WHERE THE HOKEY POKEY "IS" WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
cbowers
cbowers
Add To My Trusted Moggers

Angels & Demons. Modern Music vs. The Church

Posted over 2 years ago
The relationship between Science and Religion have been a recent obsession and theme of my 07 so far. I recently read Angels & Demons by Dan 'Davinci Code' Brown and along with being a really rivetting read, it's renewed my interest in pursuing answers/unknown questions to the heavier things in life.It manages to incorporate a slew of interesting (to me) subjects/topics (science and religion, secret/suspect history) and provides/provokes philosophical discussion on such matters.Anyway, lately, I've been mesmerized by the Discovery Science Channel's specials on String Theory vs. M Theory, The Singularity, 27 Dimensions, Big Bang, Antimatter, etc. and that old catholic guilt comes sweeping over me once again.This reemergence of faith-engrained doubt made me think of religion's role in modern music and visa versa.Controversy abound: Lennon's "Bigger than Jesus" comment, Dylan as Judas, Bowie as Messiah, Backwards Zeppelin/Sabbath satanic messages, Jimmy Page's flirtation with the black arts, Johnny Rotten's Anti-Christ punk, Ozzy, Goth, Death Metal, Billy Corgan, Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, etc.These are probably the most memorable examples but my favorite music vs religion bout is from an artist I don't know very well - Sinead O'Connor.When she appeared on SNL in the early/mid 90's and tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II, it was a big story but at my little conservative white bread podunk catholic middle school, the apparent sacreligious act from the bald witch was a source of material for our teacher to draw from in telling us the evils of modern music. I don't recall a single account of objective discussion and it wasn't until much later that I heard the backstory and reason for the act of political protest (If you don't know, it's the ugliest, sickest problem with the Roman Catholic Church).Likewise, many of my friends in public schools at the time were also being taught sex ed with the inclusion of information on masterbation and condoms while I was getting the straight biology/procreation version sans self-love and safe sex.I'm pretty sure there was a propaganda film in there too that warned of the evils of pre-marital sex featuring a psuedo-rock 'n roll soundtrack that was designed to equate distorted electric guitars with STD's and Eternal Hellfire.Remind me again who the good guys are.
0

Comments (10)

