Circumstances still keep me an infrequent visitor to Mudcat, but I want to say that I think the site administraters have done a fine job. I like the separation of music and non-music. Thanks people.

I wasn't going to discuss this publicly but I saw the thread about 'comin' in on a wing and a prayer' and it reminded me of an issue that's been unresolved for several weeks in one of the song circles I attend.

Like many of the folks who participate in urban song circles I'm Jewish. Probably half the group is. Many of us have grown up singing Gospel songs, although our sources are more likely to have been Pete Seeger and The Weavers, rather than Protestant Hymn Books. Much of the protest music that fuelled the integration and Peace movements were based on Traditional Christian music. I've never had any trouble with the music, but in truth the message is hardly a part of my life.

A couple of months ago a nice young woman came to the song circle and sang a couple of what I later found out were 'Praise' songs. The songs had choruses, which is what we ask folks to sing so that everyone can join in, so there shouldn't have been a problem. This woman then invited a friend of hers to join us for the next circle, and once again the 'praise' songs were the only things either of them sang.

I won't go into great detail but since then it's become obvious that every conversation with either of them is steered in an evangelical direction. The introductions to the songs are also starting to sound a bit patronizing.

It's quite a funny problem when you get right down to it, and the irony is not lost on those of us who've discussed it. Songs about religion are ok when they're not taken seriously, but the contemporary kind of 'Christian' music really does conjure up some very ugly realities to people who've spent large parts of their lives fighting for women's rights and against the kind of 'Bush Mentality' that has become almost acceptable today.

I know that these people have their agenda and I and many of my musical friends have ours, but the problem is what to do in the song circle. I'ts not comfortable and it shows a lot of signs of getting worse. I suspect someone is really going to lose it one evening and things will become ugly.

After writing this out it seems to me that there really is no 'solution' that will satisfy everyone, but it helps a bit to see it in print. Has anyone else dealt with these differences among people?

bev