Intellectual Chador

(h/t to Marzie for giving me the phrase "intellectual chador". I thought it was Cynical Nymph, but only because I think of you as being equally awesome.)

I should disclose right now that I am a musician*, that I love a musician and that I can't imagine a day not filled with music. There is music in my head when I wake up, when I go to sleep and there is always music in my house.

Music is essential to the human soul**. Notice I didn't say "in my opinion". Every culture produces music, every child sings and dances, music is what we are.

So of course fundamentalism demands a restriction of music, as it demands a restriction of every joy, of every facet of humanity. Do you enjoy it? fundamentalism asks. Then it is evil. Get rid of it. Get rid of every joy, every love, every beautiful thing. Only then are you worthy.

Fuck worthy, I need a beat I can dance to. I need a chord progression that rolls my eyes back in my head, a lyric that makes me feel- anything.

So let me ask you something…are you listening to music just because the sound is pleasing to you or are you listening to it because the words are God-glorifying, worshipful, praise words, your prayer to your Savior, etc. Many times we let ourselves listen to music that is pleasing to our flesh, but is it the kind of music that God would want us to be listening to? Would you listen to it if He was listening to it with you? Is it glorifying Him or you?

Music is a powerful thing. Don’t let it get a hold of you. Be sure you control what you are listening to, and not the other way around. Music and songs will stay with you for the rest of your life. Don’t scar your minds with songs that you will later regret listening to. [emphasis mine]

If you don't let music "get a hold of you", then you aren't experiencing music. You might as well buy a large quantity of black fabric, because you've already got an intellectual chador on. Hell, you've put a chador on your soul.

I really can't imagine anything sadder.

*The damage to the nerves and joints in my hands is to severe to allow for playing an instrument seriously, but I am still a musician.

**Common usage of the word.

Aesop Rock

I'm obsessed.

A Christian Comic: Final Fantasy Meets Rock Band

comic, christian, safe sex, homosexual, music

The Truth for Youth produces Christian comics of such awesome hilarity that I think the author/artist should get some sort of award. Seriously, look at that picture from "Wasted Words: The Truth About Secular Music". Clearly, the designers of Final Fantasy have gotten together with the designers of Rock Band and this was the result. The lyrics were obviously taken from a rejected song written by the Maynard of Tool after a week long ecstasy binge, and someone's been spending a little too much time with the lolcatz (KEWL!*).

The comic only gets better from there with such classic lines as "I should have listened in bible study!" and "Maybe I'm [at the show] to learn deeper truths".

Born That Way: The Truth About Homosexuality has the standard "gays don't deserve civil rights, it's a choice, blahblahblah", set the exciting atmosphere of a riot- complete with tear gas and flying boulders.

Passes and Plays: The Truth About Safe Sex includes the high school football star, the slutty cheerleader, lies about STDs and birth control, and the instant classic line: "Baby, we'll be doin' more than talkin' later! I'm gonna huddle on your line of scrimmage and go for the extra point! Haw Haw**!"

Fail so awesome it's a win.

*Seriously, who speaks lolcat?

**It appears that Christian comics are required to include that laugh.

What You Don't Know

about me.

1. My favorite color is pink. I tell people it's red.

2. I don't have eyebrows. I put them on every day and pretend nobody can tell that they are subtly different every time they see me.

3. I can go days without talking, if allowed.

4. I can only go hours without music.