Why is there a secular music part to a Christian site?

[brettnolan]

Your point about cussing ArchAngel is a good one. In doing some looking for sam_man's request, you inevitably come across ONE song out of 100 by an artist that has the word d**n in it, or h**l, and then you have to start over, because someone like him is going to take those words (and probably others), no matter what the context, and say "Oh, too bad, they cussed."

There's a HUGE difference between gratuitous sex, violence, swearing, etc., and contextually valid expressions of emotion, that is completely lost on some people. An example on TV is Joan of Arcadia. It's about a teenage girl who gets instructions from God and most of the time doesn't understand why He is asking her to do certain things. Obviously this is frustrating and maddening at times, and she will get p****d, or someone ELSE is the show will let go of some "cuss" words (of course, in REAL life you would never hear anything like that in a school). Usually, the overall theme or message of the show supports Christian values, so do we throw out the entire show because it uses realistic elements of life in the 21 st century?

BTW-For some reason I can't read this thread in threaded mode for now, so I am not able to address some things that have been requested of me. I'm completely lost. I'll get to them as soon as I can figure this out.

 

[Charismaniack]

That is a good point about movies. Although I don't watch as many as I used to watch I still watch secular movies, although I can't justify it really, I don't think it influences me as much as music would, and I don't watch movies that promote imorality or premarital sex. But technically no matter what you buy you are probably supporting at least one nonchristians motives. Most Christian Labels are owned by Secular Labels, but if I had to make a choice between supporting ministry at the same time as a little bit of the money goes to secular labels or just supporting a secular label I should support the ministry more. But I do at times study the musical theory used in secular songs and I have to say it's amazing but I would feel strange going to a concert or buying a CD. I do not think it's wrong to "listen to it", like for instance if I walk into Wall Mart and they are playing a song buy one of those bands I'm not going to go crazy and plug my ears or start yelling, but I can't buy the CD. One question to ask is "what is sin?"Is sin always what the bible says is wrong? I think that what the bible says is Sin is always Sin. But I think that sometimes good things can be sin. Technically to be outside of the will of God is sin, and most of those musicians are verry openly outside of the will of God and say they don't care and when you buy there CD or Enjoy what they are doing than you are saying "you are sinnig and I am entertaining myself with it". I jam with many unbelievers and many have asked me to start a band with them and it's hard to draw the line because some of them are such awsome musicians and good people and they won't write bad songs but I can't say I feel it's the will of God that the band even starts. I Jam with them because it's all music and I get chances to talk with them and witness, although sometimes I have to draw the line and ask myself "Is there really any purpose in this?" I would say we should question everything we do regardless of whether it's music or just basic life.

Peace'

 

[Jedi Penguins]

Obviously this is frustrating and maddening at times, and she will get p****d, or someone ELSE is the show will let go of some "cuss" words (of course, in REAL life you would never hear anything like that in a school).

Nope, you never do, since schools are such perfect places.

But this brings up a good point. People in the real world cuss, in fact the majority of people do cuss. Are you all saying do not associate with anyone that has ever let a curse word come out of their mouth? I mean if you hang around them enough your going to turn into a bad mouth.

It sounds to me like people do not want to take the blame for ANYTHING so they must find someway to make it someone elses fault.

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

There is nothing wrong with talking about killing as long as the context of it is decent.... to me, there is nothing wrong with that song.

It would be like saying that Jesus never cursed then someone saying, yes he did! He said hell a couple times....

I think you make a good point.

In The Passion, Peter says "D*** you!" and .... well, I don't need to talk about the level of violence....

But it's all about context.

 

[xtxArchxAngelxtx]

I think you make a good point.

In The Passion, Peter says "D*** you!" and .... well, I don't need to talk about the level of violence....

But it's all about context.

you proved my point perfectly.

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

One question to ask is "what is sin?"Is sin always what the bible says is wrong? I think that what the bible says is Sin is always Sin. But I think that sometimes good things can be sin. Technically to be outside of the will of God is sin, and most of those musicians are verry openly outside of the will of God and say they don't care and when you buy there CD or Enjoy what they are doing than you are saying "you are sinnig and I am entertaining myself with it".

