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Christian music
Ta-da: my first real discussion thread! (thank you, thank you *bow*)
How much of what you guys listen to is "Christian" music and how much is
"secular"?
I've had personal issues with this for several years now - one of the
reasons I lost touch w/ OTR. I went to a church that was really heavy handed
on listening to Christian music and nothing else. . .so when I was a
teenager I listened to ALL Christian music and a few odd secular bands here
and there. I went to Cornerstone every year. Then I went to college, got out
into the world and suddenly discovered some Christians do in fact listen to
secular music! And they seemed like pretty good people too! :D I decided to
join my husband-to-be's church (Lutheran) which was not so exclusive on
Christian music. Those at my former church treated me like an outcast once I
decided this - apparently my new church was not good enough for them :(
Then I went through a phase where I didn't want to listen to any Christian
music, because of the bad feelings with my former church experience. I've
just recently comes to terms with it and have been able to dust off my old
Christian music CDs and enjoy them again. But I also have learned to like
secular bands like REM, U2, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles,
etc.
One question I've always had about Christian music is: what is the goal?
Singing to the choir? If it's to evangelize, how's it gonna do that if it's
only sold in Christian music stores to other Christians? Non-Christians sure
aren't gonna be shopping there. Or maybe hope that one day somehow a
non-Christian will happpen to flip through the radio stations and hear it?
Also, I think secular music can be a conduit to God's truth as well. If we
listen only to Christian music, we'll miss out on what non-Christians are
going through everyday. Music is an outlet for people's pain, hopes, dreams.
And God's truth is apparent in all of creation, so how can non-Christians be
blind to it?
U2 is a band that got pegged as "Christian" (pre-1991 era) and people
started expecting them to act in certain ways because they sang about God.
They rebelled with their 1991 Achtung Baby album "The sound of chopping down
the Joshua Tree" Bono has said. Even though they swear, drink, sing about
sin, they still believe in God and have a wonderful spirituality to their
music. It's just more honest a portrayal of life, IMO. The Bible's got the
sinners and the saints mixed together in one book, so why can't music be the
same?
Also, do Christians buy Christian music just because it's Christian? I
always got this feeling like we were competing with the secular music
industry or something. Trying to prove ourselves in our separate little
world. Maybe that's not true but that's how I felt at the time. I think OTR
is a band that can stand on its own feet for its music and creativity.
Whether they're called "Christian" or not is not important to me. Although
as a Christian I'll feel deep meaning in the songs about God, I mostly
listen to them because I like them. Pretty much I listen to bands that are
unique and have depth of meaning and emotion. Regardless of which category
they get put in.
This is not meant to blast the Christian music industry - it's just honest
questions I've been wanting to ask! :)
Sarah
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