Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rocking For Christ
cbs ^ | 12-7-04

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: christianmedia; christianmusic; evangelicals; music; radio; rockmusicisthedevil; thirdday
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 841-853 next last
To: THE MODERATE
And if that, Rock Music, is what it takes to get you in church I have no real problem with it, I just do not wish to hear myself.

Thanks. I appreciate that this thread is staying fairly civil (bad witness when we Christians start attacking each other over stuff like music). Just for clarity, I was in church for many years with just the pipe organ and traditional hymns, and would still be there if necessary. Fortunately, I was able to be involved in creating a new worship service which is reaching many young people who simply would not be hearing about Christ if they had to listen to hymns and pipe organ. It's a mission field thing. (p.s. we kept our traditional service intact as well, and it too is reaching new people for Christ, just different ones)

81 posted on 12/07/2004 1:25:54 PM PST by LikeLight ("You will regret any attempts to turn these posts into a comic book.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: THE MODERATE
But perhaps when you are a little old, or maybe not, you will find yourself wanting a break from it, I have in the last decade grown an appreciation of Classical Music and church seems to be the best place to hear it.

I love well-executed classical music, and certainly don't mind sitting through it at church - but what stirs me, and seems to speak to me, is the music I identify with (which for me is R&B). Maybe the difference between me and some other people is that as long as it's well-executed, I am happy to hear anything in church, knowing that it's ministering to someone. Maybe it's not me that time...but maybe next time it will be. Whatever is done well and glorifies the Lord is a good thing, imo.

82 posted on 12/07/2004 1:27:40 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
I agree that contemporary music is a must to reach the youth of today. But we must measure the message that the music is sending through its lyrics to ascertain if it is the gospel message, which is plainly; without our acceptance of the sacrifice that Christ made to remedy our sinful nature and a total change of heart regarding that sinful nature, we are destined to an eternity apart from God. In essence, if we are to lead our brothers and sisters to the understanding and acceptance of God's mercy and are charged with being clear on that when witnessing to others, the words we use (lyrics) must be obvious to that end.
83 posted on 12/07/2004 1:27:42 PM PST by seedman81 (Better to die in Christ and gain life than to live my way and lose in the end)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: LouAvul

84 posted on 12/07/2004 1:27:54 PM PST by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LikeLight

We have both services. I like the contemporary service with the rock band but my wife believes that any music written after she was born is as useless as teats on a boar hog.


85 posted on 12/07/2004 1:27:59 PM PST by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut

my dog isn't in this fight, but it looks like a good place for me to say that I don't listen to "Christian" music, per se: though I love it when Christians make music -- good music.


86 posted on 12/07/2004 1:28:17 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (if a man lives long enough, he gets to see the same thing over and over.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut

Yeah, I'm not a big rap fan either... :-)


87 posted on 12/07/2004 1:28:41 PM PST by proud_2_B_texasgal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy
I always say to them "It's not about YOU.

Right on. First sentence from "The Purpose Driven Life," the national best-seller by Rick Warren...

"It's not about you."

You'll have to read the rest of the book for a full explanation.

By the way, I love your tagline. When you get tired of it, I'm interested. I collect used taglines.

88 posted on 12/07/2004 1:30:39 PM PST by The Citizen Soldier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut
The danger of watering down the Gospel, is it can lead people into 'shallow christianity' which makes them easy prey for cults claiming to be Christian.

I would argue that it's not the fault of a Christian rock band if that happens. They are doing what God is calling them to do. I know jazz musicians - instrumental jazz musicians - who spend a lot of time on their ministry. There are NO lyrics in their music, but they are doing what God called them to do, and using their craft to glorify Him. How could anyone be critical of that?

89 posted on 12/07/2004 1:34:03 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand

I'm 51. I used to own a few Second Chapter records, and saw them as sort of a Christian "ABBA." Yes, some was very good, but I sort of see them as part of a major transition of Christian music to the more "mainstream sounding" stuff we have today. A lot of the Christian music I listened to back then, I listened to because I was "suposed" to like it. It's like enjoying the music of a band where the members are all friends, vs today when you like the music, even double blind tested, i.e. not because you know the band. It is an objective appreciation.

And not aimed at you, but must be said:

To suggest that Christian musicians must produce "Christian" music is like suggesting that "Christian" attorneys and plumbers must only do "Christian" jobs, whatever that would mean.


90 posted on 12/07/2004 1:36:02 PM PST by RobRoy (Science is about "how." Christianity is about "why.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet

I agree it's not only the bands fault, there is a decided lack of decipling new Christians and training in basic theology. And that is a problem that extends to the whole body of believers.


91 posted on 12/07/2004 1:38:24 PM PST by reaganaut (Red state girl in a Blue state world (Socialist Republic of California))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut

"My concern is that the bands water down the Gospel and it becomes more of a "feel good" message than a salvation message."

Agreed. If I walk in to a church and see a drum and/or an electronic keyboard, I'm outta there. Am church pianist and refuse to play the insipid, inane, shallow, droning, whiny choruses that are popular now. (Mom calls them "7-11 songs -- 7 words repeated 11 times.) It's just the religious verion of dumbing down that's prevalent in all area of society and education. God help us (so to speak) if we should sing hymns that are theologically substantive.


92 posted on 12/07/2004 1:39:02 PM PST by MayflowerMadam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: seedman81

If the lyrics are not detrimental, I see no problem with them. As I just said in another post, I know musicians in ministry who don't even sing, and whose drive is to perform music with a high degree of skill for the purpose of glorifying Christ.

God can even use music that doesn't have lyrics to reach people, imo.

If the Holy Spirit is speaking to someone, music may (and probably will) be just part of the picture to that person's understanding of salvation.


93 posted on 12/07/2004 1:39:57 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Zechariah11

"Then there is the 7-11 music: seven word lyrics sung eleven times"

That is so true! Sometimes I feel like the heathen that the Bible describes repeating their prayers. It seems we often repeat phrases in songs over and over again waiting for that worshipful "feeling" or whatever the goal is that a songs repetition is suppose to bring. Usually this seems to be done with the song just before the Sunday morning sermon to get us in the "right mood". A good chorus of Blessed Assurance would do better for me.

I'm not saying this to down music with a beat (I love music from Steve Taylor to Switchfoot) but some of the churches out there need to stop trying so hard to manipulate emotions with repetative praise verses Sunday morning. IMHO, It goes from praise to what the Bible was talking about when heathen repeat their words. If we are not to do it when we pray, then I don't think we should when we sing for worship either.


94 posted on 12/07/2004 1:40:30 PM PST by RC20
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: cyclotic

I liked Steve Camp's version of "O Holy Night," but it's hard to find anymore.


95 posted on 12/07/2004 1:42:03 PM PST by ncdrumr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy
To suggest that Christian musicians must produce "Christian" music is like suggesting that "Christian" attorneys and plumbers must only do "Christian" jobs, whatever that would mean.

THAT's what I was trying to say!

96 posted on 12/07/2004 1:42:26 PM PST by proud_2_B_texasgal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy
To suggest that Christian musicians must produce "Christian" music is like suggesting that "Christian" attorneys and plumbers must only do "Christian" jobs, whatever that would mean.

Good analogy.

97 posted on 12/07/2004 1:44:07 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: proud_2_B_texasgal

LOL - me too.


98 posted on 12/07/2004 1:44:34 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

I haven't heard it, but I will check it out. (Glad you're on this thread.)


99 posted on 12/07/2004 1:46:41 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Wannabe Princess)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: MayflowerMadam
insipid, inane, shallow, droning, whiny choruses that are popular now

Totally YOUR opinion, and kinda rude too. Nobody here is calling traditional church hymns long,boring,dead-a-century-ago,funeral music. Just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean that it doesn't reach people.

100 posted on 12/07/2004 1:46:42 PM PST by proud_2_B_texasgal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 841-853 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson