why does everyone have to think you have to listen to christian music...go to christian colleges etc...stay away from secular this or that......cant u go to any regular old college and be a christian....and listen to music without it being labeled christian??? when i go to church or hear people talk and the word secular comes out of there mouth it makes me feel like everythings being segregated ....secular seems like a demeaning title...like how people use to call black people.......colored.
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secular......
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NiobiumTragedy
Glorious Tragedy
Because many Christians are extremely ignorant. This is the whole reason I tend to separate myself from them. It gets a little old hearing the hate from people who claim to love.
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Sketcher
Born Imperishable
Many Christians don't think that way. However, the root concern of those who do is that we ought to be influencing the world, and it shouldn't be the other way around. We should be influenced by God, and that happens through the church. Their thinking is more church influence = more Godly influence. And to a point, they're right. But there is a point where the strict "holy huddle" doesn't cut it anymore. Christian college has value, but it won't have as much evangelical value during the college years, because guess who you're surrounded with when you go there - Christians, or at least professing ones. Christian music has value, but that doesn't mean that all secular music is bad to listen to. And the workplace in all likelihood won't be a "Christian environment" unless you happen to be working for a ministry. It's fine to learn what to preach at people, but I fail to see how Christians will learn the skill of listening to people who do not believe as we do, and conveying respect and love to them as we share our faith with them in Christian-only environments.
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RobertMerton
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it's because they are trying to distance themselves from the secular world in terms of it being worldly.
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I personally choose to listen to secular music, however, I also choose to go to a Christian college, partly due to my major, partly because they tend to be smaller, and partly because I was trying to avoid certain pressures.
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secular means worldly...worldly things are wrong.......does no one understand they are using the word wrong????
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It does however you simply can not completely avoid (secular) things in the world today. The laws are secular. We do NOT live in a nation where faith (Christianity or otherwise) is the main force. For example, you CANNOT deny that it is a LOT cheaper to go to a public school ( secular) than a private school. Why because private receives little or no government assistance. Secular in and of itself is not wrong, Matter of a fact how can we reach the world if we are not willing to be around non-Christians? The Bible says we are in the world but not of it meaning that by just going to a public (secular) school is NOT wrong. By your logic, you cannot good to wal-mark, target or even most supermarkets. Those are considered secular businesses. Their profit does not go for Christian causes, By your logic, we cannot go to state parks or skating rinks, or anywhere else that is not ENTIRELY Christ-centered, that is simply in this country (unless you are like Amish or something(which I know you aren't or either you are out on your running around period (neither of which I believe to be true because one you are on a computer and two if you were I doubt if you were that strict about it I doubt you would even be choosing to try out the "world".
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Sketcher
Born Imperishable
So in other words, you think it's wrong for people to call other people wrong? Aren't you wrong to do so yourself?
"Secular" is a word that both religious and non-religious people use to describe beliefs and activities that don't have anything to do with God or gods:
Secular - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
It is not by itself a pejorative. Nor does the Christian belief that God and his ways are right and worldly ways are wrong make it a pejorative. It's simply a way to describe beliefs, activities, and even people. A faithful Christian will keep Christ's ways in mind and love these people, even if he chooses "secular" as a term to describe them or what they do. If anyone uses it as a pejorative, that person is ignoring Christ's teaching on loving people. And if anyone rashly assumes that it is being used as a pejorative, that person is violating Christ's commands on judging others.
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Standing_Ultraviolet
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I kind of wonder about it a bit myself. I think that some Christians in the past hundred years have seen changes in the mainstream culture, realized that they often had an anti-Christian philosophical heart to them, and decided to reject everything that came out of that culture (sometimes for good reason, sometimes not so much). It ended up with a firm line in the sand drawn for some between the secular and the Christian, to the extent that anything secular was not only evil but also not redeemable (rock music, even when non-offensive, was seen as evil, and Christian rock music was seen as not being able to change that).
I'm not a fan of that movement, myself. Some of the ideas behind secular culture are problematic, but the broader culture often just reflects universal parts of being human. You have to take the good and filter out the bad.
