Posted on 06/30/2004 3:27:30 AM PDT by RaceBannon
CCM MUSICIANS LOVE SECULAR ROCK
Updated June 30, 2004 (first published June 27, 2001) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
One of the problems with Contemporary Christian Music is its refusal to separate from the world. God's Word is very plain about this matter. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4). Separation from the world is not an option; it is a solemn obligation. Most CCM musicians ignore this warning and remain intimately connected to the world by their love for ungodly secular music.
Some parents and church leaders are of the opinion that Christian rock is safe for kids because at least they are not listening to secular rock or rap or whatever. This argument makes no sense in light of the fact that most CCM musicians are themselves not separated from secular rock. Not only do most CCM musicians listen to secular rock, but they perform secular rock on their albums and in their concerts. Thus young people who are hooked into CCM remain associated with the secular music scene.
While some defenders of Contemporary Christian Music warn about the evil in secular rock, they turn right around and say that it is fine to listen to Christian rock. Steve Peters does this in his 1998 book Truth about Rock. This is a strange position because the Christian rock musicians themselves are certainly listening to every form of secular rock.
Consider some examples of this:
Well, it MUST be satanic if the kid's playing a Les Paul...Now if it was a Fender Telecaster®...
Telecasters are for country music and surf music. Les Pauls are for monster distortion metal and grunge. I prefer the growl of a dual humbucker. I recently retrofitted my stratocaster with 3 duncan hot rail humbuckers. Man what a difference a few humbuckers make!
Very well expounded, thank you.
Roy Buchannon
Ever heard of the DiMarzio Co-axial Humbucker? It wraps both windings around the magnets, and saves the need for rerouting. It came out after i had a DiMarzio Dual Sound Humbucker thrown into my 80 Telly (the guy screwed up the routing too), with a Strat non-tremello bridge.
i don't play much country, not to say that i don't like it.
i miss my 64 Strat, had it stolen off me in 78 when i cleared customs in Boston. None the less, the Telly is a pretty versitile guitar, i've even used mine in improv jazz. It gets the "country bumpkin" reputation cause the Nashville studio musicians prefered it, and it was useful for the twangy high harmonic overtones that country uses. Make no mistake though, the Telly can snarl, bite and chew with the best Les Paul out there.
As a musician, you can't deny your influences. However, you have to be responsivle for how those musical influences affect the music you make--especially lyrically.
I would say if you got saved when your mind and feelings and body were in an altered state when high on cocaine then your salvation experience was more than likely not a true salvation experience but just another part of the effects of the mind altering drug. The whole situation probably needs to be revisted while in a sober state of mind feeling and body.
I know where you'll take this and compare CC music to cocaine but that will not fly. Unless you were taking Christian cocaine. ;^)
***So what "Christian" cult would you be refering to?***
Well, I was thinking of the JWs. And what I meant was this - there is enought of the truth still left in their New World Translation that an earnestly seeking person could find Christ (and soon thereafter leave the cult no doubt.)
***So if my work associate makes a decision for Christ and was drawn to him because of listening to Contemporary Christian Music would his Salvation not be genuine?***
Of course I would never say that. The authenticity of a persons salvation is related to the presence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
But what of my question? Does the fact that a person can potentially come to know Christ throught the New World Translation justify an acceptance of the Jehovahs Witnesses and an ignoring of their errors?
I gave an incomplete answer/comment
the overdose lead to my Conversion 2 years later, long story, different thread
Well PM
Let me start by telling you that My dad is a "missionary' for the JW's in Costa Rica.He and I have had many discussions about Christ and the diety of Christ. My father denies Our Saviors Diety and will pervert the truth of salvation through grace and a belief in Jesus Christ.
So I say that I doubt that a person could come to truly know Christ through the teaching of the cult of Jehovahs Witnesses.(cause man are they skewed)Their errors are so great that Jesus can not be accepted as he needs to be.
Praise God He let something entirely evil be used to draw you to Him. You are in the same company with Job.
Grace you should understand, and then understand that people (CCM artists)that made stupid comments 20 some odd years ago can change thier hearts and long to bring thier audience into our Holy Fathers prescence through the medium of "joyful worship hearted" music.
***Ok, then if I play heavy metal head banging music to the words of scripture, would you approve?***
I would not. But I would say that it would at least be a far cry better than what we see today - which is a large number of "Christian" artist backing further and further away from using even the NAME of Jesus in their works.
***Or is it the style of the music, rather than the content of the lyrics that really bugs you?***
Warning: I'm going to get real esoteric here...
Math underlies Music. Where Music is structured in agreement with the principles of order (mathematics), harmony (balance) and so forth we see the creation of music that is soothing, healing and uplifting to the soul.
Modern music, on the other hand, is really trailing in the wake of modern art - specifically the Post Impressionists, Cubists, Dadaist etc. These artist had lost the belief that the universe was rationally ordered and that's why their paintings became less and less representational and more irrational.
The musical counterpart to this philosophy was jazz and the jarring, crashing dissonance of many of the composers of the 20th century. Irrational and "accidental" music to describe an irrational and accidental world.
