Christian Prog

I think that the comtemporary Christan music of today is... a bit over the top. I prefer subtle lyrics rather someone shouting "Jesus is the coolest cat on block" (not those exact words) but relatively the same idea. I, unfortunately, have to play this because it is my only way of getting into a band (I am 15 and still too young to have my own band). I am totally fine with religious music, but I hate it when heavy right-wing Christans keep telling me that Jesus is the only to have a good life. I think that peace and becoming one with yourself is the best way for this. I personally like the idea of religious-oriented prog being called Spritual Prog.


BTW- This may seem like a bad idea, but are there any of the classic prog (Yes, ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, etc.) songs or tunes that I could either sing or write words for that can be used in a church setting? It doesn't necessaraly have to say PRAISE JESUS but won't make people think "This a spawn of Satan!!!!"

DualXP wrote: christians are stupid

 

I dont know about you...but (althought I have never heard any christian prog, with the exception of Neal Morse) I dont like the fact of religion in music, in the sence that it talks about how much they love God and all that...Tales from topographic oceans is great because it talks about the beaty of the world and God...but that was only one album and not christian, just and album with...faith! But to do all the albums christian? mmm, well if you like it...

Well, someone probably already said this but SUPPER'S READY is the best prog epic ever recorded (imho, of course :P), and also has alot to do with faith and christianity.

 

The lyrics is very complex, and one interpretation of the lyrics is that the whole song is devoted to the "jolly" adventures of Jesus Christ, and his journey from death back to life again. If you want I can tell you more about this interesting theory and interpretation of the lyrics (which is not agreed upon all...), but just say so if you want to hear about it because its DEEP STUFF and its a long post and if no one is interested I won't waste my time writing it all...

 

Manunkind wrote: Now I produced a smart-a** remark about Christians above and I do apologise for any malice on my part. However, I will not retract its critical content, since I believe it to bear good fruit, if it isunderstood properly. And one can say the very same thing about members of every religion/worldview, so it's not like arrogance is only a Christian problem. Sure, everyone is entitled to expressing their beliefs through lyrics, of course. However, preaching is essentially hierarchical and so IMO often (not always) includes an element of arrogance and maybe even aggression. At worst, it's almost like a power-drunk monologue. This is why I don't like most of it and see little need for it. Still, as I've implied above, Christians are hardly the only ones that preach. Aggressive atheism bothers me just as much as aggressive theism does.  I'm listening to John Coltrane's 'Mars' right now, and this definitely is a religious piece... without any lyrics. I love it and find it deeply spiritual; without a doubt more so than any overtly religious lyrics. Music seems to succeed where words fail. Music is a dialogue, not a monlogue, it sets the listener on equal terms with the speaker.   Hope that didn't come accross as too preachy.

youre smart

 

Edited by TheLamb

Manunkind wrote: TheLamb wrote: Manunkind wrote: Now I produced a smart-a** remark about Christians above and I do apologise for any malice on my part. However, I will not retract its critical content, since I believe it to bear good fruit, if it isunderstood properly. And one can say the very same thing about members of every religion/worldview, so it's not like arrogance is only a Christian problem. Sure, everyone is entitled to expressing their beliefs through lyrics, of course. However, preaching is essentially hierarchical and so IMO often (not always) includes an element of arrogance and maybe even aggression. At worst, it's almost like a power-drunk monologue. This is why I don't like most of it and see little need for it. Still, as I've implied above, Christians are hardly the only ones that preach. Aggressive atheism bothers me just as much as aggressive theism does.  I'm listening to John Coltrane's 'Mars' right now, and this definitely is a religious piece... without any lyrics. I love it and find it deeply spiritual; without a doubt more so than any overtly religious lyrics. Music seems to succeed where words fail. Music is a dialogue, not a monlogue, it sets the listener on equal terms with the speaker.   Hope that didn't come accross as too preachy. youre smart   .

EDIT: Misunderstanding dealt with

 

Edited by Manunkind

Well Rick Wakeman is a Christian, Torman Maxt and Narnia are some Christian prog-metal bands though Narnia is just your basic DT clone as far as the music goes.

I myself am a Christian but the problems I have with Christain music is first off most of it is horrible praise and worship crap and secondly most Christians will not listen to something that is not Christian, I have talked to some and they admit they actually think that many unchristian bands are far better than "christian rock" but they simply refuse to listen to them because they are not christian, christians need to learn to listen to some unchristian stuff, I can understand not wanting to listen to black metal since it is anti-christian but to refuse to listen to say genesis who have not much objectionatble in their lyrics but are not christian is absurd.

viperjr98 wrote: Christian Progressive is an oxymoron, like military intelligence or genuine synthetic. Christianity, specifically, and organized religion in general are the most non-progessive institutions in the history of mankind. If certain musicians are Christian or are religious in their own way, that's fine. But music that espouses a religious agenda is by definition NOT PROGRESSIVE.

Give me a freaking break.

The whole of western culture is based on Christianity. The western world survived the collapse of Rome only thanks to christian monasteries that preserved some of its cultural/scientific heritage. For a 1000 years the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire was the most culturally advanced state in the world, next to China. Christianity is the basis for the whole of western philosophy, literature, music, arts etc. The only really influential atheist doesn't appear until the XVII century - I'm speaking of Thomas Hobbes. And it seems many atheists can't define themselves without Christianity, just as many christians can't cope without a Satan. It seems many atheists keep using the word 'God' just as often as christians do. Some atheists use the word all the time, some christians never use it. It would appear the former believe in God with all their hearts, minds and souls, and the latter don't believe in Him at all. 

Islam was also progressive... until the crazies took over in (I think) the XI c. (yeah, that soon). But even then, Islam-based empires smoked the western world in terms of power and culture for at least 600 years. Other religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism etc. are the bases for extremely rich cultures of their own.

True, one cannot deny the witch hunts and other sins of Christianity and religion in general. Still, even the witch hunts were stopped thanks to intelligent Christians who could see past that whole Satan thingy. And yeah, religions have done and keep doing as much harm as good. But to say that religions, even organised ones, are mutually exclusive with progress is simply IGNORANT.  

 

 

 

walrus333 wrote: most Christians will not listen to something that is not Christian

Erm, what exactly are you basing that on?

If you want christian music then progressive is probably not the genre to look under, why don't you try Hawthorne Heights or something.  I think that many of these musicians are christians but don't express that specifically in their music usually.  That Album "Tales from the Topographic Ocean" or whatever is supposed to be spiritual but I think it might be closer to easterm religion but you might like that too if you're religous.  I would recommend that you try listening to the Progressive metal band "Atheist".  You could be enlightened.

And by the way, viperjr is right, religion is definitely not progressive.  Progressive is an adjetive with a posotive conotation, but saying that something is not progressive is not always an insult.  If you vary in your religous beliefs from christianinty then you aren't really a christian so how can something be progressive if it can't change?  Well, it can't.