“Audio porn”, now, that is quite a strong term for an article but, don’t fret yet, it is actually as simple as its root words sound.
Audio porn, basically, talks about songs or music that tend to elicit explicit thoughts or create erotic scenes in the mind’s eye just by listening to them. Some music are so “imagination-racking” that you do not need to watch the music videos to be able to create a near-vivid mental image of what its content are.
Music reaches deep into the annals of history transcending contemporary truncation and amalgamation of ancient cultures and their traditional music. Songs are a form of identification and their cultural significance entails all instruments, distinct vocals, lyrics, and gestures, used in producing that piece of music.
Music has taken a rather dramatic turn towards the erotic over the past five decades. Such erotic music otherwise known as audio porn has clawed its way into the heart of many young people.
Children of God, playlist alert!
We hear a million songs each day-those we sing consciously and unconsciously, those we personally download and those that are externalities. Music influences us more than we even realise and acknowledge. Songs are made up of melody (tune) which affects our emotions, rhythm or beat which affects our will, and lyrics which affect our thought process. Music has the powerto promote certain thoughts and exert influences where we least expect.
“After that, whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted.” (1 Samuel 16:23)
Music is powerful. The music from David’s harp was efficacious enough to ease King Saul’s depression. Music is a gift from God and as James succinctly states, “every good and perfect gift comes from the Father” hence, the beauty and goodness of music. God gave music to man but the depths from which a particular music is produced determines which part of the “black and white” scale it falls on.
Audio porn has over the years seeped subtly and incongruously through our culture and traditions. We hear it on our way to work, church, market. We hear it in buses, our residential areas, name them. Ignoring audio porn wouldn’t cause its disappearance, being non-challant about it wouldn’t make it any better. It is expedient of us to acknowledge the fact that audio porn was there before we were born, is still saturated in our environment and will continue to hover around. Day in and day out, we are exposed to music of all kinds; those that are potent enough to crumple our day, those that can make us do things we never thought of doing and those that can make us question our lifestyle.
The fact that sexual utterances readily appear in lyrics is alarming. Content analysis of some selected media showed that music contained 40% more sexual content than any other media, with a whopping 15% focusing solely on sexual intercourse. Music stays in the brain longer, hence listening to degrading songs stick to us and our brain regurgitates it when we are alone or lonely. Continuously listening to erotic songs gradually desensitises us to the initial shocks of hearing such profanity and can lead to sexual immorality as we become accustomed to them. Society is becoming more accepting of overt degrading music due to continuous exposure to such content. Dear child of God, why listen to a song whose lyrics need asterisks before you are able to share comfortably?
Music has the ability to make or unmake us, to build us up or tear us down. Music is so powerful and potent owing to the fact that it deals with our minds and our souls, seeping so gently and subtly but at the same time steadily and can be pernicious to our souls and beings if the wrong lyrics are played. Music has the ability to sit comfortably in our minds and portray the words it contains vividly to us as though we were watching a movie. It leaves indelible marks in our subconsciousness and plays back to us even when we are not listening to it. It has the ability to maneuver its way into our consciousness and manipulate or control our actions. Audio porn has successfully inculcated words portraying or describing sexual activities. Such songs when listened to, replays the words in the songs so vividly back to us and has the ability to weaken the spiritual man in us and even take as to the grass root of our spirituality. It has the ability of draining us so much that we do not even feel the urge to pray or engage in spiritual activities. It can manipulate our actions and liken our mannerisms to the words in the music or the message they relay.
No piece of music should be listened to for the mere thrill of listening. Music has a voice; pay keen attention to what is being communicated: “Does it bring honour to God? Is it promoting immorality? Will it be of positive influence to you?”
If music (sound of trumpets) can crumble the walls of Jericho, then listening to erotic music can penetrate and corrode our spiritual defences and sensitivity. Be guided!
Here are some suggestions for effectively dealing with exposure to explicit music:
1. Be Mindful of Your Music Choices
As the adage goes “a crab cannot father a bird”, same goes for music. Before you listen to the lyrics of a song, be sure to question yourself about the artiste. Some artistes are found of mentioning the name of God in their songs, some even go to the extent of using some Bible verses in their songs in order to coerce music lovers who also love to hear the word of God in music. These songs, though not uplifting music, deceive Christians into thinking that so far as the music contains the name or the word of God, it is okay to sing or play it. What music do you listen to? Who sang that song? What message does it relay? What words are found in the music? Do the words match your inner man or the person you want to be? Answering these questions clearly and correctly would guide you in knowing whether you are following your conviction or diverting from the way of truth. Be extra careful of the kind of music you listen to not forgetting the fact that “a mango tree does not bear pawpaw fruits”.
