Convocation on rock polarizes views

by Marjorie M. Rusche

"Rock music is the heartbeat of hell and is being used by the devil in these last days to gain control over young lives."

"I speak as a divine representative of Almighty God.  If you like rock music, you're not right with God."

Thus spoke Mr. Robert Larson last Tuesday night at a convocation on rock music held in 106.  Larson is a professional speaker who travels cross-country speaking to high school assemblies about rock.  He appeared at Bethel through the invitation of President Carl Lundquist.

He spoke twice, once to a basically faculty group and the second time to a basically student group.  He was more high-pressured the second time, and at the end of his presentation issued two altar calls; one to step forward and apart with Jesus Christ and make your heart right with God, the other to renounce rock music as incompatible with Christian testimony and stand up and vow to destroy those corrupting rock and roll records.

Larson's basic points were:  rock music is an inherently evil form of music and an instrument of the devil; rock music is affiliated with drug, leftist, Marxist and anarchist elements in this country; you don't hear rock music, you feel it (e.g., rock music is not head music but visceral music); Jesus Christ didn't stoop to the level of his contemporaries in presenting his message; rock music emphasizes the humanity of Christ when it does speak about Christ and tries to bring him down to the level of man; mass media has replaced the traditional institutions of society; rock music is the major form of communication among the youth of America; rock is forming the philosophies of young people today and is serving as a cultural catalyst.

Larson's presentation was extremely emotional, done in a revival meeting style.  He talked extremely fast in a high-pitched voice, set himself up as having divine authority, and misrepresented what he was attacking.

The music was extremely loud and painful to listen to.  Although Larson claimed that the decibel level was lower than that of a Jimi Hendrix concert, sentiment was expressed in the audience that they had never heard music performed that loud at a public concert or when they privately played their stereos.  Loudness is a function not only of decibel level, but the size and acoustics of the room and whether the concert is inside or outside.

It was also expressed that Larson was performing the rock music technically sloppily and was deliberately using poor examples of rock.  "I'm insulted.  I have a better knowledge of rock music than that.  He has his guitar turned up extra loud to make us not like it--that bad music he plays is pure propaganda," expressed Chris Nelson.  "That's not even rock; that's _ _ _ _."

The question-and-answer session was quite animated.  Larson stated he wanted specific, logical questions dealing with rock and roll, not expressions of opinion in opposition to his.  (Larson prefaced his whole presentation by stating that since he was the representative of Jesus Christ he demanded respect, that the audience could disagree, but did not have the prerogative in any way to disrupt or hinder anything he said.  At one point in the program he said, "OK, whoever it is you can stop your snapping and leave right now."  The noise was a disruptive radiator.)  However, few people got to finish their questions without being attacked, interrupted or otherwise disrupted by Larson.

Mr. Youngblood, a psychology instructor, stated during the question-and-answer session that he got a spiritual message from some rock music, and why does Larson categorically reject the whole field?  Larson replied that the very form of rock and roll was inherently bad since the beat and sound of rock rejects restraint and promotes rebelliousness.

When you are dealing with rock it is fallacious to say that the music is bad because you consider the composer's life immoral, Bruce Lawson, seminary student, said.  For if you systematically followed this principle you'd have to destroy large amounts of literature, art and classical music.

Paul Mauger, psychology professor, followed through on this question and raised the dilemma of Van Gogh cutting off his ear and sending it to a prostitute.  Does this invalidate his work?  Does the homosexuality of Michelangelo make his statue of David immoral and contaminating to Christian eyes?

Larson responded that with the advent of mass communication, we had to consider the total entity within the art work itself.  Before the advent of mass media, the personal lives of the the performers or artists weren't so publicized (i.e., the Beatles).

However, this is an invalid argument, for even if you accept the position that a work of art is immoral because of the association it has or because of the immorality of the artists, it does not matter how many people are aware of the artist's personal life; the salient fact is that the persons themselves and thus the art work are immoral.  (I doubt that Larson would contend that the same immoral object is moral for some people who are ignorant and immoral for people who know about the immorality of the artist.)

Larson was asked for names of composers and compositions of what he considered was good contemporary music.  He conceded that there was "good" contemporary music but stood mute while trying to come up with some specific answers.  Someone in the audience suggested Bernstein's West Side Story.  Larson concurred.  Another audience voice popped up, "Oh, no, how can you say that?  West Side Story talks about anarchy and rebellion in the streets."

Larson felt that if the lyrical content was not anti-Biblical, that would be good music.  Arne Bergstrom pointed out an example of a contemporary rock song that was pro-Biblical and pro-Jesus.  Larson then reverted back to his position that all rock music was inherently evil and complete abstinence from rock was necessary for a spiritually pure life.

Larson, however, in response to a question from Mark Steward, doubted that every one of the songs in the hymnal was divinely inspired by God.

If we carry Larson's reasoning out, I certainly hope all the composers of hymns led morally pure lives, otherwise we're being corrupted by singing hymns--regardless of the lyrical content or message of the hymns.