Should We Sing The Pagans Songs?
Should we take the pagan's songs and use them as our own to Halal יהוה (Praise יהוה) with? Should we consider the music of the nameless lord as our very own pure and righteous offering to Him, Who is unable to miss the mark He sets? Is it appropriate to worship יהוה in the same manner in which non-believers praise their pantheon of gods? Can it be possible that the sincerity of their worship of the nameless lord is to be considered worthy, blessed or even equal in any way to the sincerity with which יהוה 'el Shadday desires, even requires, His called out ones be committed to Him with?
Dabariym [deuteronomy] 6:16-17 tells us, emphatically–
"You will not tempt, the self-entity, יהוה your 'Elohiym..." and "You will hedge about (as with thorns), guard, protect and attend to the commands of יהוה your 'Elohiym, and to His testimonies, enactments and appointments, which He has constituted and enjoined to you."
Clearly יהוה has great expectations from each one of us concerning the way we conduct ourselves before Him and we are not to tempt or wrongfully test His patience or mercies.
So, is it appropriate to worship יהוה in the same manner as non-believers? Can it be possible that the sincerity of their worship of the nameless lord be righteous before יהוה? Should we take the pagan religious or secular songs and use them as our own? It has been argued by some (many actually) that many of these "songs of my youth give me comfort" and "I remember them from a time of innocence." Innocence? Comfort? So too, does the ishtar bunny and satan claus give comfort and innocent fun; and let us not forget the candy! Need it be pointed out that in order to get innocent children to believe in these creatures– you have to lie to them?
Shemoth [exodus] 20:7:
You will not bring the Name of יהוה 'Elohiym to evil uselessness; for יהוה will not hold him guiltless that brings His Name to evil uselessness! (see also Dabariym [deuteronomy] 5:11) Is the act of equating יהוה's Qodesh name with that of a pagan diety an act of evil uselessness? Should יהוה be brought down in equality with the nameless god(s) of the pagan religions or that they be raised up to יהוה's high stature? Should we continue these practices expecting יהוה to honor them based merely on our own remembered comfort zone? This is what grammamama taught me so I remember it (and honor it) fondly, regardless of what the 'El יהוה says?
Shemoth [exodus] 23:7:
Remove yourself from a word or a matter (as spoken of) of thing or a cause that is an untruth or a sham; and the innocent and righteous do not strike with deadly intent: for I will not justify the morally wrong or wicked. Regardless of the false teachings of xtianity and messie-anity יהוה has not, does not and will not give justification to the righteous. You may choose to believe one Roman religion-inventor or choose to believe יהוה, but choose you must. (see Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] [leviticus] 26:21)
Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] 19:4:
Do not turn to idols, nor cast for yourselves mighty ones: I, יהוה, am your 'Elohiym!
and
Dabariym [deuteronomy] 12:30-31:
30. Hedge about (as with thorns), guard, protect and attend to yourself lest you be ensnared to follow them, after they are made desolate from before your faces; and that you neither tread or frequent; to follow (for pursuit or search); to seek or ask; to worship after their gods, saying: How do these foreign nations serve their gods? Rightly so will I do to gather and assemble even also!
31. You will not do so to יהוה your 'Elohiym: for every morally disgusting and abhorrent idolatry to יהוה, which He hates (the 'Ibriy word is: |H8130|שנא sane' saw-nay'), they have done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they burned in the fires to their gods.
How do the pagans worship their gods? What rituals do they use and what are their holi-days (Xmass– a mixture of many different pagan fertility religions; based on lies, phallic symbols and magic. Easter (the actual spelling of the goddess now known as Ishtar)– another fertility religion/ritual/rite. All Hallows Eve (Halloween)– Samhainn or Samhuinn (sometimes Samharain), also called Ancestor Night; the teaching of children to be beggars as well as to believe in ghouls, goblins and 'the great pumpkin'. Valentines Day– the day one expects Cupid (the god of erotic love and beauty) son of the god Jupitor and the goddess Venus to "bring their true love" rather than relying on יהוה to provide 'a proper help meet') What songs do they sing that we can change a few words to, and make them palatable, even desired, by יהוה?
