The Ironic Inconsistency of Cultural Neutrality

I read this today, and the blatant inconsistency jumped off the page. See if it does the same for you:

“Thus the difference between a [belief] system driven by paganism and one driven by Christianity does not consist primarily in rightness or wrongness of many of the things that pass away [i.e. musical forms or other "cultural" mores or practices], but in the value and power assigned (or denied) to them by that system.”

And later, this author speaks of

“The near paradox of having a Christian worldview and making art on that basis, yet understanding that the art on its own is incapable of fully communicating that worldview . . .”

In other words, this author is arguing that the belief system of a culture must be completely divorced from what it produces. But then later he says,

“It is only a secular or paganized culture that chooses to divide people on the basis of their artistic preferences and choices.”¹

Does anyone else notice the contradiction here?

© 2011, Scott Aniol. All rights reserved.

Scott Aniol

Scott Aniol holds a bachelor's degree in church music from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC), a master's degree in musicology from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL), and has studied theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN) and Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained to to the gospel ministry by First Baptist Church (Rockford, IL) in April of 2004. As the executive director of Religious Affections Ministries, Scott speaks on the subjects of music and worship at various churches and conferences. His most recent speaking engagements include the Preserving the Truth Conference, Central Seminary’s Foundations Conference, International Baptist College, and Bob Jones Seminary. Click here to read and/or listen to important talks from Scott Aniol. Curriculum vitae

Endnotes:

1. All quotes from Harold Best, Unceasing Worship, 176, 177-178, 181. [↩]

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2. Web Pulse – March 13, 2010
3. Knowing and Loving God
4. Web Pulse – March 6, 2010
5. Aniol Sermon from Sunday 10/19 Posted