You will find many like minds here.

With regard to how "Christian Rock" can affect us without our knowing it, here is a copy of my new blog on the subject:



Let's look at a song as something that consists of two parts -- words and music.

When we consider the impression the song creates in us, it seems to me that we must separate words from music. That is, the words create an impression and the music creates an impression. These two impressions may be, and often are, completely different. However, we don't always sense the difference, because we may respond to only one of these impressions. Some respond to the words, and some respond to the music.

When we consider the matter of what is sometimes called "Christian Rock Music," different people have different opinions. Some say it is good Christian music, and some say it is the work of Satan. In order to analyze such a song, we must separate it into these components -- words and music, and how each affects us.

The words affect us in a logical way. That is, the words have assigned meanings, and we use our brains to translate the words into the message they convey. Since we do this all the time in everyday conversation, most of us are quite good at it. The words in a Christian Rock song usually refer to Jesus, God or other things Christians think of as "good." Although the message can be twisted and can misrepresent itself, most of us can figure it out with enough thought put into it.

The music is different. Music is not directed to our brain, but to our heart. That is, it bypasses the brain and goes straight to the heart. Thus, it completely avoids the thought process. It is not always easy to determine the effect music has on us, especially when we may be confused by words which produce a different effect. We cannot use our brain or thought process to determine the "goodness" or "badness" of music. We simply feel it. Those of us who are not used to feeling with our heart are at a complete loss to judge it. On the other hand, those of us who are used to feeling with our heart can recognize the impression it creates, but are at a loss to explain it to others, because feelings defy logic.

Music creates these impressions in many ways. Heavy bass or midtones and treble. Type of rhythm. Note sequences. Key. Harmony or discord. Slow or fast. Flowing or discontinuous. So many other ways.

So while the words of a song may be Christian, the music itself is not so easily identified. However, whether it is easy to identify or not, we cannot escape the fact that it has an enormous impact on us spiritually. Music itself can range anywhere from absolutely Godly to downright evil, and it is very possible for Christian words to to assigned to evil music.

Be careful with "Christian Music." It can be deceiving. The spiritual influence (positive or negative) can be enormously powerful, even though we may not be aware of its effect.

Interesting.  I've heard in the medieval period that it was thought to be a sin if certain notes were put together, but I've not heard anyone make this claim today.

So... is a song in the minor key evil and the major key good?  Sure would disappoint me to find that out.  I love Beethoven.  Some of my favorite music - like the Moonlight Sonata - is in the minor key.

No, I didn't mean to imply that. I was trying to say that you can't use rules to determine the "goodness" of music. You have to use your intuition and feeling to sense it. My favorite composer is Beethoven also, and the Moonlight Sonata is one of the few pieces I can play reasonably well on the piano.

I love old hymns, played and sung in the traditional way without the drums, bells and whistles people try to add to make them contemporary.  Everyday I listen to "Family Radio" which plays soothing, Christian music that brings peace and causes me to lift my hands in praise to God. 

There are very few Contemporary Christian songs that I enjoy, only because of what they do to my Spirit.  I try to measure their worth by the fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, etc.  If I feel anxious or troubled as I listen to a song, I cross it off my play list. 

There are Contemporary songs that I have purchased recently that I do enjoy, they are "He Who Began a Good Work in You," "Lord, Reign in Me," "I Will Worship," and "In Christ Alone."

This is just my preferences; to each his own... 

It's debatable whether it's subjective or not.

Apparently thinking of music as objectively good or bad goes all the way back to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras and the divinity of number.

Pythagoras discovered that most of creation had a mathmatical basis.  He also discovered the mathmatical basis of music and harmonics.  The same thing that explained movement of the spheres in nature explained pleasing harmonics in music.   

Whether a building stands or falls depends on the mathmatics involved.  You could say that math explains whether a building is good or bad.  Perhaps math would also explain whether music is good or bad since it also has a mathmatical basis.  Math is about as objective as it gets.

But still - you make a good point about it's subjectivity.

There is a lot of Christian music that I can have 'fun' with.  However, when it comes to my spirit it has always been the old hymns we all know so well. 
Although there is repetition in hymns when we sing the chorus the one thing I can't stand with some of the 'new' music is the constant repetition.  I have been in some churches where they repeat a line or chorus over and over again.  To me it does nothing for me spiritually.  It just drives me up the wall.  Also, there is a big difference between praise music and 'feel good' music. 
Like trueblue said...to each his/her own.