The Blasphemy Awards for Music (for June 2015)

BARBWIRE.com ^ | June 20, 2015 | Jonathon Moseley

[Moseley]

The greatest force now unfolding on planet Earth – driving all the events of history – is the Church abandoning Christ.

With a few important exceptions, the Christian Church has stopped being Christian. The Ex-Church doesn’t really believe in an actual God at all anymore.

In modern America, the majority of Christians now reject the actual gospel of Jesus Christ. Sin doesn’t matter anymore. You don’t need to repent these days. Just like the joke about how to get rich in your sleep without even trying, now we can be forgiven without ever feeling regret, without changing our behavior, and without making restitution to those we have wronged.

And of course society is following this downward spiral into depravity and darkness.

However, there is a massive, dominant mechanism for spreading a message throughout the churches of America: Christian music and Christian radio. Christian radio should be a bastion of God’s truth, a stronghold for the Lord’s army. But instead it is starting to spread secular humanism, the importance of mankind above God, and salvation by human effort (the social gospel).

Earlier this year, the founder of one of America’s biggest Christian music bands renounced Christ. If that surprises anyone, they haven’t been paying attention. George Perdikis of the News Boys admitted his focus was never on God: “All I wanted to do was create and play rock and roll… and yet most of the attention I received was focused on how well I maintained the impossible standards of religion. I wanted my life to be measured by my music, not by my ability to resist temptation.”

So the News Boys founder was never in it for God. And describing Christianity as “maintaining impossible standards” proves that Perdikis has never experienced genuine Christianity.

[humblegunner]

How does your “writing” on Barber’s blog constitute “News”?

[lightman]

Perdikis.

Perverted.

Perdition.

It has a strong beat.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

When you have the most important Christian voice in the world using his platform to push junk science and socialism instead of morality it’s easy to see why people are jumping ship.

[marron]

According to Wiki he left the band in 1990.

[marron]

From “We Believe” by News Boys

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He’s comin’ back again, we believe

[joethedrummer]

George Perdakis never even understood Christianity. I just read one of his interviews online.

He thinks Christianity is all about a bunch of impossible rules that we are required to keep. That’s pretty much what he said.

Yep, God’s “rules” ARE impossible for us to keep. THAT is where true Christianity begins. -That Jesus Christ ALONE took care of this for every one of us who will simply accept Him for that.

I feel bad for George. He now is a follower of Richard Dawkins... sheesh...

[EEGator]

[DLfromthedesert]

Michael Tait is a Christian.

[uptowngirl]

It seems people are not very discerning anymore and there is so much Christian music out there these days - some good, some bad. I’m attracted to very little of the current Christian music and musicians. Christian music is pretty much just a business - with number one hits and it’s own awards show, based on sales.

[elpadre]

this guy doesn’t go to church around here. They are all, regardless of denomination and to the best of my knowledge, solid Christian. IMO it is the Christian churches in the nation who are holding the country together, But the job is getting more difficult with the onslaught of a sleazy society. Hopefully all communities have the bedrock of Christianity on which to stand.

[BraveMan]

A One Man Band, Philosophical Man
Didn't Lie When He Said To Us.
I've Seen the High Rollers Come And Go,
Its The Holy Rollers I Trust.

Gordon Lightfoot, "I'd Do It Again"

[Squawk 8888]

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[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

So...one apostate guy who no longer plays with Newsboys negates the entire credibility of the entire genre? Sounds like something Satan would be proud to spread around. In the meantime millions of Christians will continue to listen to Newsboys, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, etc. and will continue to worship the true and living God along with them. That’s something Satan would dearly love to quash.

[RansomOttawa]

What a bizarre screed.

The first few paragraphs are difficult to argue against, but then the author goes into this rant about the Newsboys and George Perdikis that seems apropos of nothing.

First, Perdikis left the band in 1990—two or three years before anyone had heard of them. Ironically, in the 1990s their producer was Steve Taylor, a singer-songwriter who was notorious for songs that satirized the same kind of shallow Christianity you appear to be opposing.

