is it wrong to listen to rap and randB

[Jniles_NCF]

Saints,

 Create a new sound that no one has heard before!  Right Gieres?

Don't sound like anybody else!

God bless
Eggs

i had a rehearsal last night and we were going over songs for the watchnight service and for sunday and i tell you 'm not the best player in the world or on this site but last night we prayed for God to open iour ears for the sound that He would have for the house in 2005, and then we started singing welcome into this place and when e got to the vamp where it goes and we lift our hands and we lift our hearts, we just started flowing and jamming, and i mean i was actually playign rather well, God can and He will give skill to the skillfull i knwo that for sure it happened last night , we prayed for a new sound and He gave it to us, you don't need to listen to worldy music to get new music practice practice practice spend time with your instrument and with God and He will give you music melodies from heaven like kirk said

[Eggs]

Preach!

[B3Wannabe]

That's why I said: If you feel that you're not doing wrong then don't worry about it, because in the end, you're the only person that will have to answer to God for yourself. I've said before that I now believe things opposite of what I was taught as a child, and some will say that I'm wrong. I feel that I'm right, however, and if someone wanted me to explain my views then I would; however, I can't make anyone else believe like myself. It's totally up to them. This thing that we do is about sincerity and faith. Hell will be filled with people that were hypocritcal to what they knew was true, not to what other people told them was wrong. Everyone, including the biggest sinner, knows what's right and wrong.

Here's something that I believe: If you take all the white religions (those that don't obviously promote devil worship, which are black religions. nothing to do with race), and strip away some of the fluff (that I call traditions) they're all the same. I believe that in the end it will boil down to 2 things: Love and Sincerity. First, and this is the biggest one, how much do we love each other. Second, how much do we love God; and last, how sincere are we about what we believe. Why that order? The bible says (paraphrased): How can you say you love me, when you can't love the people you see everyday? When Jesus came, his main message was that of brotherly love, because the world was seperated by traditions and secularisms. Now, do you think we're doing more brotherly love or do we have more traditions and secularisms?

[cecil573]

I apologize if I have offended anyone with my post.  But if you say that we can not listen to R&b and hip hop then we are actually putting God in a box.  Don't twist what I said before.  Can God not use wordly things to draw worldly people.  Can he not use a stripper, drug dealer, prostitute or other for His glory?  The church has problems because we don't want to except all things of God.  He can use worldly things to draw the same way he uses a preacher, deacon, missionary or any other compacity of the church to draw others.  Being a former drug dealer and pimp, I can testify that I have drawn others throught my experiences to
Christ.  Some of the members of my church are prostitutes and former drug dealers and pimps.  When you use worldly things you give them other members of the church a sense that they are not the only one that has gone through something.  So in conclusion God does use worldly things and people to draw others.  Sometime you can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.  Don't get this phrase twisted either.  What i'm saying is that don't forget where you came from.  Remember your experiences and the things that you use to do as a testimony to draw others.  Don't be so focused on yourself that you forget the pain that others are going through.  That's all I was saying.  I think sometimes we can over correct ourselves and push people away from the church by being to overbearing.  Like I said before....pray and fast and ask God for the answer.  If you feel that you can listen to other types of music and not be influenced by it then I say go ahead.  But if it's something that you can't control then let it go.  

Rev Cecil Ramey
Be blessed or else

[Eggs]

I'm gonna have to make this my last post on this subject:

First, the first commandment is to love God first, above anything and anyone... so it's God.... other people... and then you, in that order.  We are servants, because Christ served.

And secondly, to Rev. Ramey, you don't need to apologize... everyone is working out their soul's salvation, and everyone has a valuable opinion.  I for one, am not offended.

But here's my point:  There is a big difference between testifying about what God has done for ya, and where he's brought you from.... and continually associating yourself with a THING, that has no Spiritual value.

As we grow by the grace of God, we should begin to see the world as He sees it.

Pimps and pushers are worth saving... God loves them, and so should we.  But when you visit that bad section of town to witness to them.....
dont take the music that they listen to, to reach them.... take the Word.