Fear of someone going to a non-Christian college can sometimes be a little more understandable. I do attend a secular college (in a fairly conservative state) and some (though certainly not all) professors and students are hostile toward religion. There's also the temptation toward drug or alcohol abuse, although it's obviously not something inevitable or that you have to become involved in. Basically, if you're strong in your faith, then you're less likely to have problems than otherwise. I've really found God since coming to college, albeit through a less than comfortable road. Wishing you the best, whatever happens in that regard =)
I'm not a fan of that movement, myself. Some of the ideas behind secular culture are problematic, but the broader culture often just reflects universal parts of being human. You have to take the good and filter out the bad.
Fear of someone going to a non-Christian college can sometimes be a little more understandable. I do attend a secular college (in a fairly conservative state) and some (though certainly not all) professors and students are hostile toward religion. There's also the temptation toward drug or alcohol abuse, although it's obviously not something inevitable or that you have to become involved in. Basically, if you're strong in your faith, then you're less likely to have problems than otherwise. I've really found God since coming to college, albeit through a less than comfortable road. Wishing you the best, whatever happens in that regard =)
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Because they are afraid. If the fundamentalists and evangelicals did not polarize themselves with their own schools and media, then they really wouldn't have any presence in society. Having these systems makes them appear credible while also making their sub-culture tangible for the believers.
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This is a relatively modern distinction. Of course the Bible talks about "worldly" activities. But still, the distinction in the last 100 - 200 years has become much more pronounced. There are now separate Christian versions of history, archaeology, biology, and for some people even physics. Separate music and other culture.
In earlier periods someone having a "worldly" focus tended to mean they were more concerned about wealth or success than how they treated other people and God. But it didn't mean that they lived in completely different worlds.
I see how it happened. But I don't like it. Basically in a traditional society, most of our beliefs were continuous with tradition. But starting in the late middle ages, a number of things came together so that a group of people started using critical thought to challenge more and more traditional beliefs. While throughout history some people have been more willing to change than others, we now have two basic orientations: people committed to traditional views on key issues, and people committed to following evidence in the sense in which critical scholarship and science mean evidence. The difference between Protestant and Catholic is less important. It's just which tradition we pick: 3rd Cent or 16th/17th Cent.
The Church does generally manage to adjust to change, so I'm not sure this is going to be permanent. But at the moment you have to decide which world you want to live in. I'm just incapable of living in the traditional world. Sorry, but I'm too much the product of the "always reforming" side of the Reformation, which is committed to following evidence even if it means major change. The other approach just isn't a realistic option for me. It seems to involve ignoring or misrepresenting evidence too massively. But those growing up in the traditional world feel the same.
In earlier periods someone having a "worldly" focus tended to mean they were more concerned about wealth or success than how they treated other people and God. But it didn't mean that they lived in completely different worlds.
I see how it happened. But I don't like it. Basically in a traditional society, most of our beliefs were continuous with tradition. But starting in the late middle ages, a number of things came together so that a group of people started using critical thought to challenge more and more traditional beliefs. While throughout history some people have been more willing to change than others, we now have two basic orientations: people committed to traditional views on key issues, and people committed to following evidence in the sense in which critical scholarship and science mean evidence. The difference between Protestant and Catholic is less important. It's just which tradition we pick: 3rd Cent or 16th/17th Cent.
The Church does generally manage to adjust to change, so I'm not sure this is going to be permanent. But at the moment you have to decide which world you want to live in. I'm just incapable of living in the traditional world. Sorry, but I'm too much the product of the "always reforming" side of the Reformation, which is committed to following evidence even if it means major change. The other approach just isn't a realistic option for me. It seems to involve ignoring or misrepresenting evidence too massively. But those growing up in the traditional world feel the same.
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ImperialPhantom
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It's a mish mash of two different things. The first thing is the thought that "garbage in, garbage out", which is true to a point. The second is money making. The more people seek out "Christian things" such as Christian metal, Christian baseball players, etc, the more of a marketing opportunity it becomes. Tooth and Nail Records, for example, would not target the Christian punk/hardcore/metal/etc market if it didn't make any money for them.
