Hey all...Alex here! Since my last post (“What Makes
Christian Music ‘Christian’?”) I’ve done a lot more reading on the topic, and
all I can say is wow! When Jay and I first started this blog I don’t think we could’ve
been any less aware of how large the debate over modern-day Christian music
(especially that of Rock ‘n Roll) is.
Let me set the scene for you:
After a tough day’s work, a friend and I were winding down to
some tunes on the radio...when all of a sudden the intro to AC/DC’s “Back in
Black” blared out. It was at this moment my friend said something that still
echoes in my head now...and ultimately lead to this post....”Why Should the
Devil Have All the Good Music?”
He asked why rock bands like “The Black Keys”, “Shadowclub”,
‘Kings of Leon” and I guess to some extent, “AC/DC” couldn’t just be Christian,
or why there aren’t any current Christian rock bands with a similar kind of
sound. Bands like Skillet, TFK, Red etc all have unique sounds in their own
right, but very few (if any) have that hard hitting, bluesy, old school, rock
‘n roll beat. The question is...why?
Whilst trying to find the answer I came across numerous
articles describing how Christian Rock is from the Devil and how he is using it
to subtlety get into churches and lure people away from God. One article states
this:
"The same spirit of rock and roll which includes: the spirit of rebellion, the spirit of immorality and perversion, and the spirit of death is now being brought into the churches under the guise of religious rock and roll."
"The same spirit of rock and roll which includes: the spirit of rebellion, the spirit of immorality and perversion, and the spirit of death is now being brought into the churches under the guise of religious rock and roll."
Those who support Christian Rock counter this by saying "Christian
singers/songwriters are basically evangelists that use the medium of music to
deliver the message of Christ...” They
argue that if the words give glory to Christ and the music does not evoke
ungodly emotion then it is an acceptable form of worship to God.
A common piece of scripture that is used by Christian Rock
supporters comes from Luke 6:43-44”A good
tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree
is identified by the kind of fruit it produces...” They say that if
Christian Rock is so rooted in evil and cannot possibly be used to glorify God
then how is it that Christian Rock/Metal has brought so many to Christ? How can
it bear good fruit?
Below is a video of Brian “Head” Welch (ex-guitarist of
Korn) sharing his testimony. He went on to start his own Christian Rock band
called “Love and Death” who are frequently featured in the charts on Christianrock.net
I personally don’t believe there is anything wrong with
listening to Contemporary Christian Music, as well as Christian Rock ‘n Roll. My
argument is that people who don’t know Christ and listen to Rock ‘n Roll won’t
want to listen to Hillsong, hymns, Gregorian chants or whatever it is that
these naysayers see as “righteous” music. I understand much of the secular Rock
industry is influenced by Satan, but for people to say that ALL Rock is evil is
a complete lie. Artists like Skillet, Switchfoot and Haste the Day (to name a
few) have reached out to many people due to the fact that their rock music has
become popular in all circles...not just Christian ones.
We can’t let the Devil dominate every genre of music and
continue to lead people astray. This is why we rejoice, here at Rocking it
Christian Style, when we see the number of bands covering all genres...reaching
out to people of all backgrounds with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Guys I urge you to share your thoughts here...do you think
Contemporary Christian Music is ungodly? Do you agree with people who say that Rock
is rooted in evil, therefore cannot be used to worship God?
Peace and Love everyone
A
I honestly think it's the lyrics that count. People who dont enjoy bands like Hillsong etc might not be encouraged to listen to Christian music if that's all they think we have. Why not break the mould and show the different ways we worship and glorify God? A rock lover might be more inclined to think twice about their beliefs etc if we take it to them in a genre they enjoy. Music changes lives man - I fully believe Christian rock can too. The lyrics affect people, not the genre. That's just my 2 cents :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bron - lyrics can make or break a song. Having said that, there is another aspect about the music to consider, and I get this from my Mom (a pianist and piano teacher) who explained an interesting point about music to me when I went through a heavy metal phase in my teen years: she explained that music could either be played in minor or major notes - the former giving the music a sombre tone, and the latter lending it an air of joy or upliftment. This effect can range from ever-so-subtle to blatantly obvious, depending on the keys the music is played in as well as the intensity and rhythym thereof - all merging together to create the mood of the song. She then said to me, "When I listen to your heavy metal music, all I hear are minor notes that make the music sound very depressing." And let me tell you, she ended up being right. After several months of listening to lots of heavy metal (and progressing into some other nasty genres like black- and death metal), I was in a deep, dark hole. Luckily my family would have none of seeing me like that and pulled me out. I still enjoy rock music today - one of my favourite bands is Switchfoot - but I'm now acutely aware of the minor/major note point and how it can affect the tone, and therefore the emotion it invokes, of the music so strongly. The power of music is indisputable, as you so correctly stated Alex, so I think this is something we should be aware of. Christian rock - like all Christian music - should uplift, not depress, the listener, and ultimately bring glory to God - as you said Bron. So if we hear a song that is written entirely in minor notes, maybe we should think twice about its true message... Just another aspect to ponder... Any thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both of you - the lyrics are definitely what count! There are way too many songs that promote debauchery, and the problem is: THAT'S what so many people want to listen to!! Mr. Finaughty, you raise a very interesting point..after reading your comment I tried to think of any modern worship songs that are in a minor key, and I have to be honest with you, I can't think of any! I've played piano for a number of years and (due to my early love for rock and roll)I couldn't stand any "depressing" music played in minor keys. Having said that, now that I'm a bit older I realise the true beauty behind songs that utilize it in a certain manner. Many Gospel and Jazz songs have minor chords which add a certain kind of atmosphere, and, when coupled with a sudden "major" uplift, can create a truly beautiful song, full of emotion. This, however, is rarely found in modern day Christian rock...perhaps if you look at Haste the Day and Underoath, you'll find what your mom said to be true in Christian metal too? God created everything from C major to E minor, and I believe all can be used to praise Him. Evangelical music tends to shy away from "depressing" minor songs and try promote a sense of joy and upliftment. I, often (but not always), love listening to the slower, "sadder" songs....they bring a certain beauty that I find nowhere else.
