regarding christians and death metal
I find it odd that there is sometimes tension regarding Christians and death metal. Clearly there is some satanic music to avoid, by which I mean music with satanic lyrics, but even if the song has nothing but bleak lyrics with harsh sounds, some people get upset. I wonder how many Christians there are who read their Bibles regularly yet get upset over harsh metal music because it sounds bad: the Old Testament is filled with such ideas.
I've been meaning to make a post about this for a while; here's the latest Old Testament God-Kills-Everything passage I've read. This example is not ideal because there's a lot of imagery of fleeing and exile, but there are other similar accounts of judgment that are far more graphic and fatalistic (the land desolate and empty, all men and children slain, women raped and taken captive, etc.) Anyway, Jeremiah 4:9-31:
[9] "In that day, says the LORD, courage shall fail both king and princes; the priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded."
[10] Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, surely thou hast utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, `It shall be well with you'; whereas the sword has reached their very life."
[11] At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse,
[12] a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them."
[13] Behold, he comes up like clouds,
his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are swifter than eagles --
woe to us, for we are ruined!
[14] O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,
that you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts
lodge within you?
[15] For a voice declares from Dan
and proclaims evil from Mount E'phraim.
[16] Warn the nations that he is coming;
announce to Jerusalem,
"Besiegers come from a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
[17] Like keepers of a field are they against her round about,
because she has rebelled against me, says the LORD.
[18] Your ways and your doings
have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and it is bitter;
it has reached your very heart."
[19] My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh, the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent;
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
[20] Disaster follows hard on disaster,
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed,
my curtains in a moment.
[21] How long must I see the standard,
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
[22] "For my people are foolish,
they know me not;
they are stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
but how to do good they know not."
[23] I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
[24] I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
[25] I looked, and lo, there was no man,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
[26] I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
[27] For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
[28] For this the earth shall mourn,
and the heavens above be black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
I have not relented nor will I turn back."
[29] At the noise of horseman and archer
every city takes to flight;
they enter thickets; they climb among rocks;
all the cities are forsaken,
and no man dwells in them.
[30] And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in scarlet,
that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
Your lovers despise you;
they seek your life.
[31] For I heard a cry as of a woman in travail,
anguish as of one bringing forth her first child,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands,
"Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers."
It continues on from there... I don't bring this up to mock Christianity or touchy Christians, so much as to point out that it is impossible to escape God, and the persona of doom/black/death metal -- that is, my impression of it; I am very ignorant of the details of metal genres -- is self-defeating, a charade of what God has already brought about. I mean, in these intense metal genres, this idea of doom and gloom and violence and torment in rebellion against God, and presenting evil ideas to thrill and excite -- these musicians (or their fans) appear to act as if, in presenting these ideas, or reveling in them, that they are somehow "apart from God" or "doing something God can't do". Desolation and annihilation is already well depicted in Jewish scripture, thousands of years before the electric guitar.
I've been meaning to make a post about this for a while; here's the latest Old Testament God-Kills-Everything passage I've read. This example is not ideal because there's a lot of imagery of fleeing and exile, but there are other similar accounts of judgment that are far more graphic and fatalistic (the land desolate and empty, all men and children slain, women raped and taken captive, etc.) Anyway, Jeremiah 4:9-31:
[9] "In that day, says the LORD, courage shall fail both king and princes; the priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded."
[10] Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, surely thou hast utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, `It shall be well with you'; whereas the sword has reached their very life."
[11] At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse,
[12] a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them."
[13] Behold, he comes up like clouds,
his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are swifter than eagles --
woe to us, for we are ruined!
[14] O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,
that you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts
lodge within you?
[15] For a voice declares from Dan
and proclaims evil from Mount E'phraim.
[16] Warn the nations that he is coming;
announce to Jerusalem,
"Besiegers come from a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
[17] Like keepers of a field are they against her round about,
because she has rebelled against me, says the LORD.
[18] Your ways and your doings
have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and it is bitter;
it has reached your very heart."
[19] My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh, the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent;
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
[20] Disaster follows hard on disaster,
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are destroyed,
my curtains in a moment.
[21] How long must I see the standard,
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
[22] "For my people are foolish,
they know me not;
they are stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil,
but how to do good they know not."
[23] I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
[24] I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
[25] I looked, and lo, there was no man,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
[26] I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the LORD, before his fierce anger.
[27] For thus says the LORD, "The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
[28] For this the earth shall mourn,
and the heavens above be black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
I have not relented nor will I turn back."
[29] At the noise of horseman and archer
every city takes to flight;
they enter thickets; they climb among rocks;
all the cities are forsaken,
and no man dwells in them.
[30] And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in scarlet,
that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
Your lovers despise you;
they seek your life.
[31] For I heard a cry as of a woman in travail,
anguish as of one bringing forth her first child,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands,
"Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers."
It continues on from there... I don't bring this up to mock Christianity or touchy Christians, so much as to point out that it is impossible to escape God, and the persona of doom/black/death metal -- that is, my impression of it; I am very ignorant of the details of metal genres -- is self-defeating, a charade of what God has already brought about. I mean, in these intense metal genres, this idea of doom and gloom and violence and torment in rebellion against God, and presenting evil ideas to thrill and excite -- these musicians (or their fans) appear to act as if, in presenting these ideas, or reveling in them, that they are somehow "apart from God" or "doing something God can't do". Desolation and annihilation is already well depicted in Jewish scripture, thousands of years before the electric guitar.