Peace,
Eggs

[B3Wannabe]

See....I told you. Read "the biggest one" as "important". What I meant by that is that it is the key to really loving God. You can't love God without loving everyone else and vice-versa. Many people become seperatists, when they become a christian, thinking that they can't be around or show love to anyone else that isn't a christian or in the same denomination as themselves.

[blessedone]

I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings but I just had to say something. If God is not in it, then why do it? God should come first in everything you do. I use to think it was ok to listen to all sorts of music. It is not ok. The devil's job is to get your soul. Do you honestly believe that is ok to listen to rap? When I became a christian, I didn't want to listen to rap or R&B anymore.  The devil use the same old tricks to get us. He get us through our desires. We have to learn the devil's tactics.
If you don't watch it, the devil will come through your television.
What I am trying to say is why listen to that when you have music in your heart? Be creative and use your own stuff. God will help you. All you have to do is believe.

[JoyCH]

The Bible tells us to submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord.

Just think of it this way, if you were in heaven, would it be okay to listen to rap or R&B?  This is just a trick of the enemy to get our lives and focus off of God. He knows he cunning and conneiving and would make you think sin isn't sin.

And lastly, if its questionable, you already know it isn't right.

Joy [/b]

[philly_b-3]

I think alot of people forgot about the old school saints because we laugh at some of their ways like no movies, no worldly music, no pants in church but I tell you what. They didnt fall for some things that we struggle with today. We as a church have gotten away from holyness. We have watered down the word to fit our lives. But im not here to judge i believe that each man should work out his soul salvation and we can debate all we want but on that great day God will do the seperating. God Bless

[jittyg]

This is a very interesting topic that many young people question. Personally I don't like the message that the majority of Rap and R&B songs are sending.  But I do like the Music.  Remember all music originated in heaven.  So technically speaking christians are not using the worlds music, we are taking it back from the devil.  Many secular artist sing about their love for there mate.  Is it wrong for me to express my love for my wife through song?  Taking it a step further what about the movies we watch.  Does every TV show or movie draw you closer to God? I listen to Rap and R&b, this gives me a way to identify and deal with the youth at my church.  How can one be effective and not be familiar with what you are up against.  I know I have jumped around on many different topics, but we should really look at the whole picture before saying that everything is wrong or a sin.  The question is What are your motives for doing this?

[keyboardgirl]

I agree with what some of you said about we should not have to draw people in buy converting to the world and we should be separted.  I really feel strongly that if we are saved we only do things that glorify God.  God does not get any glory from R&B and Rap.  God wants to be our only God and he said he is a jealous God.  These things like the Rap & the R& B can become our Gods.  God will not share his glory with anyone.  Those songs do not talk about God and his goodness and even worshipping him so why are we listening to that if we are supposed to be saved and Christians.  The word Christains means Christ like.  When God was on the earth he never had to change his style to minister to young people with wordly teachings.  He just taught and showed them his life which is a ministry in itself.  We do not have to change to reach young people they can see a difference in your lifestyle.

[PROSTR8]

WOW!.....I really can't believe some of the things I've heard on this post.  I know I am in the minority on this, but I have to join with the camp of people that don't believe that there is anything wrong with listening to secular music.  Why put limits on GOD and the things that God provides.  I have found God in some of the ost unusual places and circumstances. it has been in these places and circumstances that God has truly ministered to me  and inspired me creatively.  I look at people like THOMAS DORSEY and thank God everyday at how he was able to traform his secular gifts to influence gospel music as we know it today.  There's too much beauty to be found in all kinds of music to limit what we listen to and hwo we use it grow as musicians.  Just because you don't se the word JESUS expressly in it does not make a song damnable or sinful to listen to.  this is not to say that we must not always be vigilant about what we hear and see, but let's not throw aout the baby with the bath water either.

[4hisglory]

10 years ago, I would have been saying alot of the same things that people that think its ok to listen to secular music are saying.  But 10 years ago, I was sleeping with my girlfriend, gossiping, drinking at the parties, etc.... (Im not saying that everyone that listen to secular music is doing that sort of thing, so dont start on that tangent ) ...........

