Music Banned by the WTS

by Nosferatu 35 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Thirdson

  Growing up we were forced to listen to songs that featured many phrases about death and destruction. We listened, actually were forced to sing songs that had words such as "you die upon the field," "fear not those who kill the body, "lick the dust" "for their destruction we now pray," "will meet destruction," "soon men will vanish"

  We also had to sing songs about beating children with rods.

  Sorry, this music and the lyrics weren't banned -- these were the ones the Watchtower says we should should be singing instead of the debased lyrics of the world.

  Thirdson

  Sing Praises to Jehovah - ScbE 1984 - 27,27, 168, (&183), 94, 112, 112 & 164
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  peacefulpete

  The bit about the "TWIST" dance was taken very seriously. After every wedding Sunday morning we would all get an imprompto special needs part about the licentious out of control youths who danced the pagan fertility dance the night before. He also had a cow when some had danced to "Walk Like an Egyptian" Explaining how the snake movement was inviting the demons to the sacred event.
• 

  Pistoff

  kg said:

  The bit about Beethoven and Schubert is hysterical!

  NO kidding; others might feel that to produce music that is timeless WAS the most important thing for Beethoven and Schubert; that was their life's work after all. But, evidently, the whole of history had it wrong; they should have been pioneers. WHY oh WHY didn't Beethoven attend one of the many kingdom halls that were in his country at the time?? Why didn't the brothers point out to him the error of his ways??

  Now he just has to settle for being the composer of timeless music, music that might inspire others to great things!!
• 

  yxl1

  Well, this thread brings back all those supressed memories of how anything that was fun was eventually outlawed. I recall a talk was given about immoral lyrics in pop music. My mum cames home and distroyed her entire Motown collection, and all my sisters Reggae LP's.

  Jeez, I even had to hide my copy of Elton Johns Goodbye Yellow Brick Rd, because he was gay!! What did they think? That I was going to turn gay if I listened to "Saturday nights alright for fighting"? Yet more than one Elder had a few Queen Albums lying around...I just didnt get it.
• 

  acsot

  Does anyone remember the (very) few articles the WTS published about opera? I have loved opera for years, and figured that eventually the WTS morons would get around to publishing some anti-operatic articles. However, the articles that were published were always quite complimentary. Probably because the writers and old geezers at Brooklyn enjoy opera themselves, so won't shoot it down.

  I find this completely hypocritical. WTS youth get nagged ad nauseum about their choices in music, but opera - with its steady diet of suicide, murder, adultery, spiritism, selling your soul to the devil (Faust, Mephistopheles), etc. etc. gets only positive reviews.

  While still a dub it bugged me that the type of music I loved was good, yet the content of much of it, according to warped WTS standards, was worse than the music young people were being warned about. I feel bad for the dub youth, I hope they smarten up before I did.
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  avengers

  Is it allright to listen to Prince?

  I don't know, but this band is in almost the same genre wouldn't you say?

  Just curious.

  Andy
• 

  rocketman

  Growing up we were forced to listen to songs that featured many phrases about death and destruction. We listened, actually were forced to sing songs that had words such as "you die upon the field," "fear not those who kill the body, "lick the dust" "for their destruction we now pray," "will meet destruction," "soon men will vanish"

  Excellent point Thirdson!

  Want blood, gore and mayhem? Look no further than Kingdom Melodies, My Book Of Bible Stories, and of course the Bible itself.
• 

  rocketman

  Jeez, I even had to hide my copy of Elton Johns Goodbye Yellow Brick Rd, because he was gay!! What did they think? That I was going to turn gay if I listened to "Saturday nights alright for fighting"? Yet more than one Elder had a few Queen Albums lying around...I just didnt get it.

  yxl1, I didn't hide my copies of any Elton John CDs (I have practically every one), but I can certainly understand why you felt the need to hide yours. The ridiculous notions that jws come up with in regard to recording artists is unreal.

  Looking back, I ask myself, what does it matter? I mean, even from the jw standpoint, music simply comes and goes. Why get all hot and bothered about the latest sound? And yet, they continue to bring up the same tired rhetoric.

  Of course, it's not only jws that get weird with regard to music. I've already read letters to the editor of my local paper decrying EJ's Bennie And The Jets and Billy Joel's Only The Good Die Young.
• 

  Panda

  IMO it is precisely because music changes so rapidly that the WTS is threatened. Music evolves with the youth of the country, and the WTS doesn't want free thinking (or dancing youths). They don't like kids getting on birthcontrol or getting condoms handed to them. WTS hates rebellious nature and new ideas. And they hate the sassy clothes. I mean what other time in our lives would we wear such outrageous outfits, better yet what other time would we look as cute in them.

  Like so much of the petty control, this too is stupid and unreasonable.
• 

  luna

  Does anyone else find this comment hysterically funny?

  Rappers sporting names as brash as their music-Public Enemy, M. C. Hammer, and Vanilla Ice-were soon filling the airwaves with their thundering brand of music

  MC HAMMER AND VANILLA ICE?? BRASH??

  Holy cork.