The Morality of Music

It was a less-than-average Wednesday night. The prayer meeting had begun with fewer attendees than normal. You could tell people had had a difficult week and needed some church encouragement. Suddenly, our service was interrupted with very loud (I mean loud) music. I and another man rushed out to our entryway. (For context, our church was in the inner-city, located inside a run-down mall.) There in the hallway, right in front of our church, was a live rock band. I’m not familiar enough with rock music to know if it was grunge, punk, heavy metal, or what. They were all dressed in black, with crazy hair, piercings…the whole works. Someone was recording the performance. I was stunned. (Police were called. The mall owner quickly appeared, and sent them packing rather angrily.)

In that moment, I felt a disturbing sense of evil. We had experienced various disturbances to our services over the years, but none quite like this. I couldn’t make out what words were being screamed as they thrashed away. Maybe I was in shock—too upset to notice. What gave me this feeling was not simply a loud noise disturbing the church service. It was the music itself. It was vile.

And yet, today, there are Christians, and even some independent Baptists, who are teaching that music itself is amoral. All musical genres are created equal. Only the lyrics make a song right or wrong they claim.

The term amoral means being neither moral or immoral, lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply. (#1)

Thus, if something is amoral it has no rightness or wrongness within itself. Some examples of that which is amoral could be a random piece of coal, the color yellow, or an inch of snow.

Does the idea that music is amoral hold up to analysis? Is this a concept taught in Scripture? Is there evidence of this in other arenas of life?

In I Samuel 16, we have the account of Saul being afflicted by demons. The servants of Saul propose a solution to this type of affliction.

Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1 Sam. 16:16-18, 23)

This story gives a clear answer to the above question regarding music—music can have spiritual influence without words. The text plainly says that David played with his hand. Demons left off afflicting Saul based upon music alone. Hence, the story reveals that music (without lyrics) does have a moral element.

Another way to consider the issue of the morality of music is to consider what causes something to be immoral. The Bible teaches us that evil comes from the heart of man (Mark 7:21), from Satan (John 8:44), or from the world (I John 2:16). To believe that music is inherently and always amoral is to believe that music cannot be corrupted by the heart of man (the flesh), by Satan himself, or by the world at large! This would be exceedingly peculiar, considering that novels and movies, paintings and poems, and every other art form have the capability of moral expression. How could music lack the ability of moral expression?

Music is a language. It is a communicator. Those who score movies, set up restaurants, advise retailers, and perform at weddings all know that music sends a message. Communication experts routinely point out that body language and facial expression can carry as much weight as words (or more!). How can anyone with a straight-face promote that music itself doesn’t send a message? If it sends a message, then that message can be good or evil.

Even those who are musicians, and know not Christ, indicate that music has a moral dimension. Consider this quote from Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead. “Everywhere you look on the planet people are using drums to alter consciousness … I’ve discovered, along with many others, the extraordinary power of music, particularly percussion, to influence the human mind and body. . . . There have been many times when I’ve felt as if the drum has carried me to an open door into another world.” (#2) I also find it highly interesting that very soon after Kanye West made his decision for Christ, he made plans to give up his rap music—calling it “the devil’s music”. (#3) He made up his mind until another Christian talked him out of it! Why did this new Christian come to such a conclusion? Was it simply the Holy Spirit showing a difference between the holy and the profane?

There most certainly is Satanic music, worldly music, and fleshly music. Music can express morality! As we walk our pilgrim journey on earth—we need pilgrim’s music. Music that is of our Lord. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thess. 5:21)

Citations:

(#1) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amoral

(#2)Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Mickey Hart, Published by Acid Test, 1998.

(#3) https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/10/kanye-west-almost-gave-up-rapping-devils-music/