Just finished a cd . . .

[Solafide]

My wife and I just finished a cd we've been working on for a long time. Most of it was actually recorded about 5 years ago in our kid's playroom, with some of the the worst equipment imaginable. We then built a house with a studio in the basement. By the time we moved in I had lined up a few local bands to record, and so I finally got around to mixing these songs and getting them to cd.

Any feedback would be great (good or bad).

I can't change anything, but we are getting ready to start our next project (the rough tracks already sound way better), so input about what you like and don't like will be very helpful.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=3510&alid=-1


Thanks

Greg

 

[nopoetic]

god is the idea of a higher state of consciousness, and the dogma is what forms religion. Christianity became refocused to the patriarchical idea of god, thus making people live their lives according to the idea, and transforming god from matriarchical (unconditional love) to the current (conditional) state. In a nutshell, you shouldn't worry about pleasing god. You should worry about making people's lives better, and improving conditions for everyone else, because we're all in the same boat. Nothing to do with the music, but I wanted to state my opinion.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Sounds great! A little compressed but what isn't these days. Lotta talent here, the performance and the audio work. Any chance you tellin what the worst equipment imaginable is? Seems like all things are possible to those with faith

 

[pandamonk]

god is the idea of a higher state of consciousness, and the dogma is what forms religion. Christianity became refocused to the patriarchical idea of god, thus making people live their lives according to the idea, and transforming god from matriarchical (unconditional love) to the current (conditional) state. In a nutshell, you shouldn't worry about pleasing god. You should worry about making people's lives better, and improving conditions for everyone else, because we're all in the same boat. Nothing to do with the music, but I wanted to state my opinion.

And a good opinion it is too. If a god is all-loving then it's love is unconditional so you need not worry. Also if a god is all-merciful then his forgiveness is unconditional, so to add conditions like Christianity and most, if not all, other major monotheistic religions have done, would be illogical. Infact, not meaning to start a big philosophical debate, of which i'd surely win , does a god even exist?

 

[Solafide]

In a nutshell, you shouldn't worry about pleasing god. You should worry about making people's lives better, and improving conditions for everyone else, because we're all in the same boat.

nopoetic,

I'm sorry if my music offended you, I asure you that was not my intention in posting these songs.

I do have to say that somewhere along the line you have picked up some misinformation about Christianity (which is understandable as there is so much out there)

1. Christianity is not about "pleasing God" it is about all of God's effort to build into and drasticly change us for the better, so that we would infact care more about other people than we even do for ourselves.

For example James 1:27 sayes, " Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."

I agree that "religion" in general teaches that we are to strive to please God, but the premise of Christianity is that this is a useless endever, we have nothing to offer God that is not: a.) already His, or b.) not up to his standards of perfection. Therefore it is God that is working and "striving" to provide us a way, and to cahnge us from the inside out to be more caring and less selfish.

Christianity became refocused to the patriarchical idea of god, thus making people live their lives according to the idea, and transforming god from matriarchical (unconditional love) to the current (conditional) state.

I would be interested to know where you got this information. The reality is that Judiasm (Which is the root of Christianity) came out of a time in history where there was worship of many "demanding" gods. Archialogical evidence shows religion that included extremes of human sacrifice in attempts to please their gods. I would hardly call that unconditional love!

In contrast to the nations around Israel that would sacrifice their children and phisically harm themselves inan attempt to please God and win His favor, God said this about sacrifice in Isaiah 1:

I am sick of your sacrifices,” says the Lord. “Don’t bring me any more burnt offerings! I don’t want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don’t want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. 12 Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? 13 The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting—even your most pious meetings—are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. 14 I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! 15 From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
18 “Come now, let us argue this out,” says the Lord. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.



Again I'm sorry for ofending you, and I trust nothing I have said here or in any post in the past has added to your negative view of Christianity.

 

[Solafide]

Any chance you tellin what the worst equipment imaginable is?

NYMorningstar,

Thanks for the comments. The drums were recorded with a bunch of old peavey mics that a band had used for years, but finally stopped using them because they sounded so bad. They were run through a peavey mixer and then two chanels into an echo mia sound card and the other two into a sblive card. Where I used two sound cards they of course went out of sink with each other so I had to manually adjust things throughout the song.

The kick drum is actually just a click (because of the mic overloading), with no real bass. I used a bunch of plugins to try to make it sound like a kick (psp mixbass, etc).

