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My wife is an active leader in our community regarding music education. She heads up some choirs, is the music director for one local church, and works with the local college in support of musical education.
I provide technical audio support for many of these events, my personal consulting company having funded the required audio equipment. I thus have some beginner's understanding of sound and it's reproduction. I also have a keen avocational interest in the architecture and engineering of structures that arose because of intense dedication and enthusiasm and spiritualism.
Together, I and my wife are literally regularly stunned by the examples of Christianity's effects on music & architecture. When we visit Europe next year, we will seek out these examples. (Our appreciation of Christian music does NOT apply to modern young Xtian soft-rock, BTW, which is insipid, smarmy and, well, you know...)
Such is the case for music that has been driven, in it's composition and origins, by devout religious enthusiasm. After all, right or not in their beliefs, they are, without question, spiritually convinced and intense.
Ditto for the design and construction of religious houses of worship. The cathedrals of Europe, the Temple in Salt Lake city (and it's renowned choir), the churches in Venice & Paris & Westminster Abbey in London.....
One should honestly acknowledge that which is truly passionately wonderful and inspired. I'm listening right now to St. Olaf's Choir on NPR. Amazing. Beautiful. I doubt that The National Atheist's Choir will ever amount to much, if it even gets off the ground!
Anyone else?
Last edited by rifleman; 04-12-2009 at 10:36 AM..
Reason: typos
Recording history. The monks had time and education to get it done in places. Recording births, deaths, marriages. Public education: in plenty of locales (and not only Christian), only houses of worship offered free classes in grammar and basic math.
My wife is an active leader in our community regarding music education. She heads up some choirs, is the music director for one local church, and works with the local college in support of musical education.
I provide technical audio support for many of these events, my personal consulting company having funded the required audio equipment. I thus have some beginner's understanding of sound and it's reproduction. I also have a keen avocational interest in the architecture and engineering of structures that arose because of intense dedication and enthusiasm and spiritualism.
Together, I and my wife are literally regularly stunned by the examples of Christianity's effects on music & architecture. When we visit Europe next year, we will seek out these examples. (Our appreciation of Christian music does NOT apply to modern young Xtian soft-rock, BTW, which is insipid, smarmy and, well, you know...)
Such is the case for music that has been driven, in it's composition and origins, by devout religious enthusiasm. After all, right or not in their beliefs, they are, without question, spiritually convinced and intense.
Ditto for the design and construction of religious houses of worship. The cathedrals of Europe, the Temple in Salt Lake city (and it's renowned choir), the churches in Venice & Paris & Westminster Abbey in London.....
One should honestly acknowledge that which is truly passionately wonderful and inspired. I'm listening right now to St. Olaf's Choir on NPR. Amazing. Beautiful. I doubt that The National Atheist's Choir will ever amount to much, if it even gets off the ground!
Anyone else?
The music of Christians are so wonderfully inspired as you say because of who they are singing about.
My wife is an active leader in our community regarding music education. She heads up some choirs, is the music director for one local church, and works with the local college in support of musical education.
I provide technical audio support for many of these events, my personal consulting company having funded the required audio equipment. I thus have some beginner's understanding of sound and it's reproduction. I also have a keen avocational interest in the architecture and engineering of structures that arose because of intense dedication and enthusiasm and spiritualism.
Together, I and my wife are literally regularly stunned by the examples of Christianity's effects on music & architecture. When we visit Europe next year, we will seek out these examples. (Our appreciation of Christian music does NOT apply to modern young Xtian soft-rock, BTW, which is insipid, smarmy and, well, you know...)
Such is the case for music that has been driven, in it's composition and origins, by devout religious enthusiasm. After all, right or not in their beliefs, they are, without question, spiritually convinced and intense.
Ditto for the design and construction of religious houses of worship. The cathedrals of Europe, the Temple in Salt Lake city (and it's renowned choir), the churches in Venice & Paris & Westminster Abbey in London.....
One should honestly acknowledge that which is truly passionately wonderful and inspired. I'm listening right now to St. Olaf's Choir on NPR. Amazing. Beautiful. I doubt that The National Atheist's Choir will ever amount to much, if it even gets off the ground!
Anyone else?
Alert: Rifleman's been kidnapped by deranged Xtians. They have installed an usurper in his place.
Man's greatest accomplishments come from trying to achieve for something greater than he is. The magnificent Taj Mahal, the Emperor/God's Forbidden City, the onion domes of Islam and the eastern Orthodox, the Mayan pyramids..........seeking to bring heaven to earth or to honor something greater than man is one of man's greatest driving force.......stimulating petry, art, music, and architecture. The only thing that comes close to creating for the creator is the creation for love.
Having something greater than for yourself to inspire you is possibly the one thing that athiests lack most.....but love often fills that lack.....if you look at great art, so very much of it is driven by faith.
inspire
Etymology:Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French inspirer, from Latin inspirare, from in- + spirare to breathe
Alert: Rifleman's been kidnapped by deranged Xtians. They have installed an usurper in his place.
Will the real rifleman stand up, please?
Nope. If you wish, you can take my words above as proof that I am completely objective about religion and it's accomplishments. I just happen to also recognize it's huge failings as well. And all I'm saying is that inspired people do inspired things, even if the basis for that inspiration is perhaps flawed.
Besides being an atheist, I'm also a highly rational scientist, open to all possibilities and conclusions. I just seem to prefer the more logical, common-sense ones. Aside from that, and to my OP, many old churches and lots of Mozart's and Beethoven's music, for example, are truly beautiful, and was probably somewhat influenced by their own Christian roots.
By comparison, an evangelical tent, or The Church of The Modern Messiah, made from Steel Buildings.com, hardly qualify. What were they thinking?
You may, on your own thread about atheism's contributions to this world, wax eloquent about them if you so wish. But be careful; the glimmering light of knowledge may flicker in your head, however briefly!
I'm just wondering rifleman have you ever wondered why they are so intense when they sing and so much passion when they sing?
I'm also just wondering do you question when they sing to God, or do you just like the music and don't pay attention who they are singing too?
So, you have noticed that singers that you like are inspired, have you ever wondered who or why they are inspired, or do you not care about that, just the music?
I was just wondering, not wanting to start an arguement, because some atheist may see this and want to start with the back and forth issue of God. I was just wanting to know?
Man's greatest accomplishments come from trying to achieve for something greater than he is. The magnificent Taj Mahal, the Emperor/God's Forbidden City, the onion domes of Islam and the eastern Orthodox, the Mayan pyramids..........seeking to bring heaven to earth or to honor something greater than man is one of man's greatest driving force.......stimulating petry, art, music, and architecture. The only thing that comes close to creating for the creator is the creation for love.
Having something greater than for yourself to inspire you is possibly the one thing that athiests lack most.....but love often fills that lack.....if you look at great art, so very much of it is driven by faith.
inspire
Etymology:Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French inspirer, from Latin inspirare, from in- + spirare to breathe
The bolded bit
Sometimes you say stuff that you miss the salient point. One assumes that atheists lack but isn't love supposed to be what it is all about?
Ever wondered why (most) atheists can relate to the teachings of Jesus but not the xian faith?
Maybe they too like Jesus reject the religion of the day. Read Matt 23 for a clue (objectively) Then try applying it to yourself and the the xian faith.
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