A few days ago I was listening to "Oceans," a song off of Hillsongs Zion album, and I was absentmindedly scrolling through the comments. As you might suspect, there were some rather "unchristian" comments and commenters to be found. It was not the random anti-Jesus posts amidst the many worshipful posts that surprised me, it was one of the last comments on the page that caught me off guard. I won't be quoting the post here, but it did claim that the arm movements of the singer were of the occultic womb, it grouped catholic and witches together, claimed that her crescendos supported the occultic womb thing, claimed that because of all the symbolism being used they couldn't attribute it to simple coincidence, they said the star of David was the same as a pentagram, and to conclude, they said the circular stage was the equivalent of worshiping the universe...and such. I wasn't sure what he was going on about....The Hillsong concert at which the video was taken was the Colour Conference at the Sydney Opera House (or so someone else said).
It wasn't even the obscure cultish claims that I had the biggest problem with,--those left me mostly just confused--it was a claim he (or she) made in the middle about something completely different. They said, "also, rock and roll is of the devil so this is definitely not a christian song."
First off, I must question their logic. What they are saying is that Hillsong, a group formed straight out of a church, is not a Christian group. What? I'm wasn't even sure how to respond. It was the claim before that which bugged me most, however, "rock and roll is of the devil." Now, this claim I sort of understand. I DON'T agree, but I understand it far more than them saying Hillsong were not Christian.
After questioning what this guy (girl) was on about, I wanted to do some research. I found a couple of sites that gave me what they thought were their top reasons why "rock and roll" was against God or the rules for ANY music to be Christian. I found verses that "supported" their arguments and "reasons" that stated why rock supported Satan (especially those Christian rockers "who are just deceivers").
My next step was to look up some of these verses. Upon looking these up I noticed one thing, these verses that supposedly supported their arguments did not address music directly, but rather a list of values. It is true that famous "rock stars" don't have a reputation for being the most wholesome of people, but this cannot be attributed to the music. Music DOES have an effect on people, but this effect is specific to the person. People are bad role models, not music. What I found hilarious, was that there happened to be two verses I saw that directly addressed music, but the article I found them in disregarded them as not relevant.
So, the verses were inconclusive on the music, what about the reasons? The reasons I found seemed to just reiterate the the same values arguments--which kind of begs the question why didn't I start with the reasons then talk about the verses that supported them (whoops). Some of the reasons I found, and this is an abbreviated list, are these...
1. Rock encourages the use of illegal drugs.
2. Rock promotes promiscuity and "whoredom."
3. Rock encourages us not to read our bibles.
4. Drums are the instrument of Satan.
Ok, so...what? This is just four of a bunch of reasons I found, and I'm just speechless. There was one reason that included a short bit about how rock promoted false peace that distracted us from a war that God ordained us to win. I digress....My point is that these reasons don't encompass the music, they address the people who play it. Granted, in the past, you have seen these traits exhibited a lot by rock artists, but these are not traits ONLY exhibited by rock musicians. Let's look at the other end of the spectrum: classical music. Classical artists can also do these things. Classical music also uses drums, classical artists also use drugs, and they can also sleep around. The problem isn't the music, it's the people. It's all about people.
That's it. When it comes down to it, we only have God to look to, and the bible does not have anything explicitly against rock music. It is people who would rather blame the whole company for the actions of a few people. Rather than putting thought into the actions of people, it would seem easier just to blame their beliefs, but that doesn't make it right.
I happen to love rock music, but I tried to take as little bias as I could. I looked up the majority of the verses I was presented with and in conclusion I have only this to say, follow God. When in doubt and in times of trial, look to Jesus. The music you listen to does not necessarily dictate who you are, it only does if you follow the bad examples the music industry has given to us. Why let those standards stay though? I say we ought to show a new face of rock. Let's change the standard. Be honest and Godly people. Allow God to envelop your music, even if it isn't directly Christian allow the Holy Spirit soak your life and His love bleed through.
*UPDATE* I have no idea why part of the article is highlighted, I've tried to fix it and...I can't, I'm ashamed. I'm sorry guys!
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Christian Identity.
In the light of recent happenings with famed Christian metal vocalist of As I Lay Dying, Tim Lambesis, I wish to speak on the importance of identifying ourselves in Christ.
As people, and especially to us in this younger generation, it is becoming increasingly easy to let ourselves become wrapped up in the latest big artist. As this happens, we begin to identify with this person as a form of our own identity. We read about their daily lives, not noticing that while doing so we begin emulating it. We constantly look to others as a models for what our lives should look like, not realizing that we shouldn't be basing our lives off of anything from this world.
I am close with some people who are confessed "metal heads," who were legitimately let down (not to say they were reliant upon him for identity) upon reading about Tim Lambesis fall into what we here will call "major sin." The confessed Christian had been a beacon of light for many young Christians who wished to be apart of the metal scene yet keep their faith. He showed many thousands, no-doubt, of young Christian "metal heads" that it was indeed possible to have a strong faith in Jesus Christ yet participate in the metal scene. Needless to say, with his fall came much disappointment.