 

[DavidK]

For some reason I cant play it? You might want to make it downloadable for nonmembers. I am a member but cant remember the password and its not streaming at the moment.

 

[Solafide]

And a good opinion it is too. If a god is all-loving then it's love is unconditional so you need not worry. Also if a god is all-merciful then his forgiveness is unconditional,so to add conditions like Christianity and most, if not all, other major monotheistic religions have done, would be illogical.

pandamonk,

It is a big jump to say if one is all loving there love must be unconditional! All of us have many facits of our pursonality that define who we are, and no one charactor trate is independent of the other. Our personality is the sum of all our charactoristics.

Therefore, God is loving, but he is also just, holy etc. True love (as defined in scripture) is a sacrificial love. It is when you act on behalf of another even when you are getting nothing in return, or are getting something negative in return. Thats why Jesus made statements like "herein is love, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The Justice of God demands that things be done right. For example we know that it is wrong for one to push there love on another, we call this an assult. It is unjust to force your love on someone. So when God acts He must act in line with all his personality (love, justice, mercy wrath, etc).

We are imperfect so at times we act on just love, just wrath, just mercy, etc. Because God is perfect He must act in line with all of his atributes all the time.

So to sumarise Because God is love he will sacrifice himself for our behalf, because he is just he will not force us to recieve his mercy (forgiveness) but must make it conditional. Because God is allknowing, and knows there is nothing we could do to meet up to his standards, he made the "condition" faith (or acceptance) something all of us are capable of. So if we accept his sacrifice (motivated by His love), his Justice can be satisfied, then He can give us his mercy, because his wrath is gone (because it was poured out on Christ)

Infact, not meaning to start a big philosophical debate, of which i'd surely win , does a god even exist?

I would gladdly discuss this, although I don't know if this is the place for it.

To be honest I am very uncomfortable discussing my faith in a forum that is intended to discuss music, but the only thing I like discussing more than music is the existance of God. I personally was a sceptic but after studying the subject indepth over the past 10 years, my perspective has changed dramatically.

If you want to give the your top five reasons for disbelieving in God, I could give my top five reasons for believing, then we could both evaluate the lagitamacy of our point of views.

I would probably feel more comfortable discussing this with PM's, only because I don't want to apear like I am trying to use this as a platform to push my beliefs. I'll let you decide if you want to have a discussion on the topic, and where (in this thread, or in Private messages).

 

[Solafide]

For some reason I cant play it? You might want to make it downloadable for nonmembers. I am a member but cant remember the password and its not streaming at the moment.

Dave,

I made it so nomembers can download it. Let me know if it worked.

Thanks for checking it out.

 

[DavidK]

Worked.

Listening to Judas, sounds pretty good, I like the effect at the beginning. Your wife does nice background vox.

It seems to need a little "space". I cant describe it better, maybe more panning. Theres a lot going on, its a tad crowded. I like the song and the playing very much.

I'm not particularly religious, I cant get into the debate. It doesnt sound like Jesus music to me, take that as a big compliment It just sounds like music, I wouldnt know what its about without the title. Good stuff.

PS the sound quality is fine. It doesnt sound like a huge Neve Console in a great room but its working for you.

 

[Solafide]

I'm not particularly religious, I cant get into the debate. It doesnt sound like Jesus music to me, take that as a big compliment It just sounds like music, I wouldnt know what its about without the title. Good stuff.

Thanks, I take that as a great compliment!
I was a little suprised by the comments, as I don't consider my music "preachy"


By the way I am listening to your music as I'm writing, and I am very impressed, very creative. If all clasical was like this I would have it playing all the time. Again very impressive!!

 

[DavidK]

I was a little suprised by the comments,

I was too It may work in your favor, maybe more people will check it out to see "wassup". I was expecting some kind of "Satan is my dark lord" nonsense, its just a song. Thanks for checkin my stuff out.

 

[joeydego]

I dig it! Like the guitar sounds. Whatever phase effect you have going on its cool.

 

[pandamonk]

If you want to give the your top five reasons for disbelieving in God, I could give my top five reasons for believing, then we could both evaluate the lagitamacy of our point of views.

