Best of religious album covers

Notre Dame, France

When this site was rather new I did three articles with religious album covers. Here is a best of version for those of you who would not have read and commented on the originals.

I spent quite a few hours on these three articles and would like more people to see the best sections and that is a major reason I present these again with some changes.

Russ:)

New addition -- see under "Satan is Real" for audio clip.

I shall take a satirical look at some religious album covers.



Mahavishnu Orchestra with John Mclaughlin is presently one of my top two favourite recording artists of all time. This pre-Mahavishnu Orchestra album from 1970 features McLaughlin with what appears to a photograph of his now late Indian guru Sri Chinmoy. The person in the photograph may be in an altered state of consciousness. When I first saw this album cover in a record store I thought that it was creepy, and hardly a good advertisement for any music album or religious movement, but most fans of Mclaughlin's music probably are not too concerned with what is on the cover. In the religious and not musical context, a smile or normal pose would be good, but the 'out of it' altered state of consciousness look may attract some persons already heavily interested in Hinduism and related religions, and/or may attract 'pot heads' and 'druggies', but it probably will not cause positive religious thoughts in most persons. This by the way, in my view, is not bad since I believe that Biblical Christianity is the true religious faith and philosophy in regard to the nature of God and salvation, and not Hinduism and related religions.



Sure Mike, you are using God given power, and I admit that I do not know the point of your album cover. There are Christians and non-Christians that can smash bricks. In a sense from a Christian perspective, anyone that can break bricks is using God given power, as God is the creator of all things.



I agree that Satan is real, but he is spirit and not a cartoon character. There is also debate among Biblical scholars and theologians on whether or not hell has literal flames, although it has literal punishment.

That is a funny cover as the dudes are in hell, but are still well dressed in a suit and tie. Had they just been out knocking on doors, or were they just visiting?

Intro to the song Satan Is Real



It is good to see this type of choir. But in my opinion, it is in bad taste to show a person injecting himself or herself on the front cover of the album!



With the use of the terms 'touch him' the cover is likely referring to the concept of having fellowship with God and Christ. But in today's society, a satirical, homosexual type of interpretation could be made. My Mom does not understand why anyone would view this cover as funny. I suppose this may show a difference in how generations look at the use of certain terms.





It is good at times to have persons think about death, the afterlife and God's judgment and salvation for those in Christ. However, in my view, very few persons would want to purchase these album covers that are in bad taste. The second cover made me laugh.



Flying missiles and atomic bombs? This is a very presumptuous cover concerning the Second Advent. There is much figurative language used and interpretations should be made carefully. The cover to me seems sensationalistic.



Is the idea of Satan being paralyzed found in Scripture? Jesus told Satan to leave him in Matthew 4: 10-11, but Satan presently is still active it appears from Scripture.



Korla Pandit was a famous pianist and I am not criticizing him as an artist, but that album cover is creepy, and especially for a Christmas album. To me, Mr. Pandit with the turban in that photo looks like a wax figure of Mr. Pandit. The wax figure of Mr. Pandit for some reason reminds me of a few world religions class trips to Hindu and Hare Krishna temples. So, the thought that comes to mind is that some creepy type of eastern religious figurine is sitting behind a piano peddling a Christmas album. Merry Christmas everyone, and Hare Krishna, have a Krishna Christmas you hairy Christians. Hmm, that cover would sell a lot of albums in today’s market, and what a wonderful marketing ploy. Perhaps, Mr. Pandit actually was off that day and the figurine was a cheaper stand in.



Reverend Falwell from what I have gathered was a godly man, and I respected him. However that album cover with the words Feudin’, Fussin’ and Frettin', will only reinforce the notion by some within and outside of the Christian Church, that southern American fundamentalists are ignorant and uneducated. From my experience with emailing denominations for my questionnaire, I found that many southern American fundamentalist leaders are educated with Master’s and Doctorate degrees and have knowledge, even if some of their views are too extreme or not necessarily Biblical in the opinion of many in the Christian Church. I can picture some secular critic looking at that album cover and thinking that fundamentalist Christians are a bunch of backwards, morons. In a sense, album covers such as this one perhaps just reinforce in some secular minds the mistaken notion that Biblical Christianity is so ridiculous that it does not need to be seriously, intellectually, examined.