In this dark time though I would like to offer some consolation. There is a much bigger person to keep our hope in. A person who will never fall to the sins of our broken world, a person who knows you personally and loves you deeper than the oceans. As followers of God we ought to keep our identity in Him. He is our perfect example of life and will never reject you, even when you reject Him. Our Lord sent His only son to live a perfect life and die upon the cross so that we could have eternal life with our Father. This is not given permission to sin, but a consolation that in sin we are forgiven.
Why keep your person in a sinful, Earthly being when God gave us the ever perfect example of life? Why be disappointed in the fall when you can be exuberant in the return? You can be disappointed, however, remember that people are sinful regardless of their status or faith. Love the sinner, not the sin.
I know that my prayers go out to Tim as he faces his fate and that he realizes the error of his ways. I don't condone what has been done, but I pray that as Lambesis walks in the coming years that he comes back to his former faith and repents of his sinful actions.
As people, and especially to us in this younger generation, it is becoming increasingly easy to let ourselves become wrapped up in the latest big artist. As this happens, we begin to identify with this person as a form of our own identity. We read about their daily lives, not noticing that while doing so we begin emulating it. We constantly look to others as a models for what our lives should look like, not realizing that we shouldn't be basing our lives off of anything from this world.
I am close with some people who are confessed "metal heads," who were legitimately let down (not to say they were reliant upon him for identity) upon reading about Tim Lambesis fall into what we here will call "major sin." The confessed Christian had been a beacon of light for many young Christians who wished to be apart of the metal scene yet keep their faith. He showed many thousands, no-doubt, of young Christian "metal heads" that it was indeed possible to have a strong faith in Jesus Christ yet participate in the metal scene. Needless to say, with his fall came much disappointment.
In this dark time though I would like to offer some consolation. There is a much bigger person to keep our hope in. A person who will never fall to the sins of our broken world, a person who knows you personally and loves you deeper than the oceans. As followers of God we ought to keep our identity in Him. He is our perfect example of life and will never reject you, even when you reject Him. Our Lord sent His only son to live a perfect life and die upon the cross so that we could have eternal life with our Father. This is not given permission to sin, but a consolation that in sin we are forgiven.
Why keep your person in a sinful, Earthly being when God gave us the ever perfect example of life? Why be disappointed in the fall when you can be exuberant in the return? You can be disappointed, however, remember that people are sinful regardless of their status or faith. Love the sinner, not the sin.
I know that my prayers go out to Tim as he faces his fate and that he realizes the error of his ways. I don't condone what has been done, but I pray that as Lambesis walks in the coming years that he comes back to his former faith and repents of his sinful actions.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
My Thoughts on Religion
So, those of you that know me over Facebook or possibly otherwise know that last week I hopped on the bandwagon and posted the video Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word. In this video Jefferson Bethke explains in poetic form why he hates the title of Religion but still loves our savior. This is what I wanna talk about right now.
To me when people claim to be "Religious" it means their scared of something. It means they wanna be in control or they don't want people to make fun of them. It's the human attempt to take hold of their lives. All our lives we're told that we have to be more independent, that we have to be able to operate as lone soldiers in this cruel world, but this isn't entirely true, is it? Religion is the opposite side of the spectrum; if Religion is our attempt to be independent while still believing there is a "greater force in the universe", then Christianity is the admittance that we don't have to face this world alone. Religion is man saying "I can do this, I can do anything by myself," Christianity is man saying "God, I need you, my life is dark and I do need your help," for without Christ by our sides our world is bleak. Religion is the mask we wear to attempt to gain control, but haven't we seen those "failure and success" stories that tell of a mans dark life before God then his life when he accepted Christ?
Awhile ago my grandma showed me a Komo4 News story about Pennsylvania's Secret Santa. The Secret Santa goes around every year and hands out hundreds to people who seem like they need it. Some may say this is a foolish act, he's wasting his money, what if they're drug addicts who just take the money and use it to buy their next hit? But it's that speculation that glorifies our God, you see, one night the Secret Santa is going about his tradition as usual when he happens upon a distressed looking man in a bus station (correct me if I'm wrong on the location). The Secret Santa sits beside him and hands him a $100 bill. The man stares at the bill in his hand then begins crying, saying he doesn't deserve this money. Later we find out that this man was a meth addict, and a pretty bad one at that. The month previous to this story he had sold all of his sons toys for drug money. The night previous to this story he had gotten into yet another argument about money with his girlfriend. They had yelled and screamed until finally at a loss for anything else to say or do the girlfriend suggests that he just pray. Not knowing anything better he could do, no quick fix or anything, he prays. This being the first time since his childhood he had prayed combined with him not being "Religious" by any means and his actions since his childhood, he didn't think his prayers would be answered. But then came the Secret Santa who spotted this disheveled and distressed man in a bus station and decided to help. While crying, the Secret Santa simply kept pulling out bills and handing them to the man, not yet even knowing the story only wanting to help, all the while doing Gods work. The former meth addict accepted God on the spot. He's now in rehab again as he has before, but he says that unlike any other time, he has his Savior on his side.
I bring this story up because it shows how we need God. It shows that you cannot simply be Religious. You can't just believe in a higher power. You see, what people who claim to be Religious don't understand is that the central difference between being Religious, or believing in God but not loving God, and Christianity is the relationship. At the heart of Christianity is a relationship. Religion is Man looking for God, Christianity is God looking for Man. At the heart of Religion is a set of rules. It says that if you just follow these rules you can go to heaven, but that's not all of it. You have to know Him, you have to know your God. He loves you, He wants you.
I used to be one of those "Religious" people, too scared to tell people I believed in "some dude in the sky" and not sure if I really did. I was scared of my sins. Most people see the church as a place for people without sin, a place for people who make almost no mistakes, or as Bethke puts it "a Museum for Good People," but they fail to realize that if you love God you revel in your sin. Everyone sins, ever since the Fall of Man, we cannot help it, it's part of who we are. The church Jesus built is a rehab, not a prison; it's a "Hospital for the Broken."
But I digress, I think I may have gotten a bit off subject...in Bethkes' poem he talks about how he hates Religion, but I think he means as an umbrella term, as a mask. I don't think he was discriminating against other religions which I saw many people on YouTube expressing, I think he meant Religion as an ideal, a shield for those who aren't saved but walk around acting as if they were, if that makes sense. Religion in this context is something more people have an issue with every day. I mean, you know there's an issue when people only identify you as a Christian by your FACEBOOK.
PS i didn't mean to offend anyone, i was simply trying to put what i thought into words. if you want something that may be unclear clarified just ask :-)
To me when people claim to be "Religious" it means their scared of something. It means they wanna be in control or they don't want people to make fun of them. It's the human attempt to take hold of their lives. All our lives we're told that we have to be more independent, that we have to be able to operate as lone soldiers in this cruel world, but this isn't entirely true, is it? Religion is the opposite side of the spectrum; if Religion is our attempt to be independent while still believing there is a "greater force in the universe", then Christianity is the admittance that we don't have to face this world alone. Religion is man saying "I can do this, I can do anything by myself," Christianity is man saying "God, I need you, my life is dark and I do need your help," for without Christ by our sides our world is bleak. Religion is the mask we wear to attempt to gain control, but haven't we seen those "failure and success" stories that tell of a mans dark life before God then his life when he accepted Christ?
Awhile ago my grandma showed me a Komo4 News story about Pennsylvania's Secret Santa. The Secret Santa goes around every year and hands out hundreds to people who seem like they need it. Some may say this is a foolish act, he's wasting his money, what if they're drug addicts who just take the money and use it to buy their next hit? But it's that speculation that glorifies our God, you see, one night the Secret Santa is going about his tradition as usual when he happens upon a distressed looking man in a bus station (correct me if I'm wrong on the location). The Secret Santa sits beside him and hands him a $100 bill. The man stares at the bill in his hand then begins crying, saying he doesn't deserve this money. Later we find out that this man was a meth addict, and a pretty bad one at that. The month previous to this story he had sold all of his sons toys for drug money. The night previous to this story he had gotten into yet another argument about money with his girlfriend. They had yelled and screamed until finally at a loss for anything else to say or do the girlfriend suggests that he just pray. Not knowing anything better he could do, no quick fix or anything, he prays. This being the first time since his childhood he had prayed combined with him not being "Religious" by any means and his actions since his childhood, he didn't think his prayers would be answered. But then came the Secret Santa who spotted this disheveled and distressed man in a bus station and decided to help. While crying, the Secret Santa simply kept pulling out bills and handing them to the man, not yet even knowing the story only wanting to help, all the while doing Gods work. The former meth addict accepted God on the spot. He's now in rehab again as he has before, but he says that unlike any other time, he has his Savior on his side.
I bring this story up because it shows how we need God. It shows that you cannot simply be Religious. You can't just believe in a higher power. You see, what people who claim to be Religious don't understand is that the central difference between being Religious, or believing in God but not loving God, and Christianity is the relationship. At the heart of Christianity is a relationship. Religion is Man looking for God, Christianity is God looking for Man. At the heart of Religion is a set of rules. It says that if you just follow these rules you can go to heaven, but that's not all of it. You have to know Him, you have to know your God. He loves you, He wants you.
I used to be one of those "Religious" people, too scared to tell people I believed in "some dude in the sky" and not sure if I really did. I was scared of my sins. Most people see the church as a place for people without sin, a place for people who make almost no mistakes, or as Bethke puts it "a Museum for Good People," but they fail to realize that if you love God you revel in your sin. Everyone sins, ever since the Fall of Man, we cannot help it, it's part of who we are. The church Jesus built is a rehab, not a prison; it's a "Hospital for the Broken."
But I digress, I think I may have gotten a bit off subject...in Bethkes' poem he talks about how he hates Religion, but I think he means as an umbrella term, as a mask. I don't think he was discriminating against other religions which I saw many people on YouTube expressing, I think he meant Religion as an ideal, a shield for those who aren't saved but walk around acting as if they were, if that makes sense. Religion in this context is something more people have an issue with every day. I mean, you know there's an issue when people only identify you as a Christian by your FACEBOOK.
PS i didn't mean to offend anyone, i was simply trying to put what i thought into words. if you want something that may be unclear clarified just ask :-)
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