I'll give one:
God is omnipotent, omniscient, and all-good according to scripture.
With omnipotence comes the ability to do anything he wants
with omniscience the ability to know all
and all-goodness, the want for only good.
If these three are correct then evil could not exist. For if a being wants only good and has the power to do anything it wants, then there would be nothing but goodness. You may reply that God gave us free-will and that therefore any evils are caused by humanity. But surely God, with his omniscience, would have known this would happen and would prefer good over evil so would create us so we wouldn't be evil, or choose not to create at all. You may also say that for good to exist, there needs to be evil, but if this is true then God could not be the creator of everything, for to be the creator of everything means that there was a time where only he existed, and being all-good would mean there was a time when good existed without evil. Ohh and if you enjoy religious debates join me on religious forums. I may not be there very often though, because I got bored of it. I do show up occasionally though.

 

[pandamonk]

pandamonk,

It is a big jump to say if one is all loving there love must be unconditional! All of us have many facits of our pursonality that define who we are, and no one charactor trate is independent of the other. Our personality is the sum of all our charactoristics.

I don't think it is much of a jump, if any, to say that. Because if he is all-loving then there is no time, or circumstance, where he is not all-loving, for if there was then he would not be so. I believe his love to be unconditional, according to scripture, due to the fact that however many mistakes we make etc etc etc he will still be all loving and would therefore love us unconditionally. I didn't do a good job of explaining that, but hopefully you understand where I'm coming from

 

[Solafide]

With omnipotence comes the ability to do anything he wants
with omniscience the ability to know all
and all-goodness, the want for only good.
If these three are correct then evil could not exist. For if a being wants only good and has the power to do anything it wants, then there would be nothing but goodness.

This is an interesting arguement but in my opinion a very simplistic view of reality. For example my wife is a clean freak, She has children that are much weeker than her, She also has access to dog kennels. Because she detests messes and our children are messy she must lock them up in the dog kelles all day long!

Obviousely this is rediculus (no need to cal lthe police). Yes she hates messes, but we both knew when we decided to have children that messes come with the teritory, so now her task (and mine too I guess) is to raise them to be responsible (clean) people.

It all comes down to what was God's goal in creating us. If it is as Scripture teaches for us to have a loving relationship with Him, then the alowance of evil is justified in three ways:

1. Love is not possible without choice: If there is "true choice" given (complete freedom) it is inevitable that wrong choices will be made with the good. Some have tried to say "couldn't God have created people that would only make right choices" - If He did that the obviouse conclusion is that they would not really be free, therefored not really choosing, and therefore incapable of true love.

IF love is the Goal, than allowing mankind to make choices (both good and bad) is a necessity to accomplish the goal.

2. God's allowance of evil is ultimately for our benifit. God desires us to love him, and to know Him (understand what he is like). Without the temporary allowance of evil, this would be imposible, because we would have no choice (therefore no love), and we could not know Him because his person would be hidden from us.

Let me clarify that last statedment:
All of the charactoristics of God that draw so much attention are only truly visable in a world that has opposition to God. For example how would God reveal to us his mercy (mercy means not giving judgement one deserves) without evil. How would we understand the patience of God, without opposition to Him? How could we trully understand the quality of an unselfish love unless He sacrificed himself for those that did not deserve it?

So God temorarily allowed evil to make true love posible, and so we could truly know the quality of the one that is asking us to choose him.

3. The temporary nature of evil. Again to use my wife (the clean freek) as an example. She detests messes, it litterally pushes her around the bend, but we deceided we wanted to build a house and do most of the work ourselves. She had to decide that living in a temporary mess was worth the end result.

God has made it very clear from the start that evil is temporary, when the goal is achieved, all evil will be dealt with.

In light of these three realities, I do not see God's allowance of Humans to make evil decisions incompatable with God's goodness, His strength, or His knowledge.

You may also say that for good to exist, there needs to be evil, but if this is true then God could not be the creator of everything, for to be the creator of everything means that there was a time where only he existed, and being all-good would mean there was a time when good existed without evil.

You are absolutely right. To say good needs evil to exist is obsurd! Evil is parasitic in its nature. Evil can't exist without good, but good most definitely can exist without evil.


The arguement that you have given is a good one, but at best all it does is question the wisdom of God, it is in no way a "silver bullet" that eliminate the possibility of a Deity.

If I have time tonight I will give a reason or two for believing in God's existance that you can evaluate.