Hear O Yisra'el considers this to be not just a mistaken sin, but to be one also of unguentary1 blasphemy. Blasphemy? My, that certainly is a strong statement to make and one not to be made in a frivolous and offhand manner. But does יהוה consider the joining of His ways to pagan ways a righteous action? Let us, in יהוה's true Ruwach (His complete essence), examine this subject:
יהוה can be a Mighty and Terrible 'Elohiym, given to anger and jealousy. By His own admission He is not the simpering, cringing, desperate for our love and worship Father He is often made out to be. So desperate to fill the 'many mansions' that He'll just put up with "any 'lil 'ol thang" and make adjustments of His character, versus us doing the changing. Make no mistake יהוה does love us all, but He is not a Mighty One so desperate and needy to be adored that He is willing to accept His worship on our terms! He is the awesome, often angry and jealous, 'Father of Creation'!
We read in the following scripture verses:
Dabariym [deuteronomy] 32:16:
They provoked Him to be jealous and envious by turning aside to a foreign, strange and profane [mighty ones] to commit adultery, with disgusting and abhorrent idolatries they caused Him to grieve, rage and be indignant.
Mishliy [proverbs] [psalms] 78:58:
They caused Him to grieve, rage and be indignant with their high elevations and provoked Him to be jealous and envious of their idols.
Yesha'yahuw [isaiah] 42:13:
יהוה shall go forth as a powerful warrior and tyrant. He shall wake up jealousy and envy like a man of war: He shall mar and split the ears with sound, yea, clear and shrill; He shall be strong and prevail, acting insolently against His enemies.
Yechezq'el [ezekial] 16:38:
And I will judge you as adulterers and apostates who spill forth blood to cause death, with a verdict and sentence of Law and I will give your blood, to cause death, in heat, anger and poison with jealousy and envy.
(see also: Dabariym [deuteronomy] 5:7-9, 11:16-17, 30:17-20, and 32:21; 1 Melekiym [1 kings] 9:6-7, 14:22; Mishliy [proverbs] [psalms] 79:5; among many other verses!)
As can be plainly seen by the above verses, יהוה can display a mighty and forceful anger, as well as jealousy! He is not only well equipped, but very willing to act in a war-like manner!! Is it a tov idea on our part to tempt Him to anger?
יהוה tells us in Shemoth [exodus] 34:14 (see the side panel) not to worship any other Mighty One (man made god or idol) for His very Name is Jealous and in Dabariym [deuteronomy] 4:19 He tells us we are not to worship the sun or moon or any other idol lest we perish (also: Dabariym [deuteronomy] 8:19; see the side panel).
Yechezq'el 8:14: Then I was brought to the entrance of יהוה's Bayith (House), that is toward the north, and behold: there dwelt women weeping bitter tears for Tammuwz. Even a cursory study of Tammuwz worship will show that this "weeping" involved not just actual crying, but chanting and singing of songs as well! Who wrote them? It is a pretty sure bet that they wrote a few themselves, but the process of Tammuwz-idolatry was learned by the 'Ibriy (Hebrew) women from the foreign nations that they inter-acted with.
Many who have not studied about Tammuwz or any of the gods (using the old "don't have them in your mouth" excuse– if you do not study the gods how will you know if you are following their ways in this pagan god-entrenched society? Answer: You will not.) add pagan ways to their worship of יהוה.
The excuses for singing the songs of the nameless gods2 are many and varied: "...He knows who/what we mean...", "...these are songs from my youth...", "...they give me comfort...", "...the writer/singer was/is sincere..."! Intermingled with a lack of talent (cannot write or play music) and no small amount of laziness (can play music but using "The Old Rugged Cross" is so much easier than setting one of the Mishliy [proverbs] [psalms] to music) it is, apparently, easy to fall prey to temptation and offer יהוה a song dedicated to the Babliy-Mithra-Tammuwz-add-your-idol-here god of modern churchianity.
