Postkiwi

Darren Wright suggested I check out Reel 2 Real’s video, “Hell’s Bells: The Dangers of Rock ‘n’ Roll” as an example of Christian anti-rock music propaganda from the end of the 1980s.

I’ve found the home of Hell’s Bells, and even the transcript! It’s all online at Reel2Real Ministries. Here’s the blurb from the distributors, Art of the Covenant:

“After opening with an engaging apologetic on the power of music and the nature of man, Hell’s Bells examines the ideas of key satanists and occultists and looks for their parallels within the world of secular rock music. (Surprise, they’re virtually everywhere!) It then contrasts these “vain and evil imaginings” with the teachings of Jesus. By the end of this absolutely captivating video (multitudes of lost people have watched it out of interest, curiosity, even a desire to rip it apart!), the viewer has seen and heard the gospel forwards and backwards and knows that ultimately there are only two types of people (the lost and the redeemed) and two paths to go on (the path of self (satanism) or the way of the cross). Tens of thousands have been saved through this video! “

What strikes me about this approach is the black and white dualism at its heart. Of course, if we believe that music can only serve God or Satan we end up with a paranoia about ‘worldly music’. If we set out to look for examples of environmental concern in rock music we’d find it. If we set out to find political messages we’ll find them. Rock music is really an expression of popular culture and so has the capacity to reflect the diversity of spiritualities, ideologies and ethical standards that are held around the world. It seems to me that the Hells Bells approach sees salvation as rescue from popular culture. To become a Christian in this mindset is to be sucked out of the world and dedicated to redeemed blandness. It’s a worry.