 

[Solafide]

I don't think it is much of a jump, if any, to say that. Because if he is all-loving then there is no time, or circumstance, where he is not all-loving, for if there was then he would not be so.

pandamonk,


If you mean by unconditional love that it is available to all, you are right, but if by unconditional love you mean that everyone no matter what choices they make equally experience God's love I have to strongly disagree.

God's love is unconditional in the sence that there was nothing in us that caused God to create a way for our evil to be forgiven. But like all true love it must be recieved. The only condition given in scripture is for our acceptance of His offer of forgiveness and love displayed on the cross.

If we do not accept the loving offer from God, all God is left to offer us is justice. From my perspective justice does not look so appealing!

 

[pandamonk]

This is an interesting arguement but in my opinion a very simplistic view of reality. For example my wife is a clean freak, She has children that are much weeker than her, She also has access to dog kennels. Because she detests messes and our children are messy she must lock them up in the dog kelles all day long!

She detests mess, but she creates mess herself(she shits like the rest of us), so this is not very fitting for an analogy of God. Also God created us in the beginning, and could have created us in any way he saw fit. He could even have made love possible without the need for evil. God is also considered to be all-loving, so to why did he need to creatus if his agenda was love. He already had all-love, there is no more that he could have.

Obviousely this is rediculus (no need to cal lthe police). Yes she hates messes, but we both knew when we decided to have children that messes come with the teritory, so now her task (and mine too I guess) is to raise them to be responsible (clean) people.

Yes you knew this because it's the way things happen, but if God was the creator of all then he was not bound like you and your wife.

1. Love is not possible without choice: If there is "true choice" given (complete freedom) it is inevitable that wrong choices will be made with the good. Some have tried to say "couldn't God have created people that would only make right choices" - If He did that the obviouse conclusion is that they would not really be free, therefored not really choosing, and therefore incapable of true love.

but God is all-loving, so had all the love he needed. Also if you look at revelations, and hilarious "story" about the four creatures that circle God endlessly saying "glory glory....". They were not allowed any choice and still they love God, I'm guessing. So you're saying that God created evil in order to give us a choice? He could of given us the choice between everything good and we would be totally free to choose between them, also he could have included many mroe things than good and evil. You interpretation of what you think he did is from your view point now, where everything is the way it is, but before God "created" there was nothing and God had the choice of anything. So we may actually be restricted in our free-will without knowing it, just because we don't know any better.

IF love is the Goal, than allowing mankind to make choices (both good and bad) is a necessity to accomplish the goal.

Who says? Why is it a necessity that we need to choose between good and evil to experience love. Would you kindly explain your steps to this conclusion without the huge jump.

2. God's allowance of evil is ultimately for our benifit. God desires us to love him, and to know Him (understand what he is like). Without the temporary allowance of evil, this would be imposible, because we would have no choice (therefore no love), and we could not know Him because his person would be hidden from us.

It is for our beinifit? Then how do you explain the eternal suffering for those who are "lead astray"? Surely it is not for their benifit. And i'm sure they would rather God did not create evil.

Let me clarify that last statedment:
All of the charactoristics of God that draw so much attention are only truly visable in a world that has opposition to God. For example how would God reveal to us his mercy (mercy means not giving judgement one deserves) without evil. How would we understand the patience of God, without opposition to Him? How could we trully understand the quality of an unselfish love unless He sacrificed himself for those that did not deserve it?

God is all merciful, and immutable(unchanging). We also know there was a point where there was nothing but all goodness. So are you saying good was not all-merciful then because evil did not exist? You definition of merci is lacking in that "mercy means not giving judgement one deserves", but that one recieves better judgement than one deserves.

So God temorarily allowed evil to make true love posible, and so we could truly know the quality of the one that is asking us to choose him.

Could you please explain, like i asked above, how love necessitates evil, and if so why it is so "good" to be the reason for creation?

3. The temporary nature of evil. Again to use my wife (the clean freek) as an example. She detests messes, it litterally pushes her around the bend, but we deceided we wanted to build a house and do most of the work ourselves. She had to decide that living in a temporary mess was worth the end result.

But that is because she is not omnipotent. If she were i guarantee she would have the house built mess free, and it certainly would be possible.

God has made it very clear from the start that evil is temporary, when the goal is achieved, all evil will be dealt with.

God chose the goal and the way to reach the goal. So God chose evil, which undoubtedly means that he cannot be all-good. For if he is all-good, theen he cannot have any evil, but to allow evil, or even worse, choose evil, is to have evil.