But exactly how far will sincerity and self-comfort take us before the Face of יהוה? He has given us specific and detailed instructions on how we are to follow Him and tells us that our willful failure to do His will brings upon us curses and hardships (see: Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] [leviticus] 26:13-39). In Mishliy [proverbs] 6:2 we are told how we become snared by our mouths and we are told in Shemoth [exodus] 23:24 not to "do after their transactions, activities or products (specifically poems)", as well as in Wa'iyqrah [leviticus] [leviticus] 18:3: "After the transactions, activities or products (specifically poems) of the land of Mitsrayim where you were, you will not do; and after their transactions, activities or products (specifically poems) of the land of Kena'an, where I am taking you, you will not do, nor will you walk after their enactments or appointments (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)." We are told definitively not to follow in the pagan ways and, interestingly enough, the word products in the above verses is literally translated as poetry (the 'Ibriy word is: Strong's |H4639| מעשה ma'aseh ma-as-eh' )! Poetry set to music is commonly known as "lyrics."
Does our own sincerity mean anything to יהוה? Bemidbar [numbers] 15:39, Mishliy [proverbs] 3:7, 12:15, 21:2, tell us we are not to be foolish and go after 'our own heart and our own eyes' and He does not mean follow the pagan ways outwardly while deluding ourselves into believing He knows that our hearts are dedicated to Him! the "He knows what I mean..." dogma is straight out of xtianity and cannot be found in haTanakh (unless you count the verses where He says He knows men's hearts and minds are wicked!) Time and time again He tells us that following pagan ways are an abomination to Him and that if we show loyalty to false idols and gods and we are not showing loyalty to Him and that there are dire and extreme consequences for doing so! When will the b'nai of יהוה learn and accept this?
There are those that argue against the belief that songs should be based on the rightness of יהוה and not sincerity. That is to say: there are claims that, any song- any song sung with sincere intentions is rightness before the Face of יהוה. This is utterly repulsive. So, let us look at the rave reviews of possible 'offerings' to יהוה!
Amy Grant is a singer/song writer in the xtian faith. She left her husband Gary Chapman, who literally got on his knees and begged Amy to stay, after 16 years of marriage, in 1998. In August of 1998, Grant told her husband: "I believe and trust that I've been released from this [marriage]" (CCM Magazine, November 1999, p. 36). Amy divorced Gary in June of 1999. In March of 2000 Amy married country star Vince Gill. In 1996, Vince's wife Janis found a note–”I love you, Amy”–in his golf bag. (People, Nov. 29, 1999). As early as 1994, Amy told Gary, “. . . I've given my heart to another man.” (CCM, January 2000, p. 36). Amy Grant told ABC's Primetime, “I think that a part of me loved him [Vince Gill] instantly.”
About a Kissimmee, Florida concert, in 1978: "We're sitting there, I do my sound check. All these girls are in halter tops, great figures, everybody's wearing nothing, we're in Floriday [sic]. I'm eighteen, and I know what they're thinking. I said, 'I really want to know Jesus and I really want to love him except … my hormones are on ten, and I see you all … sitting out there getting chummy and praying together -- and WE'RE HORNY. MY FEELING IS, WHY FAKE IT? I'm not trying to be gross, I'm saying let's be honest about what's coming down'" (Bob Millard, Amy Grant, 1986, p. 103)
A Rolling Stone article revealed her as "a tough-talking, no-nonsense fundamentalist who is every bit as ambitious as the real Madonna, goes to Prince concerts (she doesn't enjoy the simulated masturbation) and frolics naked on secluded African beaches..."
"The beach incident occurred during a vacation, she explains, and involved a woman companion. ''We threw off our clothes. Nobody was there, nobody saw us. It was such a free, wonderful, childlike experience. It was great. But then it can also be worded as 'let's get naked.' '' Such tidbits are fodder for fundamentalists who criticize Grant's worldly sound and appearances, although she says she ''would never do anything that I thought would be offensive. I'm just trying to live my life the best way I can.''
— [http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/gangsta/249/articles/ung/4.html#t]
Amy Grant: “Why isolate yourself? Your life isolates you enough. I'm isolated when I walk into a room and somebody says, She's a Christian and NOBODY OFFERS ME A JOINT and all the coke (cocaine) disappears. . .” (Bob Millard, Amy Grant, p. 169)
Amy's album House of Love includes the environmental-mother-earth song, "Big Yellow Taxi," by new-age-priestess Joni Mitchell (Time, March 11, 1985). Joni Mitchell is notorious for channeling with a spirit she knows as “Art.”
