I’m curious.  Those of you who attended church as a child and are familiar with the hymns and creeds of old, do you pine for them still, when you go to church and are inundated by the 7/11 songs (7 words repeated 11 times)?  Or do you find solace in all kinds of music, as long as you “feel” like you’re worshipping?  In other words, how important is the music to you?

I want to know, because Dan and I talked about this a lot when we were attending church regularly.  [We’re still trying to find the right church for us.]  We wanted to be fair to the large number of younger and newer people finding their place in the church, but still, we hankered for the traditional sounds we grew up with.  And if I’m honest, I don’t think it has so much to do with the words as it does the familiarity, the nostalgia of it.  The exceptions to that last sentence, for me, are How Great Thou Art and Amazing Grace.  [And if you must know, the exceptions to the 7/11 comment above, for me, are Be Still and Know That I Am God (the simple one…I’ve only been able to find this children’s version…push Play right underneath the CD cover)…and Thank You For Hearing Me.]

I’m asking because in E. O. Wilson’s book On Human Nature, he makes the statement: At the surface, selection is ecclesiastic: rituals and conventions are chosen by religious leaders for their emotional impact under contemporary social conditions.

True or false?  And why?  Is this a good or bad thing?  Is it necessary (or better) to separate our emotions from our spiritual quest?