Rock is the child of Jazz (or at least greatly influenced by it). The jarring, crashing sounds of the acid rock of the late 60 and its successors Heavy Metal, Punk, Speed Metal etc. ultimately owe their "style" of dissonance to the belief that the world is irrational.
And I don't believe that is an appropriate vehicle to be used in offering up praise to a holy God.
Then they are no longer playing "Christian" music. Christian music is defined by the message, not the medium. A CCM Group can play both Christian and secular music, but I would not consider them a CCM group unless most, if not all their music has a Christian message (not just a moral message, but a clear Christian message ("repent and believe" or "Glory to God")
I prefer groups like Third Day and Delirious? and Big Tent Revival because their message is boldly proclaimed. A lot of groups hide the name of Jesus from their audience, and in my opinion, if they are running from Jesus, then they are not a CCM group.
Now if you want to criticize these guys because their message is watered down or they don't proclaim the Gospel, then I would suspect that every one who has been posting on this thread would agree with you. But if you want to criticize the medium of Contemporary Christian Music, then you better watch for rocks, because a lot of us have been truly blessed by CCM in all genres.
***Your concern about Liberalism and CCM is misplaced. Most CCM musicians that I know are hard core conservative orthodox Christians.***
I wasn't saying CCM is liberal - not at all. Neither are the Seeker-Sensitive churches for the most part.
What I said was this. Theological liberalism started of as a desire to reach the European intellectual by assuming his bias against the supernatural. Articles of Faith repugnant to the intellectual were jettisoned by the Church.
What we face now is a philosophy of ministry which is, as I said, "entirely different from the old Liberalism but ultimately just as deadly." Deadly because it seeks to suppress those elements of the Faith it considers a hindrance to reaching the culture in America. One of those being,
"Do not be CONFORMED to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind"
I generally don't like to do Greek, but this was interesting...
Conformed: "summorphos" - having the same form as another, similar, conformed to.
from: "Sun" - With or beside, accompany
and "Morphe" - the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision, external appearance
***Then they are no longer playing "Christian" music.***
But they are labeled "Christian" in the racks, and their faces are plastered on the walls of Christian bookstores. Undiscerning kids won't see the distinction that you see.
***Christian music is defined by the message, not the medium***
Theoretically yes. Realistically no. CCM is defined by who is in the rack and who is one the cover of CCM.
***But if you want to criticize the medium of Contemporary Christian Music, then you better watch for rocks, because a lot of us have been truly blessed by CCM in all genres.***
Go back and read some of Grammy's posts about the industry. You may have found diamonds in the rough, but I am coming to believe that, as a whole, the industry is in a deplorable spiritual condition.
And, my friend and brother, it isn't getting better with time. It's getting worse.
***So I say that I doubt that a person could come to truly know Christ through the teaching of the cult of Jehovahs Witnesses***
Throught the cult's teachings? No, absolutley not!!!
My contention was that an earnestly seeking person could pick up a JW Bible and still find in it (even with their multitude of gross mistranslation) enough truth to come to Christ.
That is all. I in no way support the JWs.
***My contention was that an earnestly seeking person could pick up a JW Bible and still find in it (even with their multitude of gross mistranslation) enough truth to come to Christ.***
I know rthe above is true because I have heard of people who have lead JWs to salvation using the JW Bible, the New World Translation.
***Those who are destroying the church from within are not the ones who wear freaky hairdos and play loud music, but the one who wear silk robes and act holy and reserved and sanction homosexual unions.***
Did you ever see the movie, "A Thief in the Night"?
I saw it in 3rd grade and never forgot the protrayal of the apostate minister and his huge church.
I agree with you on the JW's and really don't want to get into them right now.
But coming to Christ seems to be the issue. I know that Many CCM Musicians hearts are for thier listeners to come to Christ and that the music that they sing and write is to be used for that purpose.
I hate blanket brush strokes saying all are like one because one bad musicain is involved. I also understand that people change as they grow in the Lord and want to grow closer to Him in thier walk.
Now if you want to criticize these guys because their message is watered down or they don't proclaim the Gospel, then I would suspect that every one who has been posting on this thread would agree with you. But if you want to criticize the medium of Contemporary Christian Music, then you better watch for rocks, because a lot of us have been truly blessed by CCM in all genres.
Well said Marlowe
I think its the blessing that keeps on getting missed
***I agree with you on the JW's and really don't want to get into them right now.***
Right. Agreed. Then let's got back to my question...
"I believe there is enough truth in certain "Christian" cults for a truly seeking person to come to know the Lord. Does that mean the errors of those cults should be ignored?"
Which was in response to your statement:
"If one is saved from listening to Contemporary Christian music is it worth it?"
With the obvious point being that just because people may come to Christ through CCM does that justify turning a blind eye to the darker side of the industry.
That is very pragmatic, but I honestly don't see that sort of utilitarian countenancing of sin in the NT just so people can get saved. We never see in the NT things like...
"Hey! Peter's cheating on his wife...
...but look at how many people are coming to Christ through his ministry!!!
Better keep quiet."
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