THE QUESTION

Darrin asks:

I have heard allot of different views on if it's right to listen to "secular" or "worldly" music.  Some people try to say it is wrong to listen to any "secular" music.  If you were to write a position or give a statement on this based on the word what would you say?

We answer:

Let us first lay some groundwork.  We find it hard to compartmentalize “secular” and “worldly” because we believe both are God’s.  The compartmentalizing of life in this fashion is a human invention, and a modern human invention at that, designed to make life easier – which it never does.

The following are arguments given for not listening to contemporary music:

1.  It leads to sex.  We love this one, because nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, I don’t believe I have ever heard anyone say that when they wanted to get romantic they listen to U2, Creed or Blink 182.  What we have heard is when people want to get romantic they listen to Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby.  So, which music leads to sex?

2.  Worldly music removes us from a relationship with God.  Can this truly happen?  Paul tells us nothing can do that, nothing (Romans 8:38-39).  So, if someone tells us that listening to “worldly” music will separate us from God can that be true? 

3.  Worldly music is filled with bad influences.  People, who say this, do not listen to all worldly music.  They are simply repeating what others may have said.  The people in this postmodern age are the most spiritual people ever – they may not be the most Christian, but they are seeking to find God in their lives and it comes out in their music.  If you listen to music and hear “bad” lyrics I wonder where the heart of the person who is hearing comes from – “Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers.” (Titus 1:15)

Our findings,

First, there is no such thing as “christian music.”  While this may come as a shock to many, no music can be called “Christian.”  What makes a song Christian is not the music it is the words.

We have found that people are never against the music of their generation, just the music of other generations.  I have heard Pastor say that “contemporary” music is wrong, yet they forget the “hymns” were all “contemporary” at one time.  Historically, Charles Wesley wrote many a hymn to contemporary music.  In fact, most of the songs he used were bar songs designed for drinking – go figure. 

At ginkworld, and at "praxis" (the church plant in Las Vegas lead by Pastor John) we have a definite understanding of music in the church. At praxis we use creed, u2 and others as worship songs – we believe that God speaks to us via the music of this generation.  With that in mind, we openly use all genres of music.

blessings,

pastor john