Yoel L. Arbeitman wrote:

>The original poster (IIRC) and some who followed him suggested that
>one is moved to become a believer in the Christian faith by Bach's music
>and his setting of Christian texts.  I would suggest that one who finds
>Jephtha as the most moving of Handel's vocal works, as I do, might be
>moved to a religious concept of sacrificing his daughter (unintentionally)
>when he is faced with a major contest.  The fact that things turn out
>nicely in Handel's oratorio, following the alternate exegesis does not
>change this possibility.

Well, the original poster (it's me) only talked about his personal
feelings and didn't say that "one" (= every one) is moved to have religious
feelings (IIRC I didn't talked about becoming a Christian but a religious
person but my memory may fool me).  Anyway, Joel enjoys ridiculing me a
little bit - and I laughed heartily.  But to take his post seriously: I
believe in the power of music to move us to a high decree so that we,
the listeners, forgetting our own notions for a listening while, give
over to the emotions the composer wants to transfer to us.  Yes, maybe
you feel like Scarpia for some bars, enjoying the intoxication of
brutality, like passionate Carmen, like jolly Papageno, like the poor
old Hollander.  And I, listening to some of Bach, feel like a religious
person as long as I listen.

Robert