If anyone is interested in listening to my favorite Catholic song, In Christ Alone, here is the youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8lhlOkLhJc
Even if you are not Catholic and do not agree with the lyrics, I think that you will enjoy the music itself. Take a chance and see!
For those of you who do decide to listen to it, what do you think of the song? Do you agree with the lyrics even if you are not religious or Catholic? Does this inspire you to stretch outside your comfort zone and listen to more religious music?
I listened to the song, and did appreciate the instrumentation. It sounds rather like traditional Celtic music, which is a style I very much enjoy. The female singer also had a nice voice, and I didn't mind the male singer too much either.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I cannot say that I agreed with the lyrics, nor can I see how someone who was not religious could do so easily; the reason for this is that the lyrics were basically completely about Christ. In fact, I have found this to be the case with most religious music, and that makes it somewhat difficult for me to identify with the music.
This over-saturation of religion is not confined to music; I have noticed it in many other areas as well, such as art, storytelling, and perhaps most annoyingly charitable organizations. While I appreciate the efforts of these last, and do not personally find the idea of religion (well, most religion; the WBC is an exception) objectionable, it disturbs me that any money I donate to these organizations may not end up helping whatever cause they work for - I could be funding a new church, or even something I do object to, like anti-gay marriage demonstrations. Religion is not, I believe, a bad thing at all, but it would be nice if it were a little less interwoven with basically everything else.
P.S. I also posted this on my blog if you'd rather read it there.
Thanks for your input, Avery! I agree with your point about the "Catholic lyrics;" it would be very hard for me to relate to the song if I followed a different religion as well! In regards to donations, do you feel that the Church is scamming you? How do you know that the money is not going towards the organization? Have you had personal experience with the matter? I'll check out your blog too!
ReplyDeleteHey Feeney! I listened to the song and I read the lyrics you posed a few days ago. I agree with what you and Brandon were saying about similarities between the lyrics/Krishna and the two religions.
ReplyDeleteThe first verse reminded me of the chapter, the Cosmic Vision. Krishna explains how it is everything in the universe- good, bad, powerful, loving. And to allude to your previous post about the lines, "No fear in life, No guilt in death," I was also reminded of the earlier chapters when Krishna tells Arjuna not to fear death or dying. Because of the promise of an afterlife, there need not be fear
I am happy for you that you find comfort and strength in God. Thank you for posting.
And Avery, I can understand why you do not support WBC. It seems they are very extreme, insensitive, and rude. They seem to follow a different religion entirely. I've never heard of "spreading God's hate" to be a message others would want to follow or be inspired by...
Although Wikepedia is not the most credible source, I've learned a lot about this cult.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church
(This will also be posted on my blog)
Thanks for your input as well, Jess! I followed your link about the WBC, and I am absolutely disgusted. I did not know that an organization like this still exists! Did you know that the KKK is still around as well? They even have a website! I think the WBC's slogan,"God Hates Fags" is a very direct and appalling statement. The fact that members of the baptist church WBC engage in demonstrations "opposing the homosexual lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth" and attend military funerals to preach their hatred, shocks me. I was surprised how direct the group is by showcasing bold signs with the titles of: FAGS DOOM NATIONS, THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS,GOD HATES AMERICA, AMERICA IS DOOMED, THE WORLD IS DOOMED, etc. I think it is saddening to see such hatred that people try to go out of their way to preach and create.
DeleteI agree, the Westboro Baptist Church is really outlandish. I think it is a terrible thing when a group is so incredibly openly hateful towards everybody. On the other hand, it's also a good thing that they are so openly hateful. Due to the open method they practice most people have grown to understand that the members of the WBC are unreasonable; Few people support the WBC's endeavors; in fact, I wouldn't doubt if it brought more people to the cause for gay-rights.
DeleteSometimes an even worse thing can be hiding your discrimination from the world, while you continue to try to indoctrinate people into thinking that this discrimination is warranted. Imagine if the WBC had an enormous wealth and the ability to lobby the government, because it provides aid to those in need, to prevent gay marriage. The Catholic Church, for instance, decided to try to lobby the government in Washington D.C. When the Catholics found out about the new legislature with potential to allow gay marriage they threatened to discontinue providing services for 68,000 people in need; they threatened to cease providing shelter for the homeless, offering food to the hungry, and helping cure the ill. This is probably largely due to the fact that equality for homosexuals is against the catechism (Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 6, lines 2357-2359).