What a glorious follower of jezeus-shuwa– I mean יהוה! Yet many messie-anics– so called followers of יהוה's commands, statutes and haTowrah are not disinclined to use her songs (do you know which ones?) to worship the almighty יהוה. A snip here, and a god-into-Yahh there and voi·là–
From the Kiss album: Destroyer [how apropos] - 1976
Gene Simmons' signature song [during which he spewed forth blood over the audience] was actually written by Paul Stanley, who had written it as a faster and more up-beat song. Bob Ezrin, Kiss' producer, gave it to Simmons as a slower and exceedingly more menacing song [what better to offer Yahh?].
You've got something about you; you've got something I need.
Daughter of Aphrodite; hear my words and take heed!
I was born on Olympus; to my father a son!
I was raised by the dæmons; trained to reign as the one...
God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under will slowly rob you of your virgin soul
I'm the lord of the wastelands A modern day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me and I command you to kneel
Before the: God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under will slowly rob you of your virgin soul
I'm the lord of the wastelands a modern day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me and I command you to kneel
Before the: God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under will slowly rob you of your virgin soul!
Hockey match, ishtar egg hunt, blood-spewing rock concert or solemn assembly before the Face of the One True Creator of the Heavens and the earth Who is able to snuff out your life like a candle– what's the damned difference? And who, exactly, can't beat mixing Greco-Roman mythology with music? Especially when praising יהוה? Let us see how we might make the Kiss song God Of Thunder more palatable to יהוה, as long as we are oh so sincere and feel comforted by that which we once knew, after all (as you can read in the reviews to the left) a large number of people liked Kiss. Let us offer יהוה a Kiss song in strict obedience to His Towrah:
Yahh has something about Him; I have something He needs
Ab-ba Yahh the Almighty, I hear Your words and take heed
Yahu'sha– was born on Olympus; to his father a son!
But Yahh has cursed those three dæmons; Yahh is the Only True One...
Godyahh of thunder and every soul
The god-spell you're under will surely save you and your sinful soul
Yahh is lord of the wastelands a modern day Godyahh of steel
He gathers darkness to please Him and He commands you to kneel
Before the: Godyahh of thunder and every soul
The god-spell you're under will surely save you and your sinful soul
Yahh is lord of the wastelands a modern day Godyahh of steel
He gathers darkness to please Him and He commands you to kneel
Before the: Godyahh of thunder and every soul!
Sing along with Gene as he spits blood for יהוה
Be sure to use the above revised lyrics!! HalalYahh!
One might say that this is a ludicrous example, for after all who in their right mind would offer such a thing up to יהוה? Who indeed? Well, by the xtian dogmatic belief that sincerity, intermingled with a large amount of blood-slavered grace, makes anything humans can lay at the door of יהוה agreeable, pleasing– even amusing, to Him, both the messie-anic and xtian religions of Man deem this to be acceptable. What a concept!
I am fully able to comprehend the 'worldly desires and lustings' for sensual and corporeal– often emotionally charged music that cause the inheritors of the Babliy mystery religion, as well as their messie-anic brothers, to forsake the truths set forth in haTowrah (haTanakh), יהוה's last word on any subject; for the base and emergent lusts of their hearts are but a manifestation of the hold by which evil is voluntarily permitted to literally traipse to and fro across the whole earth wreaking havoc amongst יהוה's creation. But the ignorant (by a vice of the failure to seek out all things) and absolutely utterly brazen disregard for some of the most basic of יהוה's instructions, and the need for an emotional uplift to create a sensation of 'holiness', should be a cause for great consternation among the b'nai [children] of Yahh!
Yet, horrifically, it is not!! An alarmingly large number of the b'nai choose to knowingly (for a small in number few– unknowingly; that is: through lazy unstudied ignorance) and rebelliously cling to the tenets– the 'system' of beliefs– given to them in the paganistic world they supposedly left behind. They continue to hold fast to the 'dear to the heart' teachings, rituals, usury system and even the praises of this Babliy system while firmly entrenched in the erroneous belief that inserting the Name covers a multitude if sins or vices. Is it enough to do as we see fit, while expecting some spiritual blood-bath of a murdered jew to cleanse us, without a change of our own character? What a concept!
What a concept, indeed!!
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Yirmeyahuw [jeremiah] 10:3-5
Easter (Ishtar) reborn!
Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid