tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post7983936179591454344..comments2023-07-02T02:35:30.651-07:00Comments on Joanna muses: Beyond the "Christian music" debateJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02202063723994341973noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-78229989250585063902009-02-06T09:04:00.000-08:002009-02-06T09:04:00.000-08:00Good topic. I think you have a good take on it all...Good topic. I think you have a good take on it all too. I was around during the early days of ccm doing album covers so I saw the transition of the medium from a great evangelical tool to big business. What I think a lot of believers don't know is that years ago, when large corporate record companies and book publishers discovered there was money to be made from christian books and recordings... they gradually bought out almost all of the Christian publishers and record companies... as well as the main distribution company most Christian bookstores get their materials from. What that means is that the bottom line for those companies is no longer content or truth, but what will sell the most, and that 90% of what people are buying there is produced by non-christian businesses. A lot of them left the previous owners in place as figure heads... but people need to really look at what they are listening to and reading like you suggest.<BR/><BR/>I believe that Christian art in general is best when it is either building up and challenging the body, or taking the truth of the gospel out into the world where people's lives can be touched by it. Some of my favorite songs don't even overtly mention Jesus and yet his fingerprints are all over it and they start dialogue... just like the parables. David Wilcox's "Show the Way" is a good example of that for me.Raw Faith Real Worldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08741053549418881401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-13160462016177233102009-02-04T03:37:00.000-08:002009-02-04T03:37:00.000-08:00Thanks Joanna. Not feeling condemned at all! Just ...Thanks Joanna. Not feeling condemned at all! Just a subject that I find confusing because I can see the point of doing it differently than I do :D If that makes any sense, haha.<BR/>Great topic, btw.nessiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14551544328220837176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-2162628437850365592009-02-03T21:51:00.000-08:002009-02-03T21:51:00.000-08:00Hi Nessie, Please don't feel in anyway condemned i...Hi Nessie, <BR/>Please don't feel in anyway condemned if you don't go by this criteria. They are just my attempts at working through this issue, not law. I hope that what i have posted will prove useful but people have to take into account their own particular weaknesses and convictions on these issuesJoannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202063723994341973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-44978463919041128152009-02-03T21:37:00.000-08:002009-02-03T21:37:00.000-08:00Hi JoannaI really struggle with this one, and by t...Hi Joanna<BR/><BR/>I really struggle with this one, and by this I don't mean struggle internally, but more to do with the fact that I don't think it's wrong to listen to music that falls outside of those criteria, even though I do get frowns from some christians. I once threw away a couple of CDs that I knew were harmful to me because what they sang about really affected and influenced me because I already had extremely negative associations with the music. <BR/>Yet I still read books that have 'un-Christian' themes and storylines, still watch movies that some of my christian friends avoid, and still listen to music that doesn't meet all of the criteria you listed, and I STILL don't believe there is anything wrong with it. I think it comes down to your conscience, and whether or not you know something is a weakness to you or can harm you. I've stopped watching certain movies, reading certain books and listening to certain music because of this, but I still listen to a lot of music that doesn't meet the 'christian' criteria.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-32503715022333720362009-02-03T20:26:00.000-08:002009-02-03T20:26:00.000-08:00I had a look on iTunes, seems like Joel Osteen's m...I had a look on iTunes, seems like Joel Osteen's ministry has put out a few CD's. They quite possibly have more biblical substance than his books.Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202063723994341973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-56465793962225373302009-02-03T18:57:00.000-08:002009-02-03T18:57:00.000-08:00Personally, I'm waiting for Joel and Victoria Olst...Personally, I'm waiting for Joel and Victoria Olsteen to release a CD. I'm sure they'd sell a bajillion copies, thereby proving your point.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, I don't listen to exclusively Christian music. Frankly, the local station plays the same songs over and over again. It's annoying. One of my favorite songs is written and performed by someone whose faith I am unsure of, but the lyrics were certainly convicting for me:<BR/><A HREF="http://katdish.blogspot.com/2008/11/conviction.html" REL="nofollow">I May Know the Word</A><BR/><BR/>And just to give a shout out, one of my all time favorite worship songs is "Your Unfailing Love" by Hillsongs, Austrailiakatdishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09210738418270395622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-53203024355009766962009-02-03T12:41:00.000-08:002009-02-03T12:41:00.000-08:00That's a great test - one that most music unfortun...That's a great test - one that most music unfortunately doesn't pass! I've lost so much interest in music over the last few years because it's offensive to my senses, besides being offensive to my sensibilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-45477676286462054832009-02-03T04:22:00.000-08:002009-02-03T04:22:00.000-08:00Yep, Much of U2's stuff is a prime example of the ...Yep, Much of U2's stuff is a prime example of the problems with classifying it based on where it is sold or how many times they say Jesus in the song rather than looking at what the song is saying. 40 is such a great song.Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202063723994341973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1811341036769434770.post-27182014013872665532009-02-03T04:11:00.000-08:002009-02-03T04:11:00.000-08:00For me, the line keeps blurring. For instance U2'...For me, the line keeps blurring. For instance U2's 40 is taken right from Psalm 40. What could glorify God more? <BR/><BR/>What category would it fall into?<BR/><BR/>It doesn't mention Jesus.<BR/><BR/>It isn't sold in a "Christian Bookstore".<BR/><BR/>Not all the band members are Christians.<BR/><BR/>Then there is classical music. Those that don't like "Christian Rock" will flock to classical or hymns. Some of the nicer classical pieces were written by people caught in the same sin traps we see today and not Christ followers at all. Many hymns have theological issues... Sometimes we miss this so often, we follow the hymn more than the BibleJoelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202249781984033516noreply@blogger.com