ReplyDelete“We can’t let the Devil dominate every genre of music and continue to lead people astray. This is why we rejoice, here at Rocking it Christian Style, when we see the number of bands covering all genres...reaching out to people of all backgrounds with the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
ReplyDeleteWell said!
Music is arguably one of the most influential causes to who we are as a person. I really don’t know many people that don’t associate themselves with some type of music. Others take it a step further and music may define their identity, their attitude, their daily routine- suddenly their lives become a pursuit to find new music and associate themselves with a group or style. Some even change their appearance just because they follow a specific artist, music group or style!
This is where we have to be careful… As followers of Christ we can’t deny that all musicians are rooted by talent and gifts- all these talents have been given to us by God and him alone. If you recognize that, whether you choose to play rock, rap, play it soft or loud, etc the sound and genre do not matter. What does matter is the message we carry and bring to those around us. We believe when you use these gifts to compel others to see God and compel people towards the truth you are doing the will of God, across all genres.
Personally, as Christians, (that are musicians) Christian is our faith, it is not our genre. It is by this faith that we live out our lives, and part of that is making music in a style we prefer. A pastor once told me careful not to make your preferences your prejudices. And that is so true… To call a particular sound or genre evil sounds more prejudice than anything else. What are the lyrics saying? What is the goal of the musician or band? Do you see Christ reflected in the way they are living out their passions?
We’d like most to reach those who do not know Jesus. So we must bring the truth to everyone Christian or not. The variety of musical preferences of each individual allow everyone equal opportunity to do that the way they want. If we influence 1 person to see God with new attitude it is all worth it- whether it’s someone that re-affirms his/her faith or its someone that falls to their knees for the first time to, it is only by His grace that we get to do this.
Just today someone sent us a message: “Downloading it now...may God bless you and your music for Him. If one soul calls on His holy name, it will be worth it all...”
That is what it’s all about. Thanks for your blog!
@wtdfmusic
Thank you so much for the read @wtdfmusic! We really appreciate it! It's awesome to interact and learn from others! I must admit, I started the post not quite knowing where I was going to end up, but after finishing, and then reading the comments later I find myself with the "ammo" to be able to stand up against people who may attack my beliefs...especially those related to music.
ReplyDeleteWe recently did a study in the architecture department of what music people listened to and it was frightening to see how small the "Christian" percentage was....secular house, electronica, rock, rap were all right at the top! Considering how powerful music is as a tool for identity, I wondered what an architecture building full of Christian music would sound/look like....forgive my architectural abstraction, but I'm sure you get the drift:p
Thanx again for the read and I pray that you continue to spread the Good News through your music, one soul at a time!:p
God Bless!
This argument has been ongoing for many years. I fought against this very hard as a youngster that dj'ed christian music nights at local roller rinks. Here is what I came up with. God made the music. Most people don't argue that with me. God made our hands, our legs, our eyes, and our ears. Most people (in this argument anyway) agree with me on that as well. How we use our hands, legs, eyes, or ears is up to us. God gives us that choice. What we do with the music he created is also up to us. All things God made he said were good, but we can distort things and make them bad. So is rock n roll evil? Only if you let it be, if you follow the singer or the song and not God, if you worship the artist and not the creator of the artist. If you do it for money and not for God, then it can be called sin (just like anything else). If I make cupcakes in the image of what we think the devil looks like I sure wouldnt expect to sell them in church....but that doesnt make the cupcake evil.......only the creator of the cupcake. In this sense it's not about rock n roll being right or wrong, it's about the heart of the creator of the rock n roll and how closely he/she follows the creator of the music. David wrote the most contemprorary music of his day (Psalms) and God loved it. As the bible says "let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord". Rock N Roll comes from living breathing people, it can praise the lord if we offer it to God in that way, it can do other things which are sinful just as well, the argument isn't about rock n roll being right or wrong, the argument is what does the singer and the listener do with the rock n roll that they are hearing or making.
ReplyDelete