Is "secular" music ok to listen to?

[jackkerouac]

Oh goodness, please don't assume so much. lol And 'young' is such a relative term. ;)

Casting Crowns had one song, maybe two that I liked. Jeremy Camp and Third Day I don't like at all. I don't like most of the current contemporary stuff and don't like any pop music at all.

I'm thinking Project 86, Blindside, Red, Future of Forestry, The Myriad, After Edmund, The Benjamin Gate and Switchfoot, among others. Not to mention the tons of electronic stuff which is mostly 'underground' and unheard of by most Christians.

The best of the 90's were Starflyer 59 and The Prayer Chain, although in the 80's and into the 90's I loved Petra, Whiteheart, 'Rez', Daniel Band, Servant, etc. Can't say whether I would know anything by Rich Mullins, Susan Ashton, or Charlie Peacock, as you might be able to tell by my preferences.

Yeah, we clearly have different tastes! That's cool. I was a music buyer at a huge independent Christian bookstore back in the 90's so I'm pretty familiar with most of the bands you mentioned. I do like the Prayer Chain and some Switchfoot. I have to say though that I consider Rez, Daniel Band and Servant to be more 80's bands.

If you ever find yourself in a more "mellow" mood and want to hear some really good acoustic/folk/americana stuff, check out Susan Ashton or Rich Mullins. They are both really good musicians. Well...Susan is, Rich was. He died in the late 90's.

 

[jackkerouac]

Even the oldies like Frank Sinatra are commendable IMO.

Commendable?!? Is that all you can give Sinatra?
The guy was a freekin' genius!

 

[jasoncran]

i hear more of switchfoot on the secular stations then i do on the christian ones( both play them but some of switchfoots less direct songs are on the death metal and hard core rock stations)

 

[Scandinavian27]

Commendable?!? Is that all you can give Sinatra?
The guy was a freekin' genius!

Perhaps I was understating my opinion on 'ol blue eyes then. :D

 

[Classik]

It is not always sinful to enjoy some secular music but as Christians we need to be discriminating. Some secular music is pretty noble. Classical music is ingenious and a testament to man's and God's creative gifting. But if a piece of music dredges up nostalgia of a time of drunken parties and sexual immorality, or of a lost love that may stir inappropriate thoughts, then it is not good.

Satan will steal the honour and worship that belongs only to God, by getting us to sing and dance to melodies that glorify the enemy. These songs have direct messages that proclaim sins that God hates, such as fornication, adultery, sexual sins, unforgiveness, and revenge. This is how he steals the souls of God¡¯s followers, and takes away the abundant life that Jesus made possible on the cross.

When we sing songs with messages such as, ¡°feel me, please me¡±, we put words and pictures in our minds that will awaken our flesh, our passions, and sexual sins, with the goal of making us slaves to sin again. In my experience, I have seen that the person that can¡¯t renounce secular music still has the world in his heart, and that person¡¯s Lord is not God, but music. It is our responsibility to watch ourselves¡*to evaluate if what we sing or what we are filling our minds with would be the same thing that Jesus would fill His life with if He were in our place.

Thank you! Many of us are guilty here

 

[Vic C.]

Free, I know this was from an old post, but I feel the need to respond.

I'm really not that qualified to speak on the talent or lack thereof, but I find a few that are quite good. On the point of doctrine, which is worse: poor doctrine or none at all (at best)?

1- there are a few that are quite talented and original too. But much of it is lacking in both.

2- None at all! I do not want to listen to so-called Christian music that doesn't promote sound theology nor would I want to expose others to it. it is a source of friction with me and the other members of our Praise Team. There seems to be too many "I"s in today's CCM and not enough "He"s.

I'd rather listen to innocuous secular music than subject myself to bad theology. We get enough of that on the forums.