OFF: New Pope don't rock

[Jon Jarrett]

On Thu, 21 Apr 2005, Doug Pearson wrote:

> On Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:42:41 +0100, M Holmes <fofp at HOLYROOD.ED.AC.UK>
> wrote:
> >Seems Benedict once said that rock music is a vehicle of anti-religion.
>
> Here's his quote about rock music:
> "... the expression of elemental passions which, in the big musical
> festivals, have taken on a cultural character, that is to say, [the
> character] of a counter-cult, opposed to Christian worship"
>
> see:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,12272,1463902,00.html

        The thing is, factually I don't think this is controversial. A
left-wing moderate Christian could safely say this of almost any heavy
metal gig, where throwing of horns and songs about Satan are, let's face
it, not rare. And while it's not terribly significant in theological terms
characterising such things as a `counter-cult' is probably fair enough. If
that was as far as he went I don't think we'd have much to worry about.

        I don't think we *do* have much to worry about, I should say, but
all the same the true depth of the problem is that we are talking here
about the man who came up with rubbish like this:

http://listserv.ispnetinc.net/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9611D&L=BOC-L&D=0&I=-3&P=10604

        Which as we said at the time, is mighty unfair to bands like
Sabbath given how many more bands there are would kill to be on that list,
if indeed (Mayhem spring to mind) they haven't already...

> I'm just disappointed that after two "John Paul"s, he isn't taking the
> name "George Ringo I" ...

        Perhaps papal nomenclature reflects the writing credits... But
seriously, I imagine given the above he'd be keen to avoid their
`subliminal Satanic influence'... Yours,
                                         Jon

ObCD: Hawkwind - _Love In Space_
--
                Jonathan Jarrett, Birkbeck College, London
    jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk/ejarr01 at students.bbk.ac.uk
  "As much as the vision of the blind man improves with the rising sun,
       So too does the intelligence of the fool after good advice."
       (Bishop Theodulf of Orleans, late-eight/early-ninth century)