  1. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says If you don't have it already...go buy the Thermals latest, 'The Body, The Blood, The Machine'....the entire album takes aim at organized religion...i love it!
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  2. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  3. cbowers
    cbowers says YES! That is awesome! The Thermals rock on a higher plateau. It's officially on my list. You know, it might be interesting to research how many great bands are/were formed by pissed off catholics/previously organized faithful. The numbers are probably right up there with art students.
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  4. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says Man...the first time I listened to this record that is exactly what I thought "Some Catholic church scarred this guy for life..."
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  5. Dale
    Dale says Ya know, it's unfortunate that so much teaching on matters like sexuality and alcohol/drugs has to create guilt, when churches do it. It's really not that hard to: 1) treat kids like they have brains, and 2) give them the tools to make good choices. It might be the greatest failing of current religious instruction that guilt and demonization are the only "tools of the trade" that get used. It gives the whole institution of "organized religion" a black eye, so it's all seen as a conformity factory. Religion can be, and is in places, a place where people follow the same precepts because they +choose+ to do so. And yes, Blair, I still intend to do the case for organized religion as a post; can't think of a better subject for a Sunday post.
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  6. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says Dale...I can't wait! And I hope you never think I doubt anyone's Spitituality....its the big brother-ish organizations that I have problems with...not the faith itself
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  7. RGM
    RGM says O'Connor's career received a significant blow — especially in the United States — on October 3, 1992, when she appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest, on a show hosted by Tim Robbins. She was singing an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War" to protest sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, and added a lyric about "child abuse." She then presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to the camera while singing the word "evil," after which she tore the photo into pieces, said "fight the real enemy," and threw the pieces towards the camera as the entire studio fell silent. A video of the event is available on the internet at a YouTube posting, as well as a fan-made remix video. Almost immediately, NBC's switchboard was jammed with thousands of complaints. To this day, NBC refuses to allow the footage to be rebroadcast. Instead, they show footage from the dress rehearsal where she smiles and bows after finishing the song. The reaction to Sinéad's act of defiance was swift. In the resultant media furor, O'Connor was booed off stages and verbally abused by audiences. Her records were destroyed, and radio stations refused to play her songs. Two weeks after Sinéad's infamous Saturday Night Live appearance, she was set to perform "I Believe in You" at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary tribute concert in Madison Square Garden. She was greeted by a thundering mixture of cheers and jeers. During the booing, Kris Kristofferson told her not to "let the bastards get you down." Sinéad replied "I'm not down." The noise eventually became so loud that Sinéad saw no point in starting the scheduled song, and called to the keyboard player to stop (which he did), and Sinéad started to deliver a shouted rendition of "War". This time, she didn't finish the song, and she left the stage in tears. Kris Kristofferson comforted her. A clip of this incident is available on YouTube, as well. Saturday Night Live had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan and has resisted invitations to rebroadcast the incident (however, it is available on volume four of Saturday Night Live — 25 Years of Music DVD, one of the program's compilation video sets). When Comedy Central occasionally rebroadcasts the episode, the incident is replaced with Sinéad holding up a picture of a smiling black child. This is the rehearsal performance as she originally planned to perform. As part of SNL's apology to the audience, during his opening monologue the following week, host Joe Pesci held up the photo, taped back together. On Madonna's next appearance on SNL, after singing "Bad Girl", she held up a photo of Joey Buttafuoco and, saying "fight the real enemy," tore it up. This was not even O'Connor's first go-around with Saturday Night Live; earlier she had refused to appear on a show hosted by "misogynistic" comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Rather, she had agreed to appear on a later episode hosted by Kyle MacLachlan. On September 22, 1997, O'Connor was interviewed in Vita, an Italian weekly newspaper. In the interview, she asked the Pope to forgive her. She claimed that the tearing of the photo was "a ridiculous act, the gesture of a girl rebel." She claimed she did it "because I was in rebellion against the faith, but I was still within the faith." She went on to quote Saint Augustine, by saying, "Anger is the first step towards courage." However, O'Connor remains unrepentant about the incident. In a 2002 interview with Salon.com, when asked if she would change anything about the October 3, 1992 SNL appearance, she replied, "Hell, no." Despite popular rumours, neither Sinéad O'Connor nor Saturday Night Live were ever fined $2.5 million for the stunt. Saturday Night Live is reluctant to have her as a guest again, however. Ordination In the late 1990s, O'Connor was controversially ordained into the schismatic Independent Catholic group by Irish Bishop Michael Cox, in disregard of the prohibition on the ordination of women within Roman Catholicism. As a result she became excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop Cox contacted her to offer ordination following her appearance on the RTÉ's Late Late Show, during which she told the presenter, Gay Byrne, that had she not been a singer, she would have wished to have been a Catholic priest (despite that in the Roman Catholic Church, women are not permitted to enter the priesthood). After her service of ordination, she indicated that she wished to be called Mother Bernadette Mary. In 2003 she announced that she was going to leave the music industry and train to be a catechist (teacher of the Catholic religion to school children). In 2005 she performed at Madison Square Garden at the Jammy Awards and announced plans to release a reggae-influenced album, named Throw Down Your Arms, in October 2005. ABC Radio News, announcing her new album, reported that she has found solace in the Rastafarian faith, and that the religion "saved her life." In a 2005 interview by the reggae artist Burning Spear in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine, she reported that her mission is to "rescue God from religion." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinead_O%27Connor :)
    Permalink posted 01/17/2007
  8. Kevbo
    Kevbo says Yeah, speaking from experience, Catholicism will do a number on you. Thanks for the intro to the Thermals SaM. It was too bad Sinead's actions didn't generate much discussion of history or abuse. P.S. Simply by creating a MOG account, your'e going straight to hell. When you MOG, you're blogging with the devil!!!
    Permalink posted 01/18/2007
  9. cbowers
    cbowers says Kevbo (on your P.S.) - Hahahaha!! Oh man, what would the Church Lady say? Dale - I can only speak on matters of Catholicism and Education but in my experience it's not just perceived as a Conformity Factory - it actually is one. The mildly ironic truth is that most parochial schools are microcosms for Social Darwinism at its most heinous and cruel. Turn the other cheek and watch it get slapped. Kill 'em with kindness and watch them resurrected as Hellspawn. Dare to be different and independent minded and feel the squeaky clean shine of your suds-upped brain. Allow me to bleed and burn a little: Speaking to other past casualties and survivors alike, identity crises run amok and one unifying weapon of choice and where strength was gathered most was in music. We already knew how to worship, we just substituted our deities with stars and guitars and churches with clubs, record stores, and corporate sonsored outdoor music venues. I'm pleased and thankful that my reprogramming was courtesy of Lennon, Cobain, Corgan, Reznor, and Ness (among others). It's a harsh indictment but one I feel is important in my disillusionment with organized religion. The religious extremists don't exactly accelerate their cause and provide much faith in humanity either. Man, it's a heavy Thusrday morning.
    Permalink posted 01/18/2007
  10. RGM
    RGM says Now Kevbo what are these GodDamm DeViL's YoU SpEaK Uv?
    Permalink posted 01/18/2007

Comment on this Post

Login using email and password below.

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

Top Artists

Our Daily Picks

RSS

Top Artists From A to Z

© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved