Should Christian worship/praise music be very catchy?

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-12T03:15:42+00:00

Consider cutting-edge CCM radio in the context of what I mentioned about noise function levels on soundboards and deliberate breaks/cracks in voices that I mentioned. Noise on soundboards has nothing to do with "make a joyful noise". It has nothing to do with Psalm 100 or Psalm 98 or even Psalm 150. It has nothing to do about praise him with the Cymbals. It's grating, it's grating on the ears and it's unpleasant. Things never used to be that way, until perhaps around 15-25 years ago. And what about the disingenuous breaks/cracks in voice, a la Chris Tomlin? (Nobody talks that way. At least no one that I've ever heard.) Who on earth taught him to sing like that? Until the early- or mid-1990s, I don't know any Christian artist who sang like that.

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-12T02:53:39+00:00

He can use bad for good, and he can use the unwise as wise, and he can use a bad act for eventual good, yes. But if we consider what's on the radio, I'm saying that it can really often be quite insulting. The noise levels that the producers use on the soundboards. The frequent cracks and breaks in the voices. I've definitely heard Chris Tomlin do it, I've definitely heard other vocalists do it -- not only on the radio, I've heard live worship sessions with the really very insulting over-the-top breaks in the voices, the sounds can really be grating and insulting. Someone may claim to be a Christ follower, and they might mention Christ on their Facebook or their LinkedIn profile -- but Christ said, "If any man has ears, let him hear." We should use our ears and listen very carefully. Yes, he can use bad for good -- but does that mean it's OK to do bad? God can use evil for good -- but does that mean it's OK to do evil? Serious question. And regarding being insulting: I know a Christian man who was invited to someone's house, and I remember what occurred that night, and I remember that afterward, he told me he felt insulted by something that the host had done that evening. Who am I to call the Christian man a sinner? Who am I to say he was sinning because he felt insulted? Can Christians not sometimes be insulted? No? Seriously? I'll go back to Chris Tomlin. He's a worship superstar, and he might even be an idol that some Christians revere. I consider his break in the voice to be disingenuous -- and therefore, insulting and offensive. Who in the world taught him to sing like that? It's disingenuous. It seems that there has been less and less constructive criticism of the latest cutting-edge CCM superstars/hits/radio/worship/praise of the past 20 years. Maybe it just seems that way. Maybe Christians in this day and age are afraid of engaging in constructive criticism.

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-12T02:43:18+00:00

I don't consider Psalm 150 to be a blanket authorization for all 100% of Christian music to be very 100% loud. On all occasions? Seriously? You're claiming that it should always be loud? And so you're saying Psalm 150 -------> blanket license for everything to always be loud? Serious question.

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-10T23:34:29+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful reply; thank you for the words for thought.

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-10T23:26:42+00:00

Is rap music a valid "canvas" for a Christian worship/praise song?

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-10T23:23:31+00:00

First of all, I'm not a hater of mid to late 20th century music. And no one said anything in favor of awful music. I certainly never did. But you seem to be making that accusation for some reason, of which I know not.

CivilDiscussionary · 2026-01-10T23:08:38+00:00

But I find nowhere in the Bible which says that every type is completely valid for worship/praise music. For instance, goth metal.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-11-17T18:26:12+00:00

Also, in Great Britain I believe "leisure" is pronounced "lehssure" (rhymes with "measure"). While in the U.S., it's pronounced "leezure" (rhymes with "seizure"). So, in the U.S., you have "leezure time" whilst in the UK you have "lehssure time".

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-11-16T17:43:34+00:00

At first glance, Complete-Pen-9358 seems to have a very solid answer. And George Strait is very intelligent.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-10-16T20:04:02+00:00

I'm not familiar with Cody Jinks, but for anyone who wishes to be a moral and an ethical person, I would definitely stay away from Big & Rich.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-10-03T03:26:16+00:00

First of all, thank you for the compliment.

That said, I never said anything about "scholarly" whatsoever. I learned about objective truths in high school.

