On My Soapbox...For A Moment
Okay. So normally I don’t use this blog for the purpose of preaching. That’s not why I write these posts. I’m a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; a follower of Jesus Christ. But I realize not everybody is. Those who read this blog usually log on for the book reviews, short stories, and my various missives concerning the art of writing. But tonight, well, I’m going to jump on my soapbox and get something off my chest.
I am a music fan. I prefer heavy metal, though I have a CD collection filled with all sorts of amazing artists. I say this only to explain why I watch the NBC program called The Voice. I watch this show faithfully each week. This talent show, above all the others, is stacked from top to bottom with incredible singers poised to become stars. Sure, I’ll pick a favorite or two; I’ll even phone in votes for those who really impress me.
Twenty years ago I would have scoffed at this idea. “If it’s not metal, it SUCKS!” That was my motto in my younger years. But I’m at an age where I can truly appreciate gifted individuals—regardless of the musical genre.
The other night (November 26, 2013) I witnessed something that irritated me, maybe even offended me. No, it wasn’t a contestant twerking during a performance. While twerking is cheap and classless, it really doesn’t bother me. Neither is the culprit bad language. I have some great punk music where the F-Bomb is prominently featured. It lends a certain charm to the rough edges of music.
So what is it that has me irritated? It’s song selection. More to the point, it’s the needless altering of a song’s lyrics, voiding its writer’s intent. The tune in question is a Christian hymn called “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” The cast of contestants sang this song as a group. There are several lines that reference the Lord. But the powers at NBC saw fit to substitute every mention of the word Lord with the meaningless oh. (“by and by, Lord, by and by” was rendered “by and by, oh, by and by.”)
Anybody who knows me knows I stand against all forms of censorship—unless it’s self-censorship. That means if there’s an F-bomb in the second verse, well, it stays there unless the one who wrote the song decides to make the change.
This isn’t an F-bomb, though; this is multiple mentions of the word Lord.
When did Lord become a dirty word? And who gave these people the right to alter Ada R. Habershon’s lyrics?
As mentioned above, I’m a believer. I’ve spent the last sixteen years studying the Bible. I know that Jesus Christ told of the days coming where the people of this world would push God out of their societies, out of their conscience, rejecting His word, his law, in favor of that which seems right to the individual. The book of Isaiah tells of the days when that which was once considered good will be seen as evil, and that which had once been deemed wicked by God will become acceptable behavior. Okay. I get it. We’re there. Anybody with eyes can see that the United States is steadily shoving God and religion out of the public space. We are rapidly becoming a secular nation.
That being said, I pose this question: Are we a better nation today for this move toward secularism? If secularism or atheism is the right way, we should be seeing the results in our society. Are we witnessing the germination of Utopia?
Let’s have a quick glance at a few recent news trends:
The Knockout Game: This is a “game” in which animals masquerading as humans punch unsuspecting victims in the face before running away into the shadows like cowards. At least one person has been murdered in this “game,” which chooses victims ranging in age from a 12-year-old boy to a 78-year-old woman. We never saw nor heard of such “games” in previous generations.
Mass Shootings: Schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants, factories; it seems anybody can instantly become a casualty in this new America. The thing is, we’ve had guns in this nation since its founding. We’ve had mentally unstable individuals since the beginning of time. Yet, when I went to school, we never heard of mass shootings. I can remember the hunter safety courses being taught in the school gymnasium. It was a common sight to see students—boys and girls alike—carrying shotguns and rifles into school, leaving them in their lockers, so they could take the course after school let out for the day. Still, we never heard of mass shooting.
Political Corruption: Sure, we’ve got all sorts of prime examples of horrible people being elected to office in the past. Just look at the Nixon administration. But in generations past, the majority of our elected officials were true statesmen and stateswomen. If the stench of scandal came near to a senator, a governor, or a mayor, that person’s career was over. Today, the vast majority of politicians are parasites. They are the vilest of humans, capable of the worst offenses known to mankind. And not only are they not ashamed, they seldom have to answer for their misdeeds. A man or woman who lies is called a liar. Period. They didn’t mislead, they didn’t tell a white lie or a half-truth. This behavior is now accepted by the majority of Americans today.
Fiscal Mismanagement: Deficit is the norm today. It doesn’t matter that the federal government brings in more money than ever before in the history of this nation, the debt grows at staggering rates. The politicians’ answer is always more taxes. Tax this, tax that. We went from prosperity to poverty in just one generation. Factories are closed, major cities are filing bankruptcy, and the lying parasites continue to get “re-elected.”
There are so many other items appearing regularly in the news these days that just defy logic and common sense. Social media allows beatings, rapes, fights, and all manner of very real criminal acts to be posted and viewed as entertainment. And it’s only going to get worse.
