John Hagee, John McCain, and Other Interesting Stuff from Around the Web
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 08:14AM 
I wonder if John McCain would like to rethink getting chummy with John Hagee. It is bad enough when politicians pander to preachers. It is far worse when ministers see themselves as political power brokers. Hagee sure does. Click here: A Turbulent Pastor | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com
Another Bible-based theme park is going to open, this time in Tennessee. One of the backers is a former photographer for Penthouse Magazine. Lets hope the other backers don't let this guy design the Garden of Eden portion of the theme park. Click here: Bible Theme Park backer photographed women for adult magazines | Nashville is Talking
Some things are just wrong. Neil Diamond wants to be in the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"? For "Sweet Caroline?" Yeah, and Barry Manilow belongs in there as well. And why hasn't Grand Funk Railroad been inducted? Click here: NEIL DIAMOND - DIAMOND WANTS HALL OF FAME ACCOLADE
Speaking of music . . . Be careful not to have coffee or other liquids in your mouth when you scroll through this slide show--the fifty worst album covers of all time. Posting some of these is just plain cruel. My vote for the best album cover is ZZ Top's Tres Hombres. How can you look at the inside of that album cover and not rush out to the local Mexican food establishment for some beans, rice, enchiladas and a cold one? If you've seen it, and if you remember it, I'll bet you have Mexican for dinner! Click here: Worst album cover ever? Vote for your least favorite and add some comments -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.co
Reader Comments (20)
You have to admit that Neil Diamond has a point: if Madonna can get in, why not Neil as well?
And what about Rush? Haven't they paid their dues?
Matt Holst
By the way, the news around the country regarding Neil Diamond is his newest song that is resulting in much thought-provoking dialog. Most of you are aware, but perhaps for the few who are not...
It's brand new just being released, and Diamond sang it last week on American Idol.
It generated much discussion as the song's lyrics speak of one who is "an empty vessel, a wretch whose pride is restored, grace is how the subject is saved, "your pretty amazing grace is all I needed", "freed from what I fear, gave me a truth I could believe in" etc. etc. Those are not the order necessarily but I remember those phrases anyway as some of us have been discussing it in FL.
Now for the bad news:
The song does not mention "Jesus".
So blogs are discussing is the song about Jesus or about God in general? Is it about about a woman who is gracious to him? However most I've read / discussed this with feel that is a stretch considering all of the lyrics.
So, folks are wondering has Diamond been converted to Christianity? Has he been converted to some sort of Judaism that is certainly moral, realizes the need for grace, but is adamant to reject Christ?
Personally what I also recall is late in the song one has "a vision" and gets "moved to a higher place"
Then again, perhaps Diamond has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, saved by Christ, however perhaps he is being influenced by evangelicals who are warning him to not offend, don't talk too much of Christ... you know, the Inclusivist crowd who believe sinners can be saved by God's grace but not necessarily through Christ.
Any of you on here following this?
"Have Harp, Can't Travel."
An understatement.
There simply is no excuse for them not being in.
Smoke on the Water is the most imitated guitar lick in history, worldwide.
It proves that the so called Rock & Roll Hall of fame is nothing more than a marketing tool and it simply has no credibility whatsoever.
The DJs at our local country music station mentioned this yesterday in their 'Bottom of the Barrel News' segment. They suggested the guy might do the Sodom and Gomorrah portion.
Re Diamnond, I feel you. Long live Neil.
Kim, have you not heard "Brother Loves Travelling Salvation Show"? I am surprised WHI has not used this tune in relation to topics revolving around Revivalism. You guys may not be as hip as I thought.
Re Hagee...isn't it funny how a white man can buddy up to a white wing-nut preacher and nobody bats an eye and yet a black candidate's wing-nut preacher has to be explained?
Oops, just read your post more closley. My point was simply that Diamond is good pop music and deserves recognition. All this psycho-spiritual speculation is for the birds...and Evangelicals. Reformed versions aren't much better.
As a child of the sixties-seventies, I just can't listen to pop music from the likes of Neil Diamond. Whatever it is he does, it is not rock'n roll!
Yes, the omissions of great bands like Deep Purple (Jon Lord was awesome to watch back in the day), Grand Funk (who sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles in 1969), and Rush (not my favorite, but I appreciate their importance), tells you a whole lot about the "Rock and Roll Hall of Marketing."
