[Dak]

/quote everything Ack said

DOT

 

[AchrisK]

He could have, I dunno, forgot about them? I don't know about you, but I don't always remember every single lyrical theme a band has. Human error is common, you know. He could have even thought his friend would have been ok with it. You know a lot of the bands with satanic lyrics aren't satanists. Maybe his friend didn't, which wasn't a problem of zeph's nor his friend. It's just music, man

I know it's just music, but King Diamond is notorious for his Satanism. But then again, maybe it is just me and my old fart self. For those of us from the 80's, KD was like the A#1 Satanic metal band member.

What an amazing album Melissa is, though. First heard it in like 84ish and it is still one of the best.

But I bet Zeph knew.

 

[skeptik]

But here there occurs a reflection, which may, perhaps, be useful in examining the celebrated controversy concerning ancient and modern learning; where we often find the one side excusing any seeming absurdity in the ancients from the manners of the age, and the other refusing to admit this excuse, or at least, admitting it only as an apology for the author, not for the performance. In my opinion, the proper boundaries in this subject have seldom been fixed between the contending parties. Where any innocent peculiarities of manners are represented, such as those above mentioned, they ought certainly to be admitted; and a man, who is shocked with them, gives an evident proof of false delicacy and refinement. The poet’s monument more durable than brass, must fall to the ground like common brick or clay, were men to make no allowance for the continual revolutions of manners and customs, and would admit of nothing but what was suitable to the prevailing fashion. Must we throw aside the pictures of our ancestors, because of their ruffs and fardingales? But where the ideas of morality and decency alter from one age to another, and where vicious manners are described, without being marked with the proper characters of blame and disapprobation; this must be allowed to disfigure the poem, and to be a real deformity. I cannot, nor is it proper I should, enter into such sentiments; and however I may excuse the poet, on account of the manners of his age, I never can relish the composition. The want of humanity and of decency, so conspicuous in the characters drawn by several of the ancient poets, even sometimes by Homer and the Greek tragedians, diminishes considerably the merit of their noble performances, and gives modern authors an advantage over them. We are not interested in the fortunes and sentiments of such rough heroes: We are displeased to find the limits of vice and virtue so much confounded: And whatever indulgence we may give to the writer on account of his prejudices, we cannot prevail on ourselves to enter into his sentiments, or bear an affection to characters, which we plainly discover to be blameable.

The case is not the same with moral principles, as with speculative opinions of any kind. These are in continual flux and revolution. The son embraces a different system from the father. Nay, there scarcely is any man, who can boast of great constancy and uniformity in this particular. Whatever speculative errors may be found in the polite writings of any age or country, they detract but little from the value of those compositions. There needs but a certain turn of thought or imagination to make us enter into all the opinions, which then prevailed, and relish the sentiments or conclusions derived from them. But a very violent effort is requisite to change our judgment of manners, and excite sentiments of approbation or blame, love or hatred, different from those to which the mind from long custom has been familiarized. And where a man is confident of the rectitude of that moral standard, by which he judges, he is justly jealous of it, and will not pervert the sentiments of his heart for a moment, in complaisance° to any writer whatsoever.

Of all speculative errors, those, which regard religion, are the most excusable in compositions of genius; nor is it ever permitted to judge of the civility or wisdom of any people, or even of single persons, by the grossness or refinement of their theological principles. The same good sense, that directs men in the ordinary occurrences of life, is not hearkened to in religious matters, which are supposed to be placed altogether above the cognizance of human reason. On this account, all the absurdities of the pagan system of theology must be overlooked by every critic, who would pretend to form a just notion of ancient poetry; and our posterity, in their turn, must have the same indulgence to their forefathers. No religious principles can ever be imputed as a fault to any poet, while they remain merely principles, and take not such strong possession of his heart, as to lay him under the imputation of bigotry or superstition. Where that happens, they confound the sentiments of morality, and alter the natural boundaries of vice and virtue. They are therefore eternal blemishes, according to the principle abovementioned; nor are the prejudices and false opinions of the age sufficient to justify them.

It is essential to the Roman catholic religion to inspire a violent hatred of every other worship, and to represent all pagans, mahometans, and heretics as the objects of divine wrath and vengeance. Such sentiments, though they are in reality very blameable, are considered as virtues by the zealots of that communion, and are represented in their tragedies and epic poems as a kind of divine heroism. This bigotry has disfigured two very fine tragedies of the French theatre, Polieucte and Athalia; where an intemperate zeal for particular modes of worship is set off with all the pomp imaginable, and forms the predominant character of the heroes. “What is this,” says the sublime Joad to Josabet, finding her in discourse with Mathan, the priest of Baal, “Does the daughter of David speak to this traitor? Are you not afraid, lest the earth should open and pour forth flames to devour you both? Or lest these holy walls should fall and crush you together? What is his purpose? Why comes that enemy of God hither to poison the air, which we breathe, with his horrid presence?” Such sentiments are received with great applause on the theatre of Paris; but at London the spectators would be full as much pleased to hear Achilles tell Agamemnon, that he was a dog in his forehead, and a deer in his heart, or Jupiter threaten Juno with a sound drubbing, if she will not be quiet.

Religious principles are also a blemish in any polite composition, when they rise up to superstition, and intrude themselves into every sentiment, however remote from any connection with religion. It is no excuse for the poet, that the customs of his country had burthened life with so many religious ceremonies and observances, that no part of it was exempt from that yoke. It must for ever be ridiculous in Petrarch to compare his mistress, Laura, to Jesus Christ. Nor is it less ridiculous in that agreeable libertine, Boccace, very seriously to give thanks to God Almighty and the ladies, for their assistance in defending him against his enemies.