Hmm, I can just deduce that some secular critic will reason that fundamentalists cannot count.



Felix looks like he will cane anyone that requests the wrong song! Man, someone did not do a very good marketing job with this album. Perhaps it should read Felix A Lorenz Jr will punish you upon request.


A very nice instrumental

When religious leaders know they are right about God (non-exhaustive thoughts)

Haleiwa Harbor, Hawaii (photo from trekearth.com)

I have been very busy with PhD revisions, but here are some thoughts.

Religious leaders often claim to know God is true within their philosophical religious understanding. Within many philosophically questionable movements, there are very strong appeals to subjective experience and feelings and supposed revelation, physical and spiritual.

How is God known?

My argument.

1. Philosophically, it can be reasoned there is a first cause. This avoids a vicious regress of causes for which there is no solution.

BLACKBURN, S. (1996) ‘Regress’, in Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

This can be reasoned without the Bible/Scripture.

2. The first cause can be equated with God.

This can also be reasoned without the Bible/Scripture.

3. God presents self in the Bible/Scripture. God existed prior to creation (matter) in Genesis 1. God existed prior to the creation of finite angelic beings or any other possible unknown finite beings. God is all that existed prior to other. Therefore God is eternal and infinite. God is spirit as in John 4: 24. God can reveal himself empirically as in walking in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3: 8, to Moses as a blazing fire in a bush in Exodus 3: 2, and with Christ. God is revealing himself empirically in a naturally limited sense.

God's physical revelation within a Scriptural revelation and all Scriptural revelation (spiritual) is intellectually reasonable. I am NOT STATING that this means that God must pass intellectual scrutiny as in Enlightenment era and beyond thinking. I am stating that divine revelation will be intellectual reasonable within reality. Adam and Eve had very good intellectual reasons to believe that the God they empirically viewed was the creator and was not for example, the devil, an alien, or another finite being. God demonstrated to them his power over reality in Genesis 1-3. Moses could see that God could set the bush ablaze and yet it would not burn (Exodus 3: 2). Moses too saw God could overcome the Egyptians and their sorcerers in Exodus 7-12. Christ, of course, verified his claims to be eternal and therefore God (John 8: 58) by his miracles and most importantly his resurrection documented at the end of each of the four gospels. Philosophically it is very likely that only God the creator would have ultimate power over life and death.

Human beings are finite and therefore cannot completely comprehend the infinite God. The finite human understanding of God is very limited and is also tainted by sin (Romans 1-5). God regenerates those (John 3) he chooses (Ephesians 1 and Romans 8) in a way that has God moulding and changing persons without coercing or forcing persons to believe. Persons are saved by grace through faith as a gift of God (Ephesians 2). Persons are indwelled and at times filled (Acts) with the Holy Spirit. This will suffice for initial salvation and citizenship in the Kingdom of God which will culminate with resurrection.

As noted in several posts:

The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Peter D. Klein describes the Cartesian account of certainty as being that a proposition is true if there are no legitimate grounds whatsoever for doubting it. I favour the similar idea that a proposition is certain if there are no counter propositions that are superior. Therefore in regard to philosophical religious claims such as the historical Scripture inspired by God, the atoning work of Christ, the resurrection, and everlasting life, these things could be viewed as certain provided there are no legitimate counter-arguments that are superior. I reason that evidence shows Christianity is philosophically certain in this sense.

KLEIN, PETER D. (1996) ‘Certainty’, in Robert Audi, (ed), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Conclusion

Non-exhaustively, in general terms, within philosophical religion, this is how God can be legitimately known both intellectually and spiritually.




Two silly falls.


Magic Island, Hawaii (photo from trekearth.com)


Fiji (photo from trekearth.com)

The problem of evil and justice for non-Christians

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee

I would like to go there and ride the cable car.

Thanks for reading. First of all, the expense of this TOTALLY FREE BLOG is getting to be too much. And so here are a couple of advertisements. Thanks to Chucky for the assistance.