Second, "Newsboys" is one word. Far be it from me to base an argument on a spelling flame, but the fact that you persistently misspell a word that appears on every one of their album covers, suggests strongly that you have not looked at any of their music, let alone listened to it. It's generally considered helpful to have even a basic knowledge of your subject matter before you presume to critique it.

Finally, the connection between the Newsboys and admittedly lightweight Christian music like "Speak Life" appears to be nonexistent.

[Moseley]

So...one apostate guy who no longer plays with Newsboys negates the entire credibility of the entire genre?

Who says we are talking about the entire genre? Where are you getting that from?

I have Christian music playing most of the day as I work at home or drive around. There are many powerful Christian songs, modern ones.

But one criteria for a life-giving Christian song is that the writer and the performers (a) actually BELIEVE in God, (b) actually have met God and know God, and (c) actually have experienced God so they can speak out of their relationship with God.

But there is a philosophy being spread throughout the Christian world changing the meaning of Christianity from being focused on God to being focused on ourselves -- from our new Quasi-Pope to Joel Osteen to the anti-Christian teaching of "seeker friendly" churches to Christian radio stations.

A Christian radio station whose biggest challenge to Christians is to encourage obesity and heart disease by paying for the fast food of people behind them in line in the drive through, they really have no idea what Christianity is about.

Are you sure that you know Christ?

No one who has encountered God and who knows Jesus would put the emphasis on our own human efforts -- which are pathetic in comparison.

If you had a futuristic flying car would you ride a bicycle (other than for exercise)?

Christian music by those who have never met Jesus unavoidably focuses on human effort, not on God, because they have never met God.

[Moseley]

Then how about this Christian musician who just renounced Christ in June 2014?

Perdikis is not the first high-profile Christian rocker to reject Christ. Heavy metal Christian rock star Tim Lambesis last June told the world he's an atheist. Not only that, he told the Alternative Press he figures only 1 in 10 Christian bands he toured with were actually Christians.

"I actually wasn't the first guy in As I Lay Dying to stop being a Christian," Lambesis said. "In fact, I think I was the third. The two who remained kind of stopped talking about it, and then I'm pretty sure they dropped it too. We talked about whether to keep taking money from the 'Christian market.'"

NOTE: From Lambeis' experience in the world of Christian music, he says NOT 1 IN 10 CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN CHRISTIANITY.

They were just in it for the money, Lambeis says.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/47998-newsboys-cofounder-denounces-christianity-i-m-now-an-atheist

[Moseley]

From “We Believe” by News Boys

But he didn't believe, did he?

Do you think someone who does not believe in God can lead others in worshipping God?

Other than that, I fail to see what your point is.

Perdikis and Lambeis tell us that not 1 in 10 of those in the Christian music scene actually believe what they are singing.

[Moseley]

George Perdakis never even understood Christianity. I just read one of his interviews online.

And that is the saddest thing of all. Our response should not be "bad Perdikis" ... but "HOW TRAGIC" that someone could come that close to the Christian community AND NEVER LEARN what Christianity means and what Christianity is about and who Jesus is.

How tragic that Perdikis will never know Jesus or go to heaven (unless something changes in the future) because NO ONE EVER TOLD HIM CLEARLY what Christianity actually is.

And so if we continue to allow Christian songs that tell us that Christianity is just MEALS ON WHEELS and making people smile....

WON'T THERE BE MILLIONS OF PERDIKIS's WHO ALMOST KNEW what Christianity is -- but not quite enough?

As long as the Christian airwaves are filled with songs about "Jesus in Disguise" == meals on wheels, say something nice to someone, pat someone on the back,

won't there be MILLIONS of Perdikis lined up at the gates of heaven demanding to know....

WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US .... WHAT CHRISTIANITY REALLY IS?

How could you pay for fast food for the people in line in the drive-through AND NEVER TELL ANYONE WHO JESUS REALLY IS?

[Moseley]

So...one apostate guy who no longer plays with Newsboys negates the entire credibility of the entire genre?

Are you saying you cannot discern between a good Christian song and a bad one?

You are just assuming that if they call it Christian, you will swallow what they are selling hook, line, and sinker, without discernment?