Re: What makes secular music secular?

Date: Sat, 10 May 2003 01:21:29 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.music.gospel.southern,rec.music.christian
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"Chad M" <email-address-deleted> wrote in message
news:pDFua.7216$email-address-deleted...
> I believe A Christian song can be secular. It depends on the Heart of the
> person doing the writing.
I agree the heart of the writer can influence how a song is labeled, but you
also have to consider the heart of the listener. The song itself is open to
interpretation after it's written.
If a person prays "without ceasing," that person sees the spiritual side of
every part of their life. You could argue that since all of life is sacred
to a Christian, all music must be sacred as well. It's a fair argument, but
I think it gets beyond the scope of secular vs. sacred in the way most
people use those terms. Language is not cut and dried. Context varies.
but back to the topic . . .
I think a Christian song can be used for a secular purpose, as you've said.
At the same time, a secular song can be used for a sacred purpose.
I still think the GMA had the right idea when they put a review of lyrical
content in place for the Dove Awards. The artists over-reacted when they got
that withdrawn a year later, IMO. There's a difference between "Amazing
Grace" and "I Did It My Way." It doesn't diminish God's ability to use the
latter for some purpose, nor does it make one song superior to the other.
Calling a song secular or sacred (Gospel) is simply an acknowledgement of
what the song says at first glance. Calling a song sacred is acknowledging
that the writer may have had a Christianity promoting agenda. Such labels
are NOT a measure of a song's depth, artistic value, or ultimate potential
to be used in a spiritual manner.
--
David Bruce Murray / email-address-deleted
---Making hay while the sun shines---
"I know a pagan piano riff when I hear it." ---Dr. Bobby Clark
written May 7, 2003 by "The Original Tenor of the Cathedral Quartet"