Depressed...here is some treatment.

lonelymn.mp3

Chucky needs cash!

Bobby Buff has to go to bed soon and rest his 'buff bod.'

friday edit.mp3

I have been working on the issue of the problem of evil and non-Christians within my PhD revisions. Here is some of my reasoning.

John Calvin points out that preaching and teaching the word of God impacts a person to believe in Christ.[1] The Holy Spirit works through preaching to impact a person,[2] that if saved does not eventually believe and work for Christ through primarily human ‘wisdom’,[3] or by ‘chance.’[4] The gospel is only ‘granted to a few without human aid’[5] and most will believe through the assistance of some sort of human agency.[6] I therefore see my thesis work as a human means[7] by which the Christian message through a Reformed lens can be presented.[8]

Since I reason a sovereignty perspective is the most workable and likely theodicy approach,[9] I am presenting it to those outside of the Church in the hope that they will be impacted. This gospel associated theodicy view allows for the possibility of forgiveness of sins within the atonement for persons[10] and for persons to experience the ultimate justice of God’s culminated Kingdom.[11] Bloesch explains that in the context of atonement and justice[12] with God’s holiness he forgives and forbears and demonstrates his love.[13] There is within my theodicy concepts of ultimate justice[14] and deliverance from the problem of evil and its results,[15] but as a Christian scholar attempting to be as accurate in understanding as possible, I must include the concept that sin must first be atoned for in Christ[16] before a person can experience the benefits of a culminated Kingdom free from evil and suffering.[17] G.C. Berkouwer explains that ‘Man[18] is-even when alienated from God-not alone.’ God has still gifted fallen humanity and there is a possible limitation to human corruption, that being the grace of Christ and his words and work. God still has the power and opportunity to save persons, and humanly speaking persons have an opportunity to know Christ in conversion.[19]

[1] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[2] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[3] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[4] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[5] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[6] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[7] Calvin (1543)(1996: 34).
[8] I also present my views on the problem of evil at Church and with believers and non-believers alike on Blogger and Facebook.
[9] But not the only approach with some good and reasonable points, as there are valuable points from non-Reformed theists and atheists within this work.
[10] Green (1971: iii). Whale (1958: 81).
[11] Mounce explains that the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20 is not an arbitrary judgment of God but is based on the works of each person. Mounce (1990: 365-366). It is sign of the ultimate justice of God for all persons.
[12] Bloesch (1987: 97).
[13] Bloesch (1987: 97).
[14] Mounce (1990: 365-366).
[15] Feinberg (1994: 141). Moltmann (1993: 178). Mounce (1990: 372).
[16] Green (1971: iii). Whale (1958: 81). On this matter I do not see myself as a judge of those outside of Christ, but rather as one reporting within the best of my ability, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, what Scripture states about human sin and salvation.
[17] Sin, death and suffering will not exist in the culminated Kingdom. Mounce (1990: 372).
[18] I prefer the term humankind.
[19] Berkouwer (1962: 183-193). Within a compatibilistic framework.

BERKOUWER, G.C. (1962) Man: The Image of God, Grand Rapids, W.M.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

BLOESCH, DONALD G. (1987) Freedom for Obedience, San Francisco, Harper and Rowe Publishers.

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

GREEN, JAY (1971) Five Points of Calvinism, ‘Forward’, Grand Rapids, Sovereign Grace Publishers.

MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1993) The Crucified God, Minneapolis, Fortress Press.

MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.

Views on blogging

Kremaston Lake, Greece (photo from trekearth.com)

I hope you like my new blog template, a twin of thekingpin68 template, but with different colours. If you do not like it, go ahead 'break my heart' and tell me in comments, if you care.

My Mom told me it makes no difference as far as content.

Within my short audio post I discuss my blogging rationale and philosophy, which includes perspectives on career, ministry and life.

It may be a bit controversial, but I am trying to be at peace with others, especially those in the Church, as much as possible.

I am not in any ongoing conflict!

Comments appreciated.

views on blogging.mp3

I saw this classic on David's blog No More Darkness, thanks David.


Aerides sunset, Greece (photo from trekearth.com)