Dear Joe,<br><br>I fear we are having difficulty keeping focused on the issue of whether any genre of music is inherently sinful. <br><br>Please don't think I deny that Christians want to praise God in song. I agree it is good for them to do so. The reference to Cain's decendants was simply because that is the first reference to music in the Bible.<br><br>As for David, what we have is his words, not his music. I am not denying his words were inspired by God and are perfectly above reproach. (Mind you, some scriptures were not produced with pure motives, take Jeremiah's laments which God rebuked as an example). I am not aware though that any church confession requires us to believe that his music was similarly inspired. In any case we don't have it.<br><br>My point was that all Christians are redeemed sinners and that none of us ever acts with perfectly pure motives. Thus no act we ever carry out for God is pure and perfect in and of itself. Thus if we are defining acceptable music as only that which was produced with pure motives, nothing will pass the test.<br><br>Yours in Christ,<br><br>James.