But, that falls into saying that no good can ever come from a nonbeliever. Oh, they definitely can't earn their salvation, no one can.... but when a fireman rescues someone from a burning building we don't ask if he's a Christian, we just rejoice in an act of heroism. Similarly, when I see a piece of art or hear a song that speaks to be, sometimes that speaks to be about my God, I'm not going to throw it out because it came from an unbeliever.

I mean.... there's abundant evidence that Michaelangelo and Carvaggio, 2 of the greatest painters of the Renaissance who did breathtaking biblical art..... were homosexual. Is their work suddenly completely without merit?

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

It sounds to me like people do not want to take the blame for ANYTHING so they must find someway to make it someone elses fault.

I think you hit the nail on the head, with the "music causes immorality" argument (like people blaming Marilyn Manson, at least partially, for the columbine killings).

Yay for buck passing.

 

[JesseB.]

Christian music is getting boring for me. I do not like most of it anymore. New Age music is what I Listen to, but that's just me. Anyways, I have to go now.

 

[StandForTruth]

One question to ask is "what is sin?"Is sin always what the bible says is wrong? I think that what the bible says is Sin is always Sin. But I think that sometimes good things can be sin. Technically to be outside of the will of God is sin, and most of those musicians are verry openly outside of the will of God and say they don't care and when you buy there CD or Enjoy what they are doing than you are saying "you are sinnig and I am entertaining myself with it".

Wha..?

Who in the Pit are you to arbitrarily decide what is the will of God? That sounds like blasphemy, to me.

 

[Jedi Penguins]

One question to ask is "what is sin?"Is sin always what the bible says is wrong? I think that what the bible says is Sin is always Sin. But I think that sometimes good things can be sin. Technically to be outside of the will of God is sin, and most of those musicians are verry openly outside of the will of God and say they don't care and when you buy there CD or Enjoy what they are doing than you are saying "you are sinnig and I am entertaining myself with it".

So what your saying is you should not support anyone that has not professed Christianity? So if one of your loved ones gets sick you better make sure you doctor is a Christian before you let them look at your family member. I would not want you to have to support anybody that is a "sinner"

 

[PreacherFergy]

I wasn't aware that Bono was perfect?

It makes me laugh. One 'mistake' and people will shove it in your face for the rest of your life. How about that?



Firstly how do you know if he's a Christian? Again how do you know the total charities he donates to? Lastly, why should he "pour his money into missions instead" if he is already giving money for AIDS relief? It's his choice to who and where he donates his money not yours.

First of all, I don't believe he is a Christian, and I pray he one day comes to know true salvation in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, all of our works are nothing but filthy rags before God if they're not Cristocentric, or Christ-centered.

Lastly, he cursed PUBLICALLY therefore he should RECANT/apologize publically. That my friend is a Biblical principal.

 

[PreacherFergy]

For one other thing, WHY IN THE WORLD IS THERE CURSING ON A CHRISTIAN FORUM! I unload trucks in the morning on a dock (at UPS) and so I hear quite a bit of cursing at work, and www.christianforums.com is the LAST place I would expect to see any "*" marks where words had to be removed.

Also, "preaching love, acceptance," etc. doesn't get people to the cross of Christ. I guarentee a lot of you Christians on this board are patting other non-believers on the back on their way to hell because you're too scared to do anything else, besides, if you did say something about Christ, you doubt your life would back it up. Please, let God clean out your eyes! Sometimes I feel like Jeremiah weeping over the condition of his people

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Secondly, all of our works are nothing but filthy rags before God if they're not Cristocentric, or Christ-centered.

The overall impression I've gotten so far in this thread is that Bonos' works can be used to prove he's not a Christian, but they can't be taken as evidence that he is.

ie: His cursing publically is a clear indicator that Christ is not the lord of His life..... but his work with horribly sick people in horribly poor nations, his use of his wealth and influence to garner help for the suffering (rather than... well, the way most wealthy folk use theirs), all of this in Jesus' name (about which he is not shy) cannot be any sort of indicator that Jesus IS Lord of his life.

I'm sorry, but talk about taking a one-sided view and looking at things superficially.

You said Christianforums is the last place you'd expect to see someone swear.... well, Christianforums is the last place I myself would expect to see someone hear about a person, motivated by Jesus, sacrificing huge amounts of their time and resources to help the sick and dying in the poorest parts of the world and respond only by asking "what's so great about that?".

