Shadow
03-31-2005, 12:39 PM
<TABLE cellPadding=5 width=800 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=650><!-- #BeginEditable "Title" -->Rock 'n' Roll, Satanism, and Our Children
By Fr. Paul O'Callaghan
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=right width=117><!-- #BeginEditable "Picture" --><!-- #EndEditable --></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2>The subject of rock ‘n’ roll has been controversial and a source of conflict between parents and children ever since it first appeared on the scene in the mid 1950’s. When Elvis Presley performed on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time in 1956, the cameras only showed him from the waist up, because adults were offended by the way he shook his hips. The kids loved it!
When the Beatles arrived in the mid 1960’s, parents were shocked again this time by the mop-top haircuts. But young people were swept away by the infectious enthusiasm of their music. After the Beatles, more shocks were in store as groups like the Rolling Stones and the Animals popularized a more coarse, gritty, and vulgar style of blues-influenced rock.
Still later, the psychedelic explosion brought new controversy to the world of rock. Bands such as the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead openly lived a hippie lifestyle and freely admitted to the use of drugs like marijuana and LSD. This was a new source of alarm for parents as young people adopted hippie ways and the abuse of drugs became epidemic. In the twenty years that have followed, rock ‘n’ rollers have continued to try to keep the shock waves coming with the violent aggressiveness of “heavy metal” rock, the open rebellion of “punk” rock, and music advocating sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, and finally, Satanism, the worship of the devil.
However, one thing has changed over the 30+ years of rock history. People aren’t shocked much anymore. Parents aren’t alarmed much anymore. Rock ‘n’ rollers are still putting in a mighty effort to keep the shocks coming, but the fact is that rock has become accepted in our society. Rock music that I would have considered radical when I was a teenager is now commonly heard on commercials. Even an old rocker like Eric Clapton, who spearheaded the group “Cream” in the 60’s, is shown playing live on a beer commercial on T.V. Many parents are now content to keep their kids quiet by letting them stay glued to MTV at home.
The question for us is, how should we, as Orthodox Christians, and especially, as Orthodox parents, approach the subject of rock ‘n’ roll? Should we be in a continual state of alarm? Should we, as some preachers and churches do, condemn rock as evil, forbid our children to listen to any of it, and burn the records or tapes we might have? Or should we simply accept rock? Should we just figure our children are good Orthodox young people and music can’t have any bad effect on them?
How about “none of the above” for an answer?
Continued here: http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/family/ocallaghan_rock_n_roll.htm
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By Fr. Paul O'Callaghan
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=right width=117><!-- #BeginEditable "Picture" --><!-- #EndEditable --></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff colSpan=2>The subject of rock ‘n’ roll has been controversial and a source of conflict between parents and children ever since it first appeared on the scene in the mid 1950’s. When Elvis Presley performed on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time in 1956, the cameras only showed him from the waist up, because adults were offended by the way he shook his hips. The kids loved it!
When the Beatles arrived in the mid 1960’s, parents were shocked again this time by the mop-top haircuts. But young people were swept away by the infectious enthusiasm of their music. After the Beatles, more shocks were in store as groups like the Rolling Stones and the Animals popularized a more coarse, gritty, and vulgar style of blues-influenced rock.
Still later, the psychedelic explosion brought new controversy to the world of rock. Bands such as the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead openly lived a hippie lifestyle and freely admitted to the use of drugs like marijuana and LSD. This was a new source of alarm for parents as young people adopted hippie ways and the abuse of drugs became epidemic. In the twenty years that have followed, rock ‘n’ rollers have continued to try to keep the shock waves coming with the violent aggressiveness of “heavy metal” rock, the open rebellion of “punk” rock, and music advocating sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, and finally, Satanism, the worship of the devil.
However, one thing has changed over the 30+ years of rock history. People aren’t shocked much anymore. Parents aren’t alarmed much anymore. Rock ‘n’ rollers are still putting in a mighty effort to keep the shocks coming, but the fact is that rock has become accepted in our society. Rock music that I would have considered radical when I was a teenager is now commonly heard on commercials. Even an old rocker like Eric Clapton, who spearheaded the group “Cream” in the 60’s, is shown playing live on a beer commercial on T.V. Many parents are now content to keep their kids quiet by letting them stay glued to MTV at home.
The question for us is, how should we, as Orthodox Christians, and especially, as Orthodox parents, approach the subject of rock ‘n’ roll? Should we be in a continual state of alarm? Should we, as some preachers and churches do, condemn rock as evil, forbid our children to listen to any of it, and burn the records or tapes we might have? Or should we simply accept rock? Should we just figure our children are good Orthodox young people and music can’t have any bad effect on them?
How about “none of the above” for an answer?
Continued here: http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/family/ocallaghan_rock_n_roll.htm
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