So let me get back to my original intent in writing this article. Why did NBC feel the need to alter the lyrics of a Christian hymnal, rendering it a secular piece? Whatever the reason, it has me reconsidering whether or not I’m a loyal viewer. Some things you just don’t mess with, NBC. A Christian hymn is one of those things!
I am a music fan. I prefer heavy metal, though I have a CD collection filled with all sorts of amazing artists. I say this only to explain why I watch the NBC program called The Voice. I watch this show faithfully each week. This talent show, above all the others, is stacked from top to bottom with incredible singers poised to become stars. Sure, I’ll pick a favorite or two; I’ll even phone in votes for those who really impress me.
Twenty years ago I would have scoffed at this idea. “If it’s not metal, it SUCKS!” That was my motto in my younger years. But I’m at an age where I can truly appreciate gifted individuals—regardless of the musical genre.
The other night (November 26, 2013) I witnessed something that irritated me, maybe even offended me. No, it wasn’t a contestant twerking during a performance. While twerking is cheap and classless, it really doesn’t bother me. Neither is the culprit bad language. I have some great punk music where the F-Bomb is prominently featured. It lends a certain charm to the rough edges of music.
So what is it that has me irritated? It’s song selection. More to the point, it’s the needless altering of a song’s lyrics, voiding its writer’s intent. The tune in question is a Christian hymn called “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” The cast of contestants sang this song as a group. There are several lines that reference the Lord. But the powers at NBC saw fit to substitute every mention of the word Lord with the meaningless oh. (“by and by, Lord, by and by” was rendered “by and by, oh, by and by.”)
Anybody who knows me knows I stand against all forms of censorship—unless it’s self-censorship. That means if there’s an F-bomb in the second verse, well, it stays there unless the one who wrote the song decides to make the change.
This isn’t an F-bomb, though; this is multiple mentions of the word Lord.
When did Lord become a dirty word? And who gave these people the right to alter Ada R. Habershon’s lyrics?
As mentioned above, I’m a believer. I’ve spent the last sixteen years studying the Bible. I know that Jesus Christ told of the days coming where the people of this world would push God out of their societies, out of their conscience, rejecting His word, his law, in favor of that which seems right to the individual. The book of Isaiah tells of the days when that which was once considered good will be seen as evil, and that which had once been deemed wicked by God will become acceptable behavior. Okay. I get it. We’re there. Anybody with eyes can see that the United States is steadily shoving God and religion out of the public space. We are rapidly becoming a secular nation.
That being said, I pose this question: Are we a better nation today for this move toward secularism? If secularism or atheism is the right way, we should be seeing the results in our society. Are we witnessing the germination of Utopia?
Let’s have a quick glance at a few recent news trends:
The Knockout Game: This is a “game” in which animals masquerading as humans punch unsuspecting victims in the face before running away into the shadows like cowards. At least one person has been murdered in this “game,” which chooses victims ranging in age from a 12-year-old boy to a 78-year-old woman. We never saw nor heard of such “games” in previous generations.
Mass Shootings: Schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants, factories; it seems anybody can instantly become a casualty in this new America. The thing is, we’ve had guns in this nation since its founding. We’ve had mentally unstable individuals since the beginning of time. Yet, when I went to school, we never heard of mass shootings. I can remember the hunter safety courses being taught in the school gymnasium. It was a common sight to see students—boys and girls alike—carrying shotguns and rifles into school, leaving them in their lockers, so they could take the course after school let out for the day. Still, we never heard of mass shooting.
Political Corruption: Sure, we’ve got all sorts of prime examples of horrible people being elected to office in the past. Just look at the Nixon administration. But in generations past, the majority of our elected officials were true statesmen and stateswomen. If the stench of scandal came near to a senator, a governor, or a mayor, that person’s career was over. Today, the vast majority of politicians are parasites. They are the vilest of humans, capable of the worst offenses known to mankind. And not only are they not ashamed, they seldom have to answer for their misdeeds. A man or woman who lies is called a liar. Period. They didn’t mislead, they didn’t tell a white lie or a half-truth. This behavior is now accepted by the majority of Americans today.
Fiscal Mismanagement: Deficit is the norm today. It doesn’t matter that the federal government brings in more money than ever before in the history of this nation, the debt grows at staggering rates. The politicians’ answer is always more taxes. Tax this, tax that. We went from prosperity to poverty in just one generation. Factories are closed, major cities are filing bankruptcy, and the lying parasites continue to get “re-elected.”
There are so many other items appearing regularly in the news these days that just defy logic and common sense. Social media allows beatings, rapes, fights, and all manner of very real criminal acts to be posted and viewed as entertainment. And it’s only going to get worse.
So let me get back to my original intent in writing this article. Why did NBC feel the need to alter the lyrics of a Christian hymnal, rendering it a secular piece? Whatever the reason, it has me reconsidering whether or not I’m a loyal viewer. Some things you just don’t mess with, NBC. A Christian hymn is one of those things!
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