2. Make No Excuses.
It’s easy to fall victim to the skill of a musician or the popularity of a song, but we must be careful not to let our admiration for an artist cloud our judgment. Similarly, the media can influence our perception of what is normal or appropriate, but we should not use it as our benchmark for morality.
As Christians, we are called to a higher standard of morality. We are called to pursue righteousness and holiness and to reject the messages of the world that contradict God’s truth. This includes being intentional about the music we listen to and the media we consume. The media’s portrayal of what is normal or appropriate should not be our benchmark for morality. Instead, we should look to God’s word as our guide.
In Psalm 101:3, the psalmist writes, “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.”
Similarly, in Philippians 4:8, Paul exhorts us to focus our minds on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. When we intentionally seek out positive and uplifting music that glorifies God, we can counteract the negative influences of audio porn and other harmful media. This includes Christian music and songs from The Church of Pentecost, which can provide a source of hope and encouragement through their positive and uplifting lyrics.
In summary, we must make no excuses when it comes to the media we consume, including music. We must be intentional about seeking out positive and uplifting music that aligns with God’s truth and promotes righteousness and holiness. As we do so, we can protect our minds and hearts from the harmful effects of audio porn and other forms of media that promote immorality and degradation.
3. Seek Out Positive, Uplifting Music.
Music has a powerful influence on our emotions and mindset. It can either uplift and inspire us or bring us down and make us feel discouraged. This is why it’s important to intentionally seek out positive and uplifting music that can have a transformative effect on our mental and emotional health. Positive and uplifting music is a genre that aims to inspire feelings of happiness, joy, and optimism in the listener. It is characterised by its cheerful and upbeat melodies, positive lyrics, and a generally uplifting tone. This type of music is often used to motivate, encourage, and inspire people, whether it is to get through a tough day, overcome obstacles, or simply to celebrate life. As Christians, we have access to a vast array of positive and uplifting music that can help us connect with God’s presence and experience His love and power in our lives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and make music to the Lord in your hearts (Ephesians 5:19). There is an array of Christian songs we can sing and dance to. We are never run out of options! We can sing spiritual songs and still be cool, without tainting our consciences. There are many beautiful and inspiring songs from The Church of Pentecost that can help us to connect with God and experience His presence in a more tangible way.
Delete the draining music on your playlist, delete audio porn from your music library. Push it far from you and begin seeking out positive and uplifting music; music backed by the word of God. Music that is so soothing that it refreshes you and fills your rather dry, arid and weary soul up like a very cold bath after long hours of walking under the sun. Fill your playlist with wonderful songs by wonderful Gospel Artistes, fill your music library with powerful songs that can take you straight to the Throne of Grace. Songs that can uplift your soul so much so that even in your corner you feel like you are on ‘Mount Horeb’ standing and speaking face to face with God. Such songs after seeping into your inner being, tame your subconsciousness and manifest in your consciousness. You hear that small voice in your mind singing those songs so melodiously that all fears fly, faith and confidence are restored and you feel the ever-loving arms of God wrapping itself around you. .
Galatians 3:16 says: Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. As we fill our hearts and minds with music that celebrates the goodness and faithfulness of God, we can deepen our relationship with Him and experience His love and power in a more tangible way.
4. Fill your mind with God’s word
Filling your mind with God’s word is a prerequisite to living an uplifting life. The word of God is living and active and has the ability to lay bare the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Feeding, feasting on, dissecting and engaging the word of God is the greatest weapon one can possess. Most of the uplifting music were inspired by the word of God. The word of God gives deeper revelation into the spiritual and even physical realms. The word of God is able to enter the hardest heart, metamorphose it and mould it into a very soft and renewed one. Constantly filling your mind with the word of God gives you guidance in your life’s journey. All scripture is inspired by God and is able to direct you on which song to listen to and which not to. It is able to reprimand you when you go astray, it is able to teach you and correct you when you make mistakes and is also able to train you in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). The word of God is capable of all things. Filling your mind with the word of God constantly will leave you surprised at how much of a great change has gone on in you
In conclusion, as Christians, it is crucial to be intentional about the music we choose to listen to. By seeking out music that honours God and uplifts our spirits, we can nurture our faith, deepen our connection with Him, and align our hearts with His truth and goodness. Music has a profound impact on our thoughts, emotions, and spiritual well-being, and by consciously selecting music that reflects biblical values, we invite God’s presence into our lives and cultivate a worshipful attitude. Let us embrace the power of music to edify and inspire, allowing it to become a vehicle for praise, encouragement, and spiritual growth in our Christian journey.
Written by Pastor Jonathan Ebo Quaye (Campus Pastor, KNUST)