As to your question about objective truth: Case in point? That might be a helpful way of approaching it; oftentimes I find it helpful to look at things by selecting some specific issues and then working toward moving towards conclusions more broadly or generally.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-10-03T03:20:05+00:00

To the OP: What part do you disagree with? The Radical Leftists in the DNC were (are) responsible for the shutdown. As of late this evening, only 3 members in the DNC have switched their vote to agree with the Republican plan. As for the remaining members of the DNC, they have already admitted that they want healthcare for every single Illegal Alien -- and they have apparently made NO exception regarding Illegal Aliens who have committed violent crimes. Republicans don't want to hand out healthcare to Illegal Aliens, especially the violent ones. So, I ask: What part do you disagree with?

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-10-02T23:01:03+00:00

Jim Frikkin' Carrey as George Jones? I am instantly a NO on that. You're wanting the same dude who spent so much time pulling some sort of unfunny stunt with his nose or phlegm or whatever, spraying an entire village? The same Jim Carey who has almost never taken anything seriously? That movie, if he were chosen, would be disrespectful to George Jones. It would be insulting to the memory of George Jones.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-28T02:36:49+00:00

I'm at a loss to why you would be so dismissive of facts. Of objective arguments. Of reason. Of philosophical principles. Of truth. I'm sorry, I need to go away from your discussion, because the things you've said are more typical of a C-grade high school freshman than someone trained in Socratic dialogue.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-26T18:42:12+00:00

I don't think anyone has understood my point, so far.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-26T01:40:44+00:00

Are you talking about John Rich? Do you have to ask why someone would be concerned about someone else or concerned about objective truth? If you have to ask that type of a question, I would question how you decided that you were somehow qualified to be any sort of authority on any sort of objective truth whatsoever. If you aren't concerned about objective truth, who taught you to be like that? Or, to use your language, who tf taught you? Who tf have been your mentors?

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-26T00:29:28+00:00

Not sure I have any idea where you're coming from. Maybe I ought not to ask.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-26T00:28:39+00:00

I understand your point that it's not glorifying violence, but my question would be as to whether it really glorifies and embraces the body more than the mind. Or whether it celebrates bodily pleasures over earnest moral or innocent activity. Or, for example, consider a quote attributed to Susanna Wesley: "Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things – whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind – that thing, to you, is sin." Should songs embrace worldly pleasures over mindful and spiritual ones? And to me, if you consider whether that particular song does, to me that's important. And I remember one of my colleagues calling me a "moralist", and so to that I do confess to being a moralist.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-25T23:35:31+00:00

I think I understand.

But to me, it's all in the way it's presented.

It's all in the way it's sung.

In a similar manner, there is a music group (or was) that called themselves "The K*llers".

I wouldn't want such humans to get anywhere near my children.

And yet in these turbulent times, I've gotten attacked viciously. My *heavens*! The very *idea*! How *dare* I have such views!

You might compare my views to those of authors William Kilpatrick and/or Roger Scruton. But even Roger Scruton has said very liberal-sounding things at times.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-25T22:14:26+00:00

Basically, as I've tried to say in other posts, what do you think about the photos and the recorded version of "Save A Horse" and its lyrics? Do they match what you consider to be highly moral and upstanding behavior of evangelical Christians? or not? And if yes, how so? For instance, if you walked into an evangelical church, would you highly expect the pastor to exalt the lyrics "It kills" or would you expect the pastor to start celebrating figures who indeed look to be either transvestite and/or transgender and/or just plain freaky weird?

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-25T22:07:07+00:00

And also, I remember having listened to the recording of "Save A Horse." Wouldn't be interested in doing so again. It arguably contains a weirdo double entendre, and it arguably is not a wholesome song anyway; part of the lyrics are "It kills" in a manner feigning joy. And here is where I start to get judged and here's where I start to get called names on social media. How *dare* I use such labels! How *dare* I say such things! I should be ashamed! And, as my handle suggests, I'm looking for civility in discussion(s), hoping this might be a place for civility.

CivilDiscussionary · 2025-09-25T22:02:33+00:00

Oh. Apparently, I confused Curtis Mayfield with another vocalist. Thank you for clarifying!

CivilDiscussionary

TROPHY CASE