So it’s definitely possible to enjoy secular material and glorify God while you’re doing it! Songs from back in the day move me. I can't describe how, but I lose some peace for a bit after having listened. Copyright laws are largely seen as just — no one is due, free of charge, the work of an artist. There is no theft if consent can be presumed or if refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods. Generally speaking, no arrangement of notes, beats, melodies and harmonies is inherently sinful. I have recently been borrowing music CDs from our local library and burning them as MP3 files on a CD for personal use (i.e. I personally really love Taylor Swift and I find her music and lyrics really fun and interesting. Question: "Is it wrong for a Christian to view or listen to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) triggers?" | R. Jared Staudt, PhD. Catholic Online has many special features to help you find the information you are looking for. So here are some thoughts on the topic. That's not what religion is about. In determining whether or not to listen to secular music, there are three primary factors to consider: 1) the purpose of music, 2) the style of music, and 3) the content of the lyrics. Answering a common question about enjoying secular music. The Bible says “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Thank you Mr. Krupp. Find the latest tracks, albums, and images from Catholic Music Songs. Many people ask is listening to music a sin? Is it a sin to listen to explicit music? Only if the lyrics are about Christian subjects. The Bible never says we need to completely disengage from the world! A sin of omission, however, requires a positive ac… 2270-75). Catechism, no. In terms of giving what is due, laws allowing abortion can be seen as unjust because they do not give unborn persons their due, i.e., they don’t respect their basic right to life (cf. Theologically, a mortal sin is believed to destroy the life of grace within the person and thus creates the threat of eternal damnation. Copyright laws provide recording studios, producers, and musicians with protection of their interest in receiving a fair return for their work and investment that make the music available to those who desire their use. CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON . Is this a sin? Music about promiscuous or premarital sex, songs full of swearing and lyrics that objectify people are all problematic. I think what it might come down to is the music moving my passions in some sort of way. Get rid of it! Dear Catholic Exchange: I have recently been borrowing music CDs from our local library and burning them as MP3 files on a CD for personal use (i.e. If Jesus were your weekend guest, and only the two of you were sitting on the couch… What movie would you choose? St. Thérèse of Lisieux Against the Plague | Suzie Andres, How Families Can Prepare for Spiritual Warfare | Kathleen Beckman, How Can Beauty & Culture Save the World? 113 The angel announced to Joseph: "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." In Matthew 5:29, Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. He said he doesn’t agree with the words in the song but I was thinking that he could just listen to the clean version. Pleasure is not a sin. 827 North Fourth Street Josh Johnson Today Fr. The Catechism, no. We shouldn’t love sin. There are many secular songs that have catchy melodies, thoughtful insights, and positive messages. I grew up on hip hop from age 13. I stopped listening to it about 10 or so years ago. It is only a sin when it detours from the guidelines of scripture. God created music, and He gave us ears and minds to be able to appreciate it. Yes, they can. Worst, some music might make us fall into sin – we might lust after seductive pop stars, or decide that we should try drugs, or get caught in a pattern of swearing and rude talk. For some people, bad language includes everything from taking the Lord's name in vain, to cursing, to blasphemy or to just plain old profanity. If you like the music the only thing that should come to mind is "silly religious peopel don't know what they miss" I am religious and I listen to pop music so it contains allot of sex and bullcrap but to be honest I rarely care what they say or how they sing, it just goes literally right through my ear. © Copyright 2021 Catholic Exchange. I think there's more sin in trying to narrow life down to a list of rules that you should follow under the threat of punishment, than there could be in listening to any kind of music. He wants us to fill our minds with things that help us praise him and love him. If this is happening, your relationship with Christ will be affected. So what should you do if the songs you listen to are having a negative effect on you? “The Seventh Commandment forbids theft, that is, usurping another's property against the reasonable will of the owner. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. Is it a sin to listen to secular music? Obviously the line is clearer in other cases. Is secular music bad? Catholics United for the Faith Fairness is a form of justice, basically giving a person his due. I have read conflicting views on this and so I am not sure if what I am doing is right. Every person must listen to their own conscience. Music is just one natural outcome of that drive. Objectively, you might be transgressing copyright law (you might begin by looking on the jacket of the CD). At least in general, fair-minded people agree that copyright laws are reasonable and should be respected. If you accidentally listen to a sinful one then god will still forgive you. This is the case in obvious and urgent necessity when the only way to provide for immediate, essential needs (food, shelter, clothing…) is to put at one's disposal and use the property of others.”. Five Christian bands you should start listening to, © Copyright 2021 Fervr | Terms of Service. No music is not sinful in itself although some music may not be good for you. It’s important to ensure that if you are enjoying secular music, you’re aware of what you’re listening to and conscious of how it is affecting you. 1807, provides a definition of the moral virtue of justice: “Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Songs full of swearing are unlikely to help you worship God because they’ll fill your mind with bad language. Because we live in a fallen world, it’s true that often the music we listen to reflects the sin we introduced. Is this a sin? Hence, a fair person often is called “disinterested,” when in fact he is deeply interested in the common good. I'm 41 now. He might even say, smash the CD or delete the file from your computer! Eric Stoutz When I was a boy, I knew what it was! One test of fairness is to reverse the positions of the people involved. But for another person, Taylor Swift’s music may be really unhelpful. Because we live in a fallen world, it’s true that often the music we listen to reflects the sin we introduced. But here are some considerations regarding the morality of copying “against the reasonable will” of the copyright owner. Personal opinion and dis-favor of certain music should not cause one to abandon that which brings pleasure to one's existence. In answering this question about bad language being a sin, we must first clarify what is meant by "bad language." Because of their sinful content, some songs might make us feel angry at the world, or make us feel like God is a killjoy for not letting us do everything the world says is good and fun. Original Sin, Explicit Music, State of Life Vocations, and Can Priests and Women be Friends Fr. A good question to ask yourself when deciding whether a song or artist is appropriate is… “does this help or hinder my worship”? I was wondering if that is a sin. Music is extremely powerful and it can have a huge effect on how you live your life. Information Specialist Secular music can be enjoyable, beautiful and thought-provoking. Can you please enlighten me as to how the Church views this? In fact, before we messed it up, God did create this world for us to enjoy and the beautiful creation he made inspires a lot of secular music, art, media and more. Songs that speak inappropriately about other people (for example, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, or “Famous” Kanye West) are probably a bad idea to listen to because they normalize abusive actions and unkind language.