Actually something just popped in my head that I want to ask the people that listen to secular music:

What artist are you listening too??

[ddw4e]

Personally, I listen to Alicia Keys, Angie Scott

[Jniles_NCF]

i don't listen to secular as much as i do to gospel as i said before i look to God and practice for Chords and grooves , but i do enjoy listening to great musicians, like Alicia keys, brian Mcknight, Boyz 2 Men, i enjoy good vocal abilities.

[dkmusic22]

Yes it is wrong.

[jlewis]

I still listen to secular music occasionally.  I used to only listen to rap and R&B but I find  that technically that music is not very challenging and therefore I seek out other types of music like jazz.


Now I'm not trying to convince anyone that secular music is ok or that you should only listen to gospel because like some others have said you must be convinced in your own heart.

But doing searches on chord theory and chord structure I discovered that the tritones that many of you strive so hard to use was originally called the "devil's chord" and was banished in the church of that time.  Now today everyone is trying to master the usage and application of this "devil's chord" in their playing.  When did this become ok.  Also, many of the so called "PHAT chords" that many strive to master are really applications of jazz theory  ( I'm talking about your augmented chords and your  13ths, 9ths and 6/9 substitutions). Also many of the  "sick runs" that people are trying to master are applications of modal playing used primarily in jazz styles and popularized by people like thelonius monk and John Coltrane.  Jazz is a form of secular music, what makes it ok and R&B and rap bad?

Like someone else has already said, Thomas Andrew Dorsey who is known as the father of Gospel music, also worked as a jazz and blues pianist ( which could be considered the R&B of the 1800s) before he wrote Precious Lord, Take my Hand. You will never get me to believe that the chord structures and melodies that he developed in the blues and jazz arenas did not move with him when he left those circles and developed gospel music( he was the first to use that term ya know). The blues is a form of secular music.  but many of you are learning the blues scales and blues riffs.  What makes the blues ok and rap and R&B bad?

So what changed about his music was the message.  I truly believe that if R. Kelly gave his life totally over to the lord,  his stuff would still sound like R Kelly.  what would be different is that it wouldn't be about "age ain't nothing but a number" or "I don't see nothing  wrong..." it would be about Jesus.

So I guess I am of the opinion that talented people are just that, talented. And that if they chose to glorify something other than God with their talent then  their personal salvation is in jeporady but that don't change the fact that their music (or their lyrics for that matter) are banging.  How else could R Kelly get so much air time for songs like I believe I can fly or He saved me. The brother got skills he just using them for the wrong team ( what makes it worse is that the skills came from God anyway).

I feel like music is an art form and what you hear is an expression of what is inside of someone. If someone wrote a rap song about Jesus what is wrong with that? Rap is not bad, what you rap about may be questioanble but the art form of rap is not bad.  Just like many poeple cannot play an instrument with skill, many people cannot rap with skill. If you got skills rapping and you use that skill to talk about the glory of God what is wrong with that?

Again, I know that I can't change anyone's mind on how they feel but just wanted to educate you a little on where the much of the "theory" on this site originates from.

jlewis

[cmeredith24]

Praise the LORD everybody! My response to this question would be
why would you want to listen to Rap music any way? There is no God in
it. No love, no salvation and it glorifies violence, drugs, and sexual
misconducts (fornication) in other words. Jesus has delivered us from
sin so why go back where he delivered you from? We are too close to
turn back now. Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 Amen!

[cmeredith24]

One more thing to add: Kirk Franklin once said  "Some people think Gospel music has gone too far but you ain't seen nothing yet"! I agree! Any more you wonder. Gospel rap, gospel skating, gospel hip-hip. We are seeing it now!

[jlewis]

I would respond to cmeridith that rap music does not glorify anything. The rappers who put those things ( violence, drugs, sexual immorality) are the ones who are glorifying that.  But  a christian who raps about Jesus and his/her deliverence is glorifying God.

As a matter of fact, that can be said about all forms of music.  Don't get caught up labeling rap as an art form as evil.  Any art from can be used to glorify God or satan.  It is the individual and how they choose to express themselves in the art form where the problem lies.

jlewis