Cultural War: Learning from Secular Musicians

 For those who have been reading me since 2007 on ArchButare you probably remember i wrote a post on two DvDs i watched about Beyoncé 2006 Birthday concert and J-Lo (Jennifer lopez) concert tour in Latin America. Well in that post i was commenting on my admiration on how serious non-religious or non- Christian artists put much hard work in what they do, reminding me the word of Jesus saying that the sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of light.

"the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser in [relation to] their own generation [to their own age and kind] than are the sons of light." Luke 16:8 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Somewhere in 2010 and in 2011, i was comparing the contents (Lyrics) and rhythms between American love songs and old french love songs (i.e. Nana Mouskouri) and it was quite stunning what seemed to emerge through my countless hours of listening to them. Americans are very optimist about love. They kind of think that it is a healer. French looked at it as a mysterious thing that do hurt people more than make them happy. I wondered why such diverging view and approach of this issue. On one side there is an overwhelming optimism and on the other side some form of pessimism.

So since mid last year up to this month, i've went through quite a lot of Secular American 'hit' songs about love. Today, i was sharing with one of my young brother how i was surprised that even within the American culture the attitudes of female singers about love have been evolving to the point of being even opposite.

Here are just two examples.

In Whitney Houston's love songs or even Celine Dion (and others before the year 2000), they elevated the love feeling as some sort of an overcomer of hardship. Women were exhorted in a sense to accept the suffering of love or to look at their 'lover' with an undying love even at the face of a break-up/ loss.

However, in Beyoncé's songs -- the woman mentality has evolved, the emancipation is no longer crawling but fully developed and running.

Let first grant the similarity: She (Beyonce) doesn't either encourage her ladies fan club to feel satisfied without 'their' men. Not even her song 'Single ladies' encourage that. Actually, 'Single ladies' calls ladies to war against men's lack of commitments. It is not an invitation to enjoy singleness or a single life.

Now the dissimilarity: But what really emerge in almost all her (beyonce) songs is more the opposite of what emerged before the year 2000 in love songs. She literally reflect her generation saying that there is no reason to suffer in silence. If a 'lover' makes you uncomfortable or worst make you suffer, just show him the way to the door or as she had eloquently said it once, 'to the left'. No more should a woman be the only one to feel martyred in the name of love. And one more thing, love is more and more becoming synonymous to sexuality or provocative sensuality. Interesting contrast with the old love songs that were readily equating love with feelings of moral duties (such as deed of service, friendship, commitment through hardship, etc.)

 The more i hear and i compare different songs, things i have been doing since 2007, I am really more and more convinced that there is a real revolution going on in our global culture. It doesn't matter where you live. Those new leaders of our cultural change are heard from the East to the West. Their singles hit often
the number one spot on foreign countries. If i had not the confidence on the Gospel's power to change people's mind and values -- i would have grown despair against the new form of mind control and value re-education on our young generation through all these songs. Actually, if there is someone that i find quite dangerous or uncomfortably disturbing, it would be the famous lady Gaga and Rihana. But i have yet to examine thoroughly their songs but the few that i have had the opportunity to hear and watch .. well let say that they don't inspire in me more confidence on their moral benefit. They seem to have the potential to seriously injure the moral organ of their faithful young fans and followers.

Today, Christians will have to make sure that in their counter-action against heathenism, hedonism and secularism that they don't forget to influence the media, the sport arena, the arts, the entertainment industry as well as the intellectual platform. In case you may think that i may have overestimated this issues, why don't you just discuss with a young Christian ladies (not even a non-christian lady, just try a young christian lady) and ask her about her values about romantic relationships and their modus operandi of it. I bet you might find her understanding and ideals to be a more faithful representation of the modern songs views (of emancipation, sensuality, sexuality, hook-up and break-up, etc.) than the biblical one of charity, reconciliation, commitment through tough time and hardship, etc. You see our young christian girls or ladies don't even have to hear those songs to embrace its values. Only a sufficient exposure to its content via friends suffice to remake their worldview and shape their ideals. Just like many people have used Marxist and atheistic ideologies without even having read Karl Marx or Frederick Nietzsche. Certain views penetrates culture through uncontrolled outlets (e.g. conversations between friends, random parties here and there, etc).

Anyway, sooner or later someone will have to fight back by using the same weapons of art (superb music, fun to read books, flashy magazine, enthralling movies, fascinating paints, adventurous and educative videogame, etc.) to overcome what i seem to see as an already advanced stage of the colonization of our mind by secular values and silent worldly arguments. Beside that, what I said in 2007 is still of actuality. I am absolutely impress by what those secular artists do. They have redefined for me the meaning of commitments, professionalism and inspiration. If it weren't for our very opposite values, i would have given them a 2 thumbs up for a work well done! I am officially impressed! I pray that the Christian community roll up its sleeves and do likewise or even better.

"for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light." Luke 16:8 - American Standard Version (ASV)

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