In light of these three realities, I do not see God's allowance of Humans to make evil decisions incompatable with God's goodness, His strength, or His knowledge.

I do as shown above.

You are absolutely right. To say good needs evil to exist is obsurd! Evil is parasitic in its nature. Evil can't exist without good, but good most definitely can exist without evil.

What makes you think that evil necessitatee good, but good does not necessitate evil?

The arguement that you have given is a good one, but at best all it does is question the wisdom of God, it is in no way a "silver bullet" that eliminate the possibility of a Deity.

questioning the wisdom, power, or goodness of a god is to question that it actually is a god. If it is shown to not be all of any of these, then it cannot be considered a god, so therefore does eliminate existence of this god. It does not prove that this bing doesn't exist as that is impossible, but it does show that it is not a god, if successful.

If I have time tonight I will give a reason or two for believing in God's existance that you can evaluate.

look forward to it.

 

[pandamonk]

pandamonk,


If you mean by unconditional love that it is available to all, you are right, but if by unconditional love you mean that everyone no matter what choices they make equally experience God's love I have to strongly disagree.

God's love is unconditional in the sence that there was nothing in us that caused God to create a way for our evil to be forgiven. But like all true love it must be recieved. The only condition given in scripture is for our acceptance of His offer of forgiveness and love displayed on the cross.

If we do not accept the loving offer from God, all God is left to offer us is justice. From my perspective justice does not look so appealing!

I mean by unconditional love that his love does not require anyone to adhere to certain conditions. If he is all-loving then there is nothing he does not love, he loves all(all-loving), with all his love. So no matter what happens he loves all with all his love. If not, then he cannot be all-loving, but loving on condition...

 

[Solafide]

but God is all-loving, so had all the love he needed. Also if you look at revelations, and hilarious "story" about the four creatures that circle God endlessly saying "glory glory....". They were not allowed any choice and still they love God, I'm guessing.

Of course revelation is full of intentional symbolic language. These "creatures are also described in Ezek. 1:4–14; 10:20–22. There they are clearly called angels (cherubims). These angels also were given choice - so yes they can love.

So you're saying that God created evil in order to give us a choice? He could of given us the choice between everything good and we would be totally free to choose between them, also he could have included many mroe things than good and evil

.

Absolutely not - I apologize if anything in my previous post led you or anyone else to that conclusion.

God did not create evil. let me come at this from a different angle.

Lets say you were the only person on the planet, now lets say you are the only thing that existed period - no universe, no nothing just you. What could you do that was wrong?

Obviously what ever you think what ever you do is right because you are the standard you are "good." As long as it is only you, there is no potential for sin (sin being anything that goes against your will). Evil is only possible if you create something that can oppose you, that can dissagree with you, that can dislike you, and even disbelieve in you. But if you do create a being with real choice and He really chooses to oppose you (i.e. sin) You cannot be held accountable, because it was not your choice - it was the choice of the free being you created. It is impossible for God to sin, it is impossible for God to creat evil (if he created something it was obviously because he wanted to so it could not be evil it would be good).

Therefore God did not creat evil, he created beings that could chose to reject him (and it was by that act they creating evil), and that are fully responsible for their own choices.

Who says? Why is it a necessity that we need to choose between good and evil to experience love. Would you kindly explain your steps to this conclusion without the huge jump.

Again I'm sorry for not being more clear. Evil (or sin) is going against the desires or commands of God. In order for there to be meaningful love (love that goes two ways) there must be a free choise on both sides. It is obvious that God's choice is free (who could forse Him into a relationship?), but we are in a place where we could be forced, therfore Because God always does things right He gave man true freedom to choose - which meens complete ability to make the wrong choice as well as the right.

Thus, for the kind of love God desired to have (mutual love) there must be choice given which makes evil possible. I am not saying "we have to choose between good and evil to experience love" I am saying we have to choose to experience love, and if we choose to reject God this is evil as it against His desires for us.




Obviousely we could split hairs over this forever.

The bottom line is you gave a very good arguement-infact I would say that this is one of best arguements against God.

My reply was simply to point out that this is not a knock out blow. All this arguement does is make us question why God did things the way He did. The information I have given is just to show that there is good reason why a good God that knows everything and is all powerful would creat being that are capable of rejecting him - this reason would be if He desired (as several passages in scripture indicate) to have a mutually loving relationship, based on voluntary love and trust.