Ancient philosophers
believed that music could have a profound moral effect on the hearer. “All ancient peoples of whom we have
knowledge gave music a place of honor, they considered it a potent religious and
moral force, intimately related to the most formal, as well as the most
informal aspects of life.”1 It has
only been the product of modern man’s mind that music is amoral. Although philosophers and musicians have
argued for centuries about how music affects us or exactly what moral effect
music had on the auditor and the performer, they have always believed that
music had a message.
Philosophers have always believed
that music had great power over everyone.
It has only been since the 20th century that some Christian
philosophers have come to the conclusion that style in music is neutral and
therefore amoral. Under this new
“liberated” philosophy anything goes in church music. To them, church music exists in an absurd
universe and is a standardless art.
Since church music is without absolutes or any standard of correctness
it is merely a matter of personal taste.
These modern church music philosophers quote St. Matthew 7:1, “Judge
not, that ye be not judged.” They
purport that Jesus put an end to judgement when it comes to Christian living.
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