Posted on 12/07/2004 12:06:09 PM PST by LouAvul
The growing clout of America's 100-million evangelical Christians is being heard loud and clear. Just turn on your radio, and you'll notice that a seismic shift in American culture is taking place.
Before, you could tune into different stations, which offered different music and different messages.
But now, as Correspondent Bob Simon reports on 60 Minutes Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT,, evangelical Christian music is flowing into mainstream media -- and changing it. In fact, Christian entertainment now brings in $4 billion a year.
Rappers and rockers are making hits and making money while spreading the gospel to national audiences. Christian groups can be heard on secular radio and seen on "The Tonight Show." Earlier this year, the group Third Day even played at the Republican National Convention.
"The fact that there are Christian themes now emerging in rock and that Christians are in rock is just representative of a spiritual desire or a spiritual hunger in our culture," says Cameron Strang, publisher of Relevant Magazine, a religious publication.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Well, I'm not the only one who noticed that you changed the nature of your question during the course of the discussion. If looking back to see what you did is too much work for you, I'm comfortable with that.
You missed my point.
I'm not talking about the words of the songs. I'm talking about the style of music.
And I'm giving you specific examples. If any style of music is acceptable to you as Christian music..why couldn't the songs I mentioned be used to promote a Gospel message?
The fact is these songs are inappropriate because the style is reflective if the inspiration behind it. Which is not Holy or deserving of the Gospel message.
Just as an aside, why do so many white church-goers clap out of beat? I mean, why can't a Methodist put a little soul in his soul...?
"Sorry, brother, I'm too busy working on my laugh and tongues to spend much time on that. Then I've got to brush up on my reading of "Rolling Stone Magazine" to find out if my favorite Christian rock group is mentioned. Busy, busy, busy.
“Wherefore we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).
Do you know the Bible doesn't explicitly forbid urinating in the pulpit? Must be acceptable practice today.
And what do the Pharisees have to do with this discussion?
Clapping on one and three, you mean...and the answer is that I have NO idea. : )
"Can't you see you're not making Christianity better, you're just making rock n' roll worse."
Oh, I see. So your argument is, essentially, that when someone pens a song and they decide to put a heavy beat to it, such as "Praise Christ who saved me from my sins", they are really, deep down, doing it with demonic intentions. Sorry, but I find your argument to be severely lacking.
I realize that - but when you use, as an example, "Highway to Hell" instead of a similar song with ?Christian lyrics, it tells me your argument isn't sincere.
And I'm giving you specific examples. If any style of music is acceptable to you as Christian music..why couldn't the songs I mentioned be used to promote a Gospel message?
Give me an example of the kind of thing we're discussing - not "Highway to Hell", Jorge. And please don't pretend you don't see the distinction - you're smarter than that.
I can take the tune of any hymn you want - how 'bout "Amazing Grace" - and add lyrics that are evil, satanic, and clearly unpleasing to God. Does that mean hymms aren't acceptable praise songs?
I don't listen to Christian rock to be a witness to my friends, I listen because it's catchy music with a good message. It's got a beat and I can dance to it. I'd rather do that with lyrics than honor God, than lyrics that honor the singer's current girlfriend.
I appreciate your remarks on this thread.
Excellent point.
I thought it was useful to this discussion to hear from Jesus himself regarding what is clean and what is unclean. He seems to be saying its what is in the heart that is important. If so, then the same music can be good and bad depending on the heart of the person making it.
It's really distressing you have people upset that music praising Christ and portraying positive messages is making inroads in a culture that was previously only served by songs promoting promiscuity, violence, profanity, depression, suicide, etc. I can't believe it. It's pathetic, really.
Uhhhh...Maybe, it was about the washing of the hands.
You see, this is the favorite mode of attack today. When I questioned the propriety of the Desperate Housewives introduction to Monday Night Football, I was called a Pharisee. If someone criticises Howard Stern, that person is a Pharisee. If you exercise any discernment with regard to propriety in worship . . . you are a "church lady" or a "pastor's wife" or a "Pharisee."
Please explain how you think the idea of Demonic music is a laughing matter.
Do you believe the "notion" of the Devil is a myth?
Perhaps you think the realm of music is immune from Satan's influence?
The above statement of yours explains why you take the liberal position you do on ALL musical styles being acceptable means of preaching the Gospel message.
IMHO you are very naive.
And the fact that you didn't find a problem with "fleshy rhythms" shows that you are not very familiar with the New Testament.
37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."
Unfortunately, this sinful woman hadn't spent enough time around the Pharisee to know she was worshipping Christ the wrong way....
I wouldn't phrase it as "scaring people to Christ..." so much as a message of Light and Hope by showing the contrast - life with Christ versus "life" without...
ROTFL.
The point was not the pharisee's, the point was the following teaching by Christ Himself:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[4] "
10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "
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