Posted by: Nick Norelli | March 5, 2008

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Someone asked: “is listening to rap a sin”

Heavens no!  Well, unless of course you’re listening to Tupac.  ;) Seriously though, there’s nothing sinful about listening to any particular type of music.  Now if someone is convicted that they shouldn’t listen to something, then they shouldn’t listen to it.  But personal convictions are just that, personal.  I’ve heard some pretty convoluted arguments over the years for why people shouldn’t listen to this or watch that, but they’ve never been Biblical arguments.  They’ve always been arguments to justify certain personal convictions.  

B”H

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Responses

Is it a sin to watch pornos?

By: Drew Ayers on March 5, 2008
at 10:59 pm

Drew: I’m going to have to say yes, because watching pornography entails sexual lust and perversion.

By: Nick Norelli on March 5, 2008
at 11:18 pm

Good answer Nick. I must admit that much of the rap I listened to entailed sexual lust and perversion as well. That was twenty years ago though. Perhaps the industry has progressed.

By: Drew Ayers on March 5, 2008
at 11:24 pm

Drew: I’m sorry to say that it hasn’t. But it all depends on who you listen to I guess. There are certain rappers who would be comparable to XXX rated movies and then there are those that are more comparable to R or PG-13. Whereas I always see watching XXX movies as sinful because it necessarily entails sexual lust and perversion, such is not always the case with an R rated or PG-13 movie (although it certainly can be).

By: Nick Norelli on March 6, 2008
at 12:25 am

I would say: it’s about the message, not about the style :)

By: Nedko on March 6, 2008
at 5:11 am

Nedko: I’d agree, but then I’d ask if it’s necessarily wrong (or sinful) to listen to most of the messages that we hear in rap songs.

By: Nick Norelli on March 6, 2008
at 10:08 am

Nick, I’d say that if the message promotes sexual lust and contains perversion then it probably isn’t going to be helpful to listen to. Just my two cents. :)

By: Drew Ayers on March 6, 2008
at 7:39 pm

Nick: I support Drew on this - some things are better not heard (or seen). I think that letting the bad message flow through your mind over and over does not make you stronger, but weaker…
I’m ok with the rap - i listen to it too, but the most of it (as cool as it is) is just an invitation for sin doing. And it’s not the lust only, the contemporary rap breaks the Christ’s legacy for love as it promotes hatred…..
Well, the bottom line is that listening to sinful music is not sinful but is harmful and for sure it doesn’t make our Father happy.
My 2c :)

By: Nedko on March 7, 2008
at 5:17 am

I can’t really see rap as an invitation for sin. Sin is something that people are inclined towards regardless of what type of music they listen to. But what’s the real difference in listening sinful message such as is found in rap songs or reading about one such as is found in certain parts of the Bible? It’s not like there’s any shortage of murder, rape, incest, adultery, drunkeness, etc. in the pages of Scripture.

Just my 2¢

By: Nick Norelli on March 7, 2008
at 8:06 am

Isn’t this the same discussion as was going on about Rock music 30 years ago?

By: Mike Bell on March 7, 2008
at 2:00 pm

Mike: It very well could be. I’m not quite 27 so I can’t really tell you though. :)

By: Nick Norelli on March 7, 2008
at 2:09 pm

Nick, You ask, “But what’s the real difference in listening sinful message such as is found in rap songs or reading about one such as is found in certain parts of the Bible?” My answer would be to ask if the message in rap promotes sexual lust and perversion or does it discourage it. The Bible at least is inspired of God, rap doesn’t have that claim for sure. The Bible at least demonstrates accurately the depravity of man, judgment, and the solution for sin. Of course I don’t know what rap we are talking about viz. specific artist lyrics etc. I’m assuming we are talking about the bad stuff. We do have liberty…….. but not all things are helpful. That is the difference to me. That is why I believe the truly saved will listen to country music ONLY. The more twangy it is the more holy it is.

By: Drew Ayers on March 8, 2008
at 12:32 am

Drew: Country music?!! Blasphemy! You must be from down south! :-P

My answer to your question would be both and also sometimes it simply reports it (but we shouldn’t limit the message in rap to simply lust and perversion). The Bible doesn’t always discourage certain behavior in specific narratives, sometimes it just reports that it happened. When Lot’s daughters got him drunk and slept with him there’s nothing telling us that this was wrong in the narrative itself, we find that out later. Sometimes rappers aren’t saying do this or do that, they’re just telling things the way they are.

And certainly rap music isn’t inspired in the same way that the Bible is, but there are glimmers of hope in the midst of all the depravity. As I see it, listening to rap isn’t all that different from reading the psalms (except to be honest I’m more entertained by rap). And I’ve commented before on the fact that rap songs quote scripture more often than any genre of music to include gospel. I think it’s often overlooked that many rappers are believers even if not living out their faith in the way we’d think proper. And those who aren’t believers have usually had some introduction to the faith in their youth which is reflected in their music.

Anyway, repent of your country music loving! I will pray for you. :-P

By: Nick Norelli on March 8, 2008
at 12:55 am

Dude, I really despise Country Music. But I do like banjos. As far as style goes our family of seven has rap as a favourite. Christian lyrics mostly. It is unusual for conservative Anabaptists to listen to anything other than acappella, pray for us!

By: Drew Ayers on March 8, 2008
at 11:05 am

Thank God! It’s funny that you like banjos. My favorite episode ever of Tom and Jerry was when Jerry’s uncle came to town and played the banjo.

By: Nick Norelli on March 8, 2008
at 11:36 am

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