Christian Rock Music: The New Trojan Horse
[Editor's Note: This article was first published in the Columbia City Crusader on November 13, 1994. It has been reprinted elsewhere since them.]
Last Saturday a "Family Adventure Seminar" was held at a congregation near here. The morning session was quite profitable for the first hour-and-a-half as the one conducting it warned of the entertainment media and the influence we let it have over our lives and especially the lives of our children. The material was excellent and combined with pertinent Scriptures.
But suddenly it was as though a cold wind swept through the room, which should have chilled everyone present but apparently affected very few. The speaker began to argue passionately that parents get their children involved in listening to Christian rock music.
To be sure, he prefaced it by saying that there was no agenda to get instrumental music accepted into our worship but that our young people need a healthy alternative to the seedy rock music found on most popular stations.
Following is how the presentation worked. A video from Focus on the Family was played which lowlighted the worst of rock music. The words were flashed on the screen (with obscenities partially deleted) while a portion of the song was played. Selected songs were "Me So Horny" by 2 Live Crew, "Cop Killer" by Body Count, "Suicide Solution" by Ozzy Osborne, and a few others that have received a great deal of publicity.
These were contrasted on the video with words from Christian rock music that protested abortion, advocated Biblical morality, and exalted Jesus. Obviously, if the only criteria between the two things presented on the "Learn to Discern" video by Robert De Moss was the words (and it was), it's a no-brainer to decide which is better for kids.
After the video was completed, the speaker continued to sing the praises of Christian rock music as an alternative to the other. Following are some of his tools of persuasion.
1. Youth groups in churches of Christ all over the country are promoting Christian rock music for their young people. A group of 50 youths at White's Ferry Road are really into it. (Wow, an endorsement!)
2. A young girl was addicted to sex from the age of fifteen. She began listening to Christian rock music, and now she's cured. (Double wow, a testimonial!)
3. Young people are going to listen to rock music (Substitute "have sex" for "listen to rock music," and see if this argument sounds familiar); you can't stop them. They're going to do it; so why not let them listen to something with wholesome words instead of those profane lyrics?
After a few minutes of these exhortations, some of the brethren began to agree with the concept; some of them were already listening to this music with their children. Since no one seemed disposed to offer any objections, I spoke.
A Fair-Minded Discussion?
"I want to inject a note of discord into this discussion. Is instrumental music sinful?" In the context of the discussion, the speaker surely knew what I meant, but he hedged by saying that instrumental music is not inherently sinful. That is true; so, I reworded the question: "Is using instrumental music in singing praises to God sin?"
His answer was something like: "We're not advocating instrumental music in worship." I countered with: "Is there a difference between in and out of the assembly?" He responded: "This is not the time for a discussion of this nature."
"Aren't you just exchanging one sin for another?" He repeated that this was not the time for discussion. Pray tell, when was the time for it? He had spent twenty minutes advocating (as strongly as he knew how) getting young people in the Lord's church to listen to Christian rock. When will the parents present that day hear the other side, since he chose to silence any opposition?
Objections to Christian Rock Music
1. The phrase, Christian rock, is a misnomer. "Rock" music is secular; Christian songs are spiritual—the two don't mix. It's as inconsistent as the phrase "theistic evolution," which is supernatural naturalism.
2. God did not authorize the use of musical instruments in our worship of Him. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are universal statements that are applicable in many situations. This singing referred to herein may be done in the assembly or out of it. The exhortations are not limited to one context any more than 1 Timothy 2:8 is ("I desire that men pray everywhere").
3. There is no Scriptural justification for brethren to conclude that it is wrong to sing with musical accompaniment in the assembly but all right to gather around the piano at home or a guitar at camp. Wherever Christians meet, they are to sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord.
4. If it is unauthorized (and therefore sinful) for Christians to use musical accompaniment in singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, can it be right to approve of others doing so?
5. To be more precise, it's a matter of fellowshipping error. Why is it that God's people always want to be like the nations around them (1 Kings 8:20)? All of the religious denominations are now participating in this newest craze; so, it's time our young people joined them. Right; we wouldn't want to be distinctive, would we? Anyone who thinks that our young people can listen to this music, buy it, attend the concerts, etc., without it affecting them is incredibly naïve. How long will it be before some want to form their own Christian rock bands? How much longer yet will it be until they begin to say, "We sing these songs with instruments all the time; why can't we do it in the assembly?" Christian rock music is nothing more that the latest form of the Trojan Horse.
Arguments Refuted
1. The workshop emcee appealed for acceptance of this practice by the fact that brethren in various locales were doing it (the ad populum fallacy). So what? The same thing could be said about any false practice. After the restoration movement was well under way, the addition of Instrumental music crept in little by little—in some cases being used in Bible classes before being brought into the assembly.
2. Christian rock music got a young girl off of illicit sex. Should we offer those who are using LSD the lesser of evil drugs—marijuana? Whereas much of rock music is sinful (which is a good reason to turn it off at that point—as well as the television), some of it does no harm. But it is always wrong to add instruments to spiritual songs. One sin is simply being exