Hank Hill on Christian Rock Music

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:14 pm

You're not making Christianity better; you're only making Rock'n'Roll worse.

I've played in "Christian" rock bands and listen to some. Some are quite good, but most bear a strong resemblence to this quote.

=^-..-^= · Post by **=^-..-^=** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:58 pm

You know, I watched that episode a couple of times, and I think it's one of my favorites.

Hank comes off at first as being so resistant to the way cultural differences the Christian skaters have affected Bobby, and you just want to yell at Hank, "Cultural differences are not Scriptural differences!" But then toward the end, you see maybe the skaters have forgotten kindness and obedience in their rush to make God relevant. (We don't need to make God relevant to our culture; he already is without our help.)

But the last scene is the best, because Hank tells Bobby he doesn't want Jesus to become another thing left in his box of faddish old toys when the newness of the skater's unique approach to the message wears off. That's something worth remembering, when I think of the Stryper craze of the late 80's.

echosauce1 · Post by **echosauce1** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:28 am

I had a conversation with Jesus one time about music. We were going back and forth about the bands we liked. He sat me down and asked me "Why did the devil get all the good bands?". He is seriously bummed about all the psuedo musical crap he got.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 3:15 am

echosauce1 wrote:I had a conversation with Jesus one time about music. We were going back and forth about the bands we liked. He sat me down and asked me "Why did the devil get all the good bands?". He is seriously bummed about all the psuedo musical crap he got.

It's because good music requires unhindered free thought. Dogma and canon stifles creative flow and process.

Sankofa · Post by **Sankofa** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:56 am

Hank's that guy.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:14 am

Garr wrote:
echosauce1 wrote:I had a conversation with Jesus one time about music. We were going back and forth about the bands we liked. He sat me down and asked me "Why did the devil get all the good bands?". He is seriously bummed about all the psuedo musical crap he got.
It's because good music requires unhindered free thought. Dogma and canon stifles creative flow and process.

Really?!?!? Ever hear of some guy named Beethoven? Bach? Handel? John Pattitucci? Oteil Burbridge? Ricky Skaggs? Bruce Cockburn? and about a million others who are both Christians and creative geniuses...

Your statement sounds awfully dogmatic to me.

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:17 am

Methinks ye beest off track.

I was not saying that Christians cannot make good music. I was saying that religious music in general has to subscribe to too many limiters to be good in my opinion. I apologize for not making that statement clear enough.

::shrug::

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:19 am

bassjones wrote:Your statement sounds awfully dogmatic to me.

Are you sure you know what dogma means? I ask because I have NO clue what you meant by that when I apply it to my understanding (i.e. the definition of) dogma.

adam atherton · Post by **adam atherton** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:23 am

wasn't alanis morrisette in that movie?

i'd still like to bone her.

sevesd93 · Post by **sevesd93** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:28 am

Down Boy!!!

Garr · Post by **Garr** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:32 am

me too. she was in a recent episode of Nip Tuck too. SHE LOOKED GOOOOOD!!!

Silencio · Post by **Silencio** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:35 am

It was Larry Norman who wanted to know "Why should the Devil have all the good music?"

I think Garr is at least partly, mostly correct. To sell in the bookstores, "Christian" music has to promote "Christian" morals or ideals. So you can never write a song about unbridled lust, for example... it has to be bridled somehow, it has to have a happy ending where the singer triumphs over sin. You can't be a Christian band and also be Steely Dan and write snarky songs about creepy characters. You can't be Ben Folds. You can't be AC/DC. You're limited.

That doesn't mean that Christians can't be terrific musicians - obviously they can (although citing Beethoven and Bach is disingenuous... everybody was a Christian then). And it doesn't mean that professing yourself a Christian means you can't write in secular modes (lots of people do). But becoming a "Christian band" does limit your creativity.

bludspyre · Post by **bludspyre** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:24 am

Alice Cooper...................that's one that I know of

zenmandan · Post by **zenmandan** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:27 am

Silencio wrote:It was Larry Norman who wanted to know "Why should the Devil have all the good music?"

I think Garr is at least partly, mostly correct. To sell in the bookstores, "Christian" music has to promote "Christian" morals or ideals. So you can never write a song about unbridled lust, for example... it has to be bridled somehow, it has to have a happy ending where the singer triumphs over sin. You can't be a Christian band and also be Steely Dan and write snarky songs about creepy characters. You can't be Ben Folds. You can't be AC/DC. You're limited.

That doesn't mean that Christians can't be terrific musicians - obviously they can (although citing Beethoven and Bach is disingenuous... everybody was a Christian then). And it doesn't mean that professing yourself a Christian means you can't write in secular modes (lots of people do). But becoming a "Christian band" does limit your creativity.

Well put.

Oliver's Army · Post by **Oliver's Army** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:31 am

HELLO?

The Alarm?

The Call?

U2?

There are plenty-o-bands that write a decent 'Christian' tune that isnt the mushy pop Hillsong variety.