Has education expanded your listening tastes?

When it comes to music, I'd say the fewer rules, the better.

Just let it be, take it or leave it. It all works out in the end.

I was listening to some old Robert Johnson recordiI ngs last night and found myself mesmerized by his guitar playing and voice. Same happens with a lot of classical.

Each registers differently for me as it should, but the magnitude is hard to compare. Why bother? One is either moved or not by a particular piece. It can't be quantified why or how. So math for sure falls short in most things uniquely human. Spirituality included.

Soldiers do the bidding of man, nothing else, right or wrong, and often have little choice in the matter I would think.

Soldiers? Check out the Old Testament! I don't like to talk religion, I'm just saying. :)

Cheers

Mapman, soldiers do and have done the bidding of man is a truth. Soldiers can also do the bidding of God. Yes, this truth has been perverted by man with all kinds of unspeakable things being done in the name of God and God was no part of it. Man's error however does not nullify the truth that God has and will continue to move as He pleases through soldiers in this fallen world.

If the Bible is understood as relevant, truth, and inspired by God, then no other conclusion is possible. If one does not think the Bible is truth, then yes I suppose any thought can be perceived as truth.

Over and over in scripture soldiers were used by God to carry out
His purpose, not man's. This is undeniable, thus one must not believe in the authority of scripture to question this truth.

We are free to believe or not believe in the Bible and what it shares about our Creator. I happen to believe it and to stay consistent with it .

Wow - some very interesting posts since I have checked in. If I may ask Schubert something. I originally thought I knew exactly where you were coming from, but I am not at all sure anymore. Perhaps I am totally misunderstanding what you are trying to say. You wrote a while back:

"Germany, like the USA, has no shortage of ignorant people.
If I ask the recovering addict, 8th grade drop-out painting
my room in WI if he listens to Beethoven the reply likely will be, I don't listen to that crap.
If I ask the 8th grade drop-out recovering addict in Germany painting my room ,who knows no more about LvB than his american counterpart, the reply will likely be ahh, Beethoven , a great man.
Makes a LOT of difference."

I would submit to you that the reason the German kid says what he does is indeed education, not just cultural difference (though that of course affects the educational system). He would certainly know quite a bit more about him than his American counterpart, especially nowadays. I am therefore not quite sure what your ultimate point is here.

Photon, no offense taken at your comments, which are good ones. No one is arguing that someone should be silent if they are not an expert - as you say, that is ridiculous, and I also agree that "there is nothing wrong with having less than fully formed opinions about art forms they are a fan of." This is not what Frogman and I are objecting to at all. What I do not understand is the folks who are obviously afraid that educating themselves more about music is somehow going to decrease their emotional enjoyment of it. Exactly the opposite occurs, in every single case of which I am aware. Yet some refuse to even consider the possibility. They don't know what they are missing, and maybe never will, which is saddening, and their attitude also makes it much more difficult to discuss music seriously with them, which is a shame. That said, that will not stop me from attempting to discuss music with them if they clearly have a desire to do so.