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EazyMack
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I listen only to Christian music, because I can relate to it better than secular. Christian music isn't limited to worship, or the contemporary stuff you hear on K-Love or Air 1. The best stuff out there isn't heard on the radio. I listen to a lot of rock, hard rock, and metal. It's a message I can relate to, with a sound that still keeps the adrenaline pumping. 
But it would not be safe to assume that because I listen only to Christian music, I would judge a Christian who listens to secular. I would only caution what they listen to... not that it has anything to do w/their salvation, or how "good" of a Christian they are... it's just a matter of feeding the flesh vs. feeding the spirit.
When it comes to going to Christian colleges, or things like that, I say let the light shine in the darkness, if that's how one wants to view it. In other words, I see a lot of potential benefit to a Christian attending secular institutions, so long as the Christian is strong enough in his/her relationship with Christ to remain in Christ and not be pulled away.
As far as Christians walling themselves off from the rest of the world in general, that's another issue entirely. It renders them almost ineffective.
But it would not be safe to assume that because I listen only to Christian music, I would judge a Christian who listens to secular. I would only caution what they listen to... not that it has anything to do w/their salvation, or how "good" of a Christian they are... it's just a matter of feeding the flesh vs. feeding the spirit.
When it comes to going to Christian colleges, or things like that, I say let the light shine in the darkness, if that's how one wants to view it.
In other words, I see a lot of potential benefit to a Christian attending secular institutions, so long as the Christian is strong enough in his/her relationship with Christ to remain in Christ and not be pulled away.As far as Christians walling themselves off from the rest of the world in general, that's another issue entirely. It renders them almost ineffective.
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Christ is clear that it is not what we do on the outside that is most important. It is where our heart is. We can fool the world, but God knows our motives. As Christians, our calling is to bring others lovingly to Christ. If we are remaining in our own Christian communities to remain "pure" than we are failing.
On the other hand, God can use anything to guide us to Him... but the danger is, so can the devil. We do need to be watchful that "harmless" secular music is not adding evil influence into our lives. For example, the Holy Spirit has shown me how the message of many Hollywood movies is "follow your heart" - advice which has led me astray many times, and now I know why:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Of course the devil wants us to follow it! Note that the scariest part is that the devil can also use supposedly Christian or holy sources. The point being, we mustn't absorb anything indiscriminatingly, but be prayerful - especially if what we are absorbing does not obviously fulfil our primary purpose of existence - to glorify God with all our hearts. Always seek God's wisdom through reading His word, meditating and praying, even about things you think are too insignificant to affect your faith.
On the other hand, God can use anything to guide us to Him... but the danger is, so can the devil. We do need to be watchful that "harmless" secular music is not adding evil influence into our lives. For example, the Holy Spirit has shown me how the message of many Hollywood movies is "follow your heart" - advice which has led me astray many times, and now I know why:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Of course the devil wants us to follow it! Note that the scariest part is that the devil can also use supposedly Christian or holy sources. The point being, we mustn't absorb anything indiscriminatingly, but be prayerful - especially if what we are absorbing does not obviously fulfil our primary purpose of existence - to glorify God with all our hearts. Always seek God's wisdom through reading His word, meditating and praying, even about things you think are too insignificant to affect your faith.
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wholigan11
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It just depends on a person's reasons for doing so. Maybe they listen to Christian music because it speaks to them. Maybe they go to Christian colleges based on what they're studying.
There are some things of the world you should avoid but it depends on your reason why.
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MacFall
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The idea of a Christian culture as being separate from secular culture is a fairly new phenomenon. Until recently, if you wanted to avoid secular culture you became a monk. Modern (Western (primarily Evangelical (specifically Fundamentalist))) Christians want to have the cloistering of monk-hood without the inconvenience of actually living in a monastery. It doesn't work.
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The scared/secular divide is a false dualism. We are to be people showing others how to live well in God's world, a light on a hill. We need an integrated faith that i snot monastic, but avoid the misapplications in society we see so often.
John
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John
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As have many atheists who have swallowed the Enlightenment myths as the only way to truly know. or that we can have a morally responsible society with a population that promotes personal preferences for the basic building blocks for morality. Or that saves whales and kills unborn children.
John
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