Hume

 

[~Derek~]

I talked to someone at college like that. He woul listen to Cradle of Filth but not Dimmu Borgir because he believed Dimmu Borgir to be true Satanists based on what he read on he Internet and on their videos. He also won't go near Norwegian metal because he knows about black metal. I've seen this guy wearing a Black Label Society shirt before.

 

[AchrisK]

To tell you the truth I have debated with other Christians about what I perceived to be a lack of logic and double standards in their listening standards.

 

[wandering_taco]

My dad turns off Highway to Hell, Runnin With The Devil, and Hell's Bell's whenever they come on the radio. He's only been doing this since he started getting more Christian and stuff. I know he likes these songs, I grew up on them. He just does it cause "Jesus wouldnt listen to it." Pisses me off, those are some of my fav songs by those bands.

 

[Achtland]

Boycott Christians! They are destroying the world with their idiocy.

 

[Savern]

My dad turns off Highway to Hell, Runnin With The Devil, and Hell's Bell's whenever they come on the radio. He's only been doing this since he started getting more Christian and stuff. I know he likes these songs, I grew up on them. He just does it cause "Jesus wouldnt listen to it." Pisses me off, those are some of my fav songs by those bands.

Shame - if Jesus came back he'd be moshing out in the front row.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

...piss me the fuck off.

I was riding down to Boston from UMaine today with my old friend. He likes some kinds of Metal, namely bands like Dragonforce, A7X and Nightwish.

He's also a Christian (non-denominational, but attends Protestant masses). He doesn't believe in evolution, but doesn't take the whole bible literally. He believes that Hell and Satan exist. And he outright refuses to listen to any Metal with Satanic or Anti-Christian lyrics (which means to him that he won't take ANY Black Metal or Death Metal).

So he let me plug my iPod into the car stereo for parts of the car-ride down (5+ hours). He played me some Blind Guardian (Night at the Opera) and Death Magnetic, so I could hear it for myself to pass judgment. From my iPod I played Candlemass (Tales of Creation) and Hollenthon Opus Magnum, both of which he took a liking to. The third person riding with us wanted to know what Celtic Frost sounded like so I spun To Mega Therion, and my Christian friend thought it wasn't bad.

So I then went on to play Mercyful Fate (Melissa). After the first two songs he said he liked it A LOT. Then, half-way through "Into the Coven", King Diamond shouts "MY SOUL BELONGS TO SATAN". At that moment my friend immediately shut the stereo off and said "Hey! That guy's a Satanist. I'm not listening to this!"

We then had an argument in which I asserted that one's religious beliefs shouldn't prevent someone from listening to any kind of music. Wagner was anti-Semitic, so does that make us Nazis by listening to his music?

He claimed that listening to "Satanic music" would poison his mind. My main point was that it in fact shows weakness of faith to be afraid of listening to kinds of music associated with anti-religious themes.

Ironically, when he shut off Mercyful Fate, it switched to the local rock station, which was playing AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", which he didn't seem to mind "rockin' out to anytime." Where do you draw the damned line?

The attitude of people like this guy makes no sense, and it closes the door to a whole world of great music.

well if they take their bibles seriously they certainly wouldn't listen to satanic music... "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22).

 

[Thoth-Amon]

I know it's just music, but King Diamond is notorious for his Satanism. But then again, maybe it is just me and my old fart self. For those of us from the 80's, KD was like the A#1 Satanic metal band member.

What an amazing album Melissa is, though. First heard it in like 84ish and it is still one of the best.

But I bet Zeph knew.

i dont think KD is really much invovled with the COS anymore.

 

[False Joe]

He'd be the best mosher ever.
When he helped someone up he could heal them of their fucked up knee, or broken nose.

 

[Zephyrus]

How about this: Knowing his friend's preferences and knowing that they were not based on musical quality, but on something to do with his faith, Zeph purposely decided to play something overtly Satanic and disrespect his friend. He did this based on some idea of convincing his friend that he should discard his personal convictions based on the quality of the music. Seems childish to me.

And it's really not that big of a deal to mess with a friend, but when you then come in here and rant about how much it pisses you off, I think you're taking it all a bit far.

You're missing my main point. He REALLY liked the music off Melissa, and then let something so inconsequential as three words from a complete stranger cause him to boycott a band that he may otherwise had fallen in love with.

Yes, I tricked him. But I felt that was the only way he could listen to this kind of music with an open mind. I could have asked him if I could play it, but he'd either vehemently refuse or approach it with a major bias.

/quote everything Ack said

DOT

Try forming your own opinions for once.

 

[whiskey funeral]

I really do not see what is so wrong about choosing not to listen to a band because one finds the lyrics objectionable. Sure, the guy is a Christian and therefore a faggot, but some of you are acting as if he's being irrational because he chooses to avoid artistic expressions he disagrees with.

This...but:

Like others have said, I don't think Zeph was purposely trying to upset or disrespect his friend and it is rather strange that listening to "Highway to Hell" was okay for him. I don't know...I see lyrical content in music as just words. I'm not a Satanist, racist, violent person, etc. and if I actually took lyrics to heart I probably wouldn't listen to more than half the music I enjoy.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

 

[False Joe]

I can see your friends point of view really.
I mean, I recently gave up my soul to the Gods Rock and Roll, sacrificed a goat, ejaculated into a cup of communal wine to try Fukk the Blood of Christ and burned down a church. Songs are the most influential things ever.