Music Series: Part 4

In my biblical separation post I wrote a while back, the same thing kept coming to my mind: we are so desperate to look different than “the world” that we end up not looking like Christians! Our focus has become fixated on avoiding looking bad, that we forget to be good! That is the topic of part 4 of our music series.

CCM sounds like the world, so it is therefore it is sin.

This is a more common argument against contemporary Christian music out there. It’s as if by your declaration that “ccm sounds like the world”, the rest of us should simply shut up, ask no questions, and avoid it at all costs! Why? Because there is a clear biblical principle? Nope. It’s because you said so. I’m convinced that if a Christian wanted to mess with another Christian’s head, all they would have to do is call some everyday activity “worldly” and watch the guilty hysteria to follow! I’m not kidding, I think it could work.

But, instead of focusing on the caricature of the controlling Christians, let’s just get to the meat of the issue and answer the questions.

Does CCM sound like the world, and if so, does that make it sin?

It’s a fair question. No good Christian wants to sin, so when a serious charge is laid out like this one, it should make us think.

First of all, let me say something. For whatever reason, Christians have decided to place a priority on music unlike we do for anything else. For example, you never hear a Christian say something like “McDonalds tastes like the world, therefore it is sin” do you? Why is there no such thing as “worldly shoes” or a “worldly desk” or a “worldly trash can”?

Now, some would say that those things don’t represent a lifestyle, and that’s fair. But at the same time, I highly doubt that Mercy Me or Casting Crowns, or even some “tamer” artists like Point of Grace, would even come close to representing a lifestyle that Christians should avoid.

The songs themselves are unique as well. Many fans of modern secular music would cringe at the idea of listening to CCM. It has taken on its own identity, its own personality. While that isn’t always the case (Christian rock, Christian rap), even the exceptions are unique. The songs have similarities in style (instruments used, chord progressions, beat, etc.) but the songs are Christian in nature (not that it matters) by virtue of the lyrics.

Many times, the opponents of CCM will cite the most extreme examples. Just do a google search and you’ll see these websites (many of which look like they were designed by a 14 year old circa 1998). They’ll quote the Christian death metal artist who dresses like they live in a constant state of depression (oh, but they love Jesus!). Or maybe they pull a picture of a Christian rap artist with his gold chains and diamond teeth.

Other times you’ll see a quote pulled out about how such-and-such artist likes to listen to secular music for inspiration or how the music “takes them over”. This mystical nonsense is strait out of the Salem witch trials. There’s nothing mystical about music, nothing supernatural here.

Many of these concerns are covered in our separation post, so there’s no need to rehash it all, but my main problem with the anti-CCM crowd is that they are running around calling it sin.

So, does CCM sound like the world? Most doesn’t. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that it does. Does that make it sin? I think not.

The vast majority of CCM sounds like secular music sounded 10 years ago, just like gospel music sounds like secular music from 50 years ago, and “sacred” Christian music sounds like secular music from 150 years ago.

Why is it wrong to use music that “the world” uses? IT’S GOOD MUSIC many times! Why would we not use something that is high quality and culturally relevant to convey our timeless message? Why would someone who grew up listening to the Beatles or John Denver use any other style of music to worship his Savior than what he is used to? When we are born again, we do receive a “new song”. Yep, we receive “new lyrics”, “new tunes”, and “new attitude”, but nowhere does the Bible say “new style” (not to mention that the “new song” that most people refer to when quoting that passage isn’t a new song at all. In fact, in many cases the “new song” is quite ancient).

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we place this overwhelming emphasis on avoiding musical styles? God simply doesn’t care whether you use a harp or an electric guitar, a piano or a drum set! Why do we?

Check out the other parts in this series:
Part 1
Part 1.5
Part 2
Part 3

Also, feel free to address any concerns or inaccuracies in the comments or you can also email me, and don’t forget to subscribe to my feed if you haven’t already!

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