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I wish some of you would just answer the original b***** question. Hijacking a thread is hardly high minded but that irony seems to have past our great thinkers by.
You overlook that the original thread was split. This is the thread where people can write about their religious beliefs, or lack of them, whilst using their best English and correct spelling in the belief that other people may be interested in their views, which most certainly doesn't apply to me.
 
I must say that most of these wonderful musicians believed that God is the Creator of the Universe, man and all things. The so called science of evolution to this day cannot prove (with absolute certainty) anything about the origin of life. It takes more faith to believe in evolution than the Bible, that is why I believe that Atheism is a religion (it needs LOTS AND LOTS of faith apart from GOD). Several top education officials as well scientists have come the conclusion that evolution is completely illogical and imposible at its core belief (that all things evolved from a blob) Shortly after they were fired from their jobs for not agreeing with evolution (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed -
). Evolution is part of a philosophical belief that you are god and nobody or no one should design or tell you how to live your own life. It changes absolute moral truth for relativity and its the way most of our society nowadays lives from politicians to musicians. How can one say that these beautiful works of music can have evolved so inteligently from a blob. Down out ridiculous!!! Let all things that have life praise the Lord God Creator of the Universe! Psalm 150 Do you agree?
 
Atheism is a belief as is religion but evolution makes a lot more sense than a religion invented god.
Do not confuse a god thought up by our ancestors with a UV that has a purpose! that is perhaps the question you may consider (I am not trying to attack your faith)
 
From a mystical or transcendental perspective reality is actually full of contradictions that resolve themselves. People are intent when caught in the coincidence of opposites to think that things are one way and not the other, when they may in fact be both ways, the tension between the two sides creating the actual situation. This is why I believe in both evolution and the traditional catholic view of creation, though they contradict each other, I think that reality is full of contradiction, and it is only a product of Greek-style thinking that tries to say "it is this, and nothing else". I believe in the harmony of opposites. Idealism versus materialism? No, idealism AND materialism.
 
I do not believe great musicians music is God's voice for a few reasons...

1) I love Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and if I'm in the right mood I might enjoy Lady Gaga. Whats constitutes as "great music" is subjective so either all music is god's voice or none of it is.

If we were to be elitist (which I have no problem with) and say that ... within the realms of classical music practice the - by definition - most innovative/technically complex classical is God's voice (Beethoven compaired to Schnittke) it still doesn't hold up because is Mozart better than Beethoven? Bach better than Handel? I love pieces of classical music for many varied reasons "innovation" rarely being one of them. I like them if I like the way they sound.

What if we were to say what if religous composer's music is God's voice and secularists arn't it then poses the question, but what if they believed in different Gods/religouns? Which brings me nicely onto my next point ...

2) No two people can believe in the same thing. Even if two people read the same scripture/attend the same services/absorb the same culture; their personal interpretation will still differ greatly. There is only so much scripture can tell a believer about their religoun, after that they have to "fill in the blanks", so to speak. Everyone believes in a different God because our personal interpretation (how God occupies space and time or his personality for instance) cannot be the same.

3) I think saying that a God wrote the music detracts from the artists it came from. If Shostakovich was a non-believer does that mean that he was by definition better than Bruckner because God wrote Bruckner's music? Are Bach, Bruckner and Mahler nothing but empty vessels or messengers for God to spread his... word (?)

It was human research, innovation, effort and work that got us to the Moon, not God.
 
Is it possible that composers of wonderful music are simply used by God to give His music to the world?

God has way more beautiful music and he doesn't need humans to give his music to the world.

In fact within nature and the vast space of the cosmos music exists. Jewish Sources teach that the entire galaxies and stars ride on waves of music, and that the Stars and the planets sing such beautiful music, that if us humans could have the ability to listen we would be enthralled by its amazing and astonishing beauty. Also remember that the sounds of nature, the waves, the wind, and everything that produces sound within nature, is in fact music.

But I think that God gives certain individuals certain talents that others don't posses, and these individuals Choose from within their human abilities to produce their own unique music. In fact the music that composers compose is entirely human, and has nothing Godly or divine about it.

No composer has ever written a perfect music, and no composer has been able to unite all of humanity for a single purpose to know the Creator of the Universe, the God of Israel. Therefore their music lacks perfection, and that's what makes it human, but the music of God is pure perfection, and if revealed to the ears and minds of the people it can do wonders. Human music is not divine, only God's music is, to attribute divinity to a human being, is a form of idol worship when it comes to Judaism.

It is sad to see sometimes people attribute divinity to people like Beethoven. This composer was in fact the most imperfect subject to human limitations, then any other composer. He suffered from many things, like hearing loss, depression, and he had wild outbursts of anger, pain and other physical problems. His music was just that, not particularly beautiful, but full of his hardships. But God's music is pure, without any blemishes or hardships, his music is not based on personal difficulties in life, sadness, pain, or salvation. His music is the most perfect, divine, and Godly music in the universe, absolute pureness and perfection.

Regards,

Saul
 
Gift from God

I'm a musician from South Africa and I can say from experience, yes God plays a huge role in how we play!

I have been playing guitar for about 4 years now and only recently started playing in a band. Two months ago we had a show and as we played I had the most wonderful anointing from God.

For those who aren't Christians this might sound weird, but at one stage in the song "How he loves us" we randomly started playing an instrumental worship. The next thing I knew I was playing a solo that was making the hair on my neck stand up, but the weird thing is that it felt like it wasn't me playing. I watched my fingers moving over the notes without me playing it, like something (or somebody) was taking over my body!

I had some people, even some of the other musicians coming to me and asking me what was i playing and where did it come from!

For those who believe in "outer body experiences" you might believe it is something like that, but i know it was a n anointing from God and the Holy Spirit that took over.

So in my opinion: yes, we don't become great musicians by just practicing and practicing, we become great musicians by feeling music and that is a gift from God to show His glory and for Him to speak to people through us.
 
I've come to this discussion very, VERY late, but in response to a question posed here a few years ago, over the past few years have discovered many quotations by current day musicians - as well as great classical composers - which express their feeling that their music has come from sources outside the mind. If these are of interest, I'll be happy to pick out a few.
 
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