Win a Free Head East CD

[sue d.]

I know the ending of Petra is fresh in everyone's minds, but here's a little diversion - a chance to win free music.

If you�ve never heard John as part of Head East, this is a great opportunity to win a free CD, courtesy of Hip-O Select and the official Head East website.

Head-East.com is giving away 5 copies of the new Head East CD reissue of Gettin' Lucky / Head East. The CDs have been generously donated by Hip-O Select, who released the CD back in April.

Five lucky names will be drawn at random at the completion of the contest, which ends on May 30. Each winner will receive one copy of the CD reissue

To enter the contest simply go to the Head East site www.head-east.com and visit the contest page or go straight to the contest at http://www.head-east.com/contest.html

Good luck, and may the best Pethead / Easthead win!

[Godpleaser]

I think that it's great John was saved out of that secular rock background, but i am surprised to see it endorsed by way of encouraging others to to try and win it, i don't see any place it glorifies God (have you seen the free head east cd re-issue cover and thought about what "getting lucky" implies?)

[Jonathan]

I agree. Shooting dice has never been an honest way to earn a living.

[MattWittman]

John has many great vocals on these two CD's, Show Me I'm Alive is one of my favorites.
John and Keith Green are my two favorite singers, Christian or secular. And in my CD player I listen to pretty much only John and Keith Green.
Hip O has a lot of new customers, including my brother and I, just because we discovered them through the HeadEast reissue, so I see this as a thanks in a way. I am curious if John ever talks to Roger, Steve, or Mike. I apologize if this is personal, but I do want all the members of the "classic" Head East lineup to know that they still have many fans. One of the nicest people I have met is Roger Boyd.

[sue d.]

i am surprised to see it endorsed by way of encouraging others to to try and win it, i don't see any place it glorifies God (have you seen the free head east cd re-issue cover and thought about what "getting lucky" implies?)

I'm not endorsing the message in the music, I'm telling people it is available if they want to see what kind of musical world John came from. You can't appreciate what God has called him out of if you don't know the 'other world' he used to live in.

I'm putting this info out from a historical and collector's perspective, not as an endorsement.

[Michael]

Nobody go see Star Wars III because it's about Anakin being EVIL!!!

Oh wait... that's what my mom says.

[executioner]

My mom says the same thing and has told me not to take her grandchild to it.

[Michael]

See this post for something interesting I heard from Mr. Lucas this weekend as regards the kiddies...

[Godpleaser]

while i can't impart spiritual depth in one post, (that's the Word's and the Holy Spirit's job anyways) I will say that following that line of reasoning we shouldn't look at bunnies to see what a bunnies-addict has been saved out of, or use drugs to experience how someone was liberated etc... We're to be in the world not OF, and ignorance is totally acceptable when it comes whether or not we should "experience" things that clearly glorify the flesh and the world's lifestyle

[executioner]

Godpleaser,

In your opinion is listening to secular music is wrong? I think if it makes you stumble as a Christian than yes it is wrong, but I'm not going to sit there and listen to the song "getting lucky" and think that is what is going to happen to me on that day.

[Godpleaser]

Definitely would never make a blanket statement that listening to secular music is wrong, never said that.... But music (and an album cover) that blatantly sanctions promiscuity to the point of glorification is unarguably not for a born-again Spirit-led believer to even possess. So it comes down to your own personal convictions exe. it just seemed obvious though... even if only subliminal

[charl]

I think there is a difference between listening to bands who sing about 'unsuitable' subjects and glorifying them. People who listen to bands with questionable lyrics and then defend them as great guys/they're not that bad/look at this song it has a good message/etc may be in trouble. If they are so blind to the problems of such a worldview, they are more likely to get caught up in it (though this is not a given either). If one is honest about the subject matter (as everyone here seems to be) I think there is no 'glorification' of it.

When I hear discussions like this, I always bring up the country blues, as it would be considered incredibly immoral music-but I listen to and love the blues. The subject matter ran the gamut from cheating, drinking, whoring, murder, to not being able to pay the bills, unjust imprisonment, praising God, and the fridge breaking down.
All these things were part of the lives of the people who played the music. They talked about them and did not offer commentary or moralising-just this is what happens. As mentioned blues does tend to cover a number of immoral subjects, but the fact that they do not condemn them does not mean they are therefore glorifying them (in an everyone should do what we do kind of way). It's just part of their lives.

So it is with this world. Sin is their master, of course it will be a part of their lives. As much as we may hate to admit it, it's still a part of ours. We can't avoid it simply by refusing to listen to certain types of music. If we really wanted to get away from sin, we would have to leave the world.

And I'm sure there are many philanderers out there who did not need the encouragement of music.

[Godpleaser]

you can't disassociate yourself from lyrics as if they don't matter or feign neutrality when for instance try to imagine Jesus saying "Hey, whatever, they're just singing about it, you can listen to it" or saying "I don't have an opinion one way or the other" He would either accept or despise it, no in-between for Him... And even though the lyrics aren't saying "go fornicate, sin, do it again, commit adultery", the fact that it's sung about WITHOUT condemning it makes you say, why are they singing about it then, AND therefore, since it's open for interpretation, why even entertain it? Lastly, and this will be my last post on this subject, because i don't think i can make myself any clearer than i already have and am surely not out to convert (just convict) through debating, lastly, we aren't slaves to sin, it is not OUR master, so we don't have to paddle along side those who are... OUR main concern for unsaved folks should be for their souls, which then would always preclude us just glibly listening to them sing about sin without a thought for them whatsoever.

[charl]

Who is to say that one does listen to this music 'glibly'? One can listen and still have strong moral objections to what is being said. Sometimes it's interesting just to know the way people think.
We are not to partake in sin, and of course we share the gospel, but we can hardly get angry when the unregenerate do talk about sin, they're unregenerate! Unless of course you're a Pelagian.

One of the biggest pitfalls I see with your argument (though I do not necessarily think you are wrong for stating it) is that it sets christians up as a 'sanitary commitee'. Instead of confronting sin as it is, we demand sinners act in a manner that is more in line with our delicate sensibilities-then maybe we can discuss being saved...? I do not believe this is how it is intended, but it certainly can come off this way.

Seriously I am sympathetic to your view. I do believe that if your concience is telling you not to listen to this, then absolutely do not, and don't let everyone tell you it's okay against your judgement. But not everyone has the same weaknesses.
I can see a person like John who was saved out of that kind of lifestyle perhaps wanting to turn his back on it, but as for myself this was never an issue-people are amazed at things I watched or listened to as a kid (as a christian growing up in a non-christian home-Benny Hill for one!) sometimes I am too! It did not influence me the way it does some-perhaps I am inoculated against it-I have heard of it and it does not interest me. Bands singing about that do not tempt me to want to commit those sins. I do refrain from listening to stuff with alot of swearing in it though, for that reason-that is a weakness of mine. When rap went all gangsta, I stopped listening to it. So it is not just that we are saying anyone should listen to anything they please (I know I'm not).

As for the glorification of sin, I do think that one of the ways christians are guilty of that in terms of entertainment far more than with suggestive songs is by endorsing movies and so on with a 'family friendly-triumph of the human spirit' theme. That is sinful too!

BTW, I have to add that one time I was at a friend's and she put on an album that included Head East. I of course had to mention that the singer had become a christian and sang with my favorite band in the world. Then we played Petra. Great seuge I think...

[Godpleaser]

cool Charl, I appreciate your well written and thought out responses, I can tell you truly want to be a light and salt as well, God bless, thanks for taking the time...