 

[Jedi Penguins]

First of all, I don't believe he is a Christian, and I pray he one day comes to know true salvation in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, all of our works are nothing but filthy rags before God if they're not Cristocentric, or Christ-centered.

Lastly, he cursed PUBLICALLY therefore he should RECANT/apologize publically. That my friend is a Biblical principal.

WELL THEN WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD MAKE SOMEBODY A GOOD ENOUGH PERSON TO BE A CHRISTIAN FOR YOU? Jesus yelled at people, Jesus was not the nicest person in the world at all times. Is he a good enough Christian for you? Jesus even causes a riot in a place of worship, PUBLICLY. How dare he!

What if I were to sit here and name every sin you have EVER committed, or wait not even God does that. I seem to remember something about God forgiving us of our sins and then forgetting about them. Should God stop doing this until we confess all our sins publicly? I think we need to know since you seem to be a much better Christian than all of us!

Now the pharisees, they prayed in public. They gave huge amounts of money to the poor. They sat there and though they were better “Christians” than everyone else. They didn’t even think Jesus was good enough to be a Christian. The pharisees are awesome people though, they had that horrible person Jesus hung on a cross for all the things he did wrong.

I say for now on any time somebody commits a sin we hang them to show the non-Christians that this person was not good enough to become a Christian. I tell you what Preacher, I will even let you decide who gets to be hung. No bad examples of Christ will be left in this world.

 

[* kittie *]

i think we've got people focusing on the wrong thing.

seems as if people these days believe "once they rid themselves of this world", they are all right.
do you really think "you're" (anyone...) better than the next because you don't listen to secular music?
if so...you are mistaken.
if not...then why are you criticizing someone else?

if you can't understand something (in this case, the "why christians are listening to secular music"), then you can't judge it. maybe "you'll" understand that one day.

 

[JesseB.]

Well said Jedi Penguin. PreacherFergy, let me tell you something:


GET A LIFE!

 

[Cozmo]

As far as the language on this thread is concerned, I totally agree with PreacherFergy. Some people on this board are worse than the non Christian people I work with everyday. There's a lot to be said when a Christian browses through a board and totally loses track that they are indeed, on a Christian board. Christians that are called out to be different than the rest of the world.

As far as secular music is concerned. For me, I don't care for it. It doesn't bring me closer to God, doesn't put me in a state to want to worship Him or even think of Him. I know plenty of Christians that do like it and if it makes them happy, more power to them. Reminds me of when I was a new Christian back in the early 80's and I would ask other Christians and my pastor if they thought it was wrong to listen to it. Definitely, they would say. It's the devil's music. I had to chuckle at that when I saw and heard a CD collection of Christian musicians making covers of older mainly 80's songs. I'm not saying that all non Christian music is bad to listen to. Some can be real good. The vast majority for me, isn't. As far as U2 is concerned, I've listened to them either directly or indirectly ever since they came out. I have no comment about them except to say that I don't listen to them. They never came off as believers or as a Christian rock group to me.

God bless!

 

[Marissa]

On topic:

Contemporary Christian Music has nothing to offer. I've haven't heard any that I enjoy, that puts me in a state where I want to worship him, or pulls me closer to him. The only christian music I listen to is praise and worship such as Hillsong or vineyard, and I'm already in a mood of worship when I put those CD's on.

Secular music deals with life. I might be a christian, but I still live and those are the songs that speak to me. If something different rocks your boat that's cool. Just don't tell me I have to get rid of my Alan Jackson or my Bon Jovi. I won't be pleased.

 

[blackwasp]

I think everyone could lighten up on preacherfergy. He is just as entitled to his take as anyone else. Telling an individual to 'get a life' on christianforums is bad form and does not demonstrate the love of Christ. I'll be the first to state that christian 'entertainment' music is in a sad state. However, I think that music can be used as an excellent tool for focusing on Christ. If you have problems with many of today's mainstream artists, check out Keith Green, Caedmon's Call, and Rich Mullins instead.

 

[Marissa]

I think everyone could lighten up on preacherfergy. He is just as entitled to his take as anyone else. Telling an individual to 'get a life' on christianforums is bad form and does not demonstrate the love of Christ.

And saying all catholics are going to hell does?

He is entitled to his opinion. We are entitled to an opposing opinion.