Guilty Pleasures
Confession: I actually like gospel music. Are there any artifacts of religion that you enjoy, despite not buying into the message/meaning behind them?
Any music that gets your blood moving including rousing gospel music is ok with. I love Ernie Fords' singing of gospels. If the singer puts their all into the song that is a spiritual thing. Not a religious thing.
I have a heavy silver & black cross that I miss wearing. My ex gave it to me, so on two levels it's not really appropriate any more.
Also, Johnny Cash singing "The Man Comes Around". Sure, it's a song about the Antichrist, who doesn't exist (unless maybe it's me), but it's such a fucking cool song. I just sing it when I'm in a mean and vengeful mood.
I played bass in a gospel church for five years, it was great. I told them I wasn't a believer, they said "your gift is the music." One of my finest experiences..
I love the song "O Holy Night" -- and as an agnostic who was raised Jewish, that's kind of a double no-no. I also love gothic cathedrals, like St. John the Divine in NYC.
A non-practicing Jew wrote the melody to "O Holy Night". Go figure.
I collect Madonna with child paintings/prints and also crosses...I just like them even though I attach no religious significance to them...they are art to me.
I grew up in a loving church community and miss a lot of that support and good vibes. I think that church sets people up for failure since most Christians aren't like that.
The vast majority of people I grew up with in that church aren't christians now.
Also music, we had a couple of professional musicians too.
Not having made exhaustive research I could be wrong but I find it odd that out of all the religions in the world the white Evangelicals stand out for the thinness of their culture. The Catholics have Caravaggio and Michelangelo, the Eastern Orthodox church has beautiful icons and the Evangelicals have Thomas Kinkade and Jon Naughton. The African-American church has given us Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Evangelicals have insipid Christian Rock.
That is a very insightful comment. Depth of artistic expression is not that synonymous with Evangelical Christians. It must be said though that the baroque church paid the best. Imagine if Michelangelo's patron had been agnostic! Notice how art and music changes after the Renaissance when the Church are not the only ones that can afford to pay for High Art. Bach becomes Beethoven, Giotto becomes Goya
In Europe, medieval cathedrals, churchyards, high church ritual, plainsong; buddhist chanting, hindu food, the Upanishads, meditation, I-Ching, The Bhagavad Gita, The Gospel of John, The Analects of Confucius, burning candles, bell ringing, Harvest Festival, Christmas choirs in a country church, Zen, roadside shrines...
I really enjoy gospel music as well. It was the one thing I liked about church.
I enjoy Southern Gospel Music. It is usually upbeat. I think it is the tempo that attracts me.