Maybe it's a generational thing. Neil Diamond was some of my father's music (who came up in the 50s) when I was coming up in the 80s, so I come by my appreciation honestly enough. I can see where a child of the 60s/70s wouldn't care for him. It would be like a child of the 80s liking Michael Bolton. Everybody knows he's lame.
But like Paul McCartney said, "Someone's knocking at the door, somebody's ringing the bell...do me a favor, open the door and let him in." Something tells me you hate Wings though. (And, Ivan, I don't think Paul was hinting at being a Xian with that song anymore than he was telling us that John was dead.)
I don't believe that Neil Diamond should be in. If you put a Neil in, it should be Neil Young, not Diamond.
If Neil Diamond goes in the hall, than you might as well put in the Osmond Brothers and the Jackson five.
Agreed on Neil Young. Unfortunately, though, what you and Kim seem to betray is a way too narrow understanding of pop music. There are different genres of rock and roll/pop music. It isn't all about leather jackets, curled lips and hair length.
Alberto,
Interesting. What do you mean?
1. The Allman Brothers in Santa Barbara. They were great -- actually better live than in studio.
2. The loudest (and a great concert) was Neil Young at Irvine Meadows. (That is next to Lion Country Safari, and they actually had to give the animals tranquilizers because Neil was so loud. (Neil played with a band called the "shocking pinks." In three hours, Neil only played about 1/3 of his great hits.
3. Another great concert that we got to see, was ELO (Electric Light Orchestra). We saw them at the "Big A". Check this out -- ELO landed in a space ship in center field and the cars on the 57 freeway stopped to watch it! Then Jeff Lynne stepped out of the space ship with the group and started cranking out great tunes!
Another favorite of mine is Eric Clapton. Our great Dr. K once correctly said on the White Horse Inn, that he would much rather see "slow hand" in concert than some Christian rock band.
My musical tastes will run from Rock 'N Roll to classical. I also love the great Lutheran -- Johann S. Bach!!
Speaking of Bach, I read a 1995 interview that Steve Capra conducted with George Shearing and during the interview Shearing made the following observation about Bach. I liked the quote so much I have kept a snip of it in my files for years:
"...I maintain that if some of the composers - like Bach, and, to some degree, Mozart - were they alive today, would be fine jazz musicians. I say that about Bach, in particular, because, if we look at his background, and his biography... he had two wives, twenty kids... he was kicked out of churches for being too harmonically radical... he was not only a devout Lutheran, but he was also a beer-drinking German. If they're not the characteristics of a jazz musician, you tell me... "
Here is some Johann S. Bach trivia: Bach was baptized in the same church that Luther preached in about 180 years after the death of Luther.
Bach led the Lutheran Choir in the same church that Luther preached in.
Bach was a huge fan of Luther and he had all of Luther's writings in Latin and German.
Luther is given much credit for inspiring the music of many of the greatest composers of all time.
I have a 4 C.D. set of some of Luther's music. And a lot of it is German folk music.
What type of music would Luther have in the church today? This is highly debatable. I'm certain, that it conceivably might have different worship styles. However, these styles would be performed out of a hymnal, and have sound theology. (It would not have 7-11 lyrics -- the same seven words 11 times.) Luther would never embrace this decision theology crap that is going on today. Luther's song's would be about what Christ has done for us, not what we are doing for him!!!!
"...What type of music would Luther have in the church today? This is highly debatable. I'm certain, that it conceivably might have different worship styles. However, these styles would be performed out of a hymnal, and have sound theology. (It would not have 7-11 lyrics -- the same seven words 11 times.) Luther would never embrace this decision theology crap that is going on today. Luther's song's would be about what Christ has done for us, not what we are doing for him!!!!..."
All true. In fact, confessional Lutheran worship differs inasmuch as the music and hymns selected serve the purpose of leading the congregation into the preaching of the Gospel, which is central to the worship service. I have discovered, from attending my wife's church, that other evangelical denominations view music and singing as a separate form of worship in and of itself. I think this, along with their decision-based, largely Armenian-flavored theology is largely what has contributed to the hymns and praise songs about what I have done vs. what Christ has done for me.
I assume that worship in confessional Reformed and other orthodox denominations are similar to Lutherans in this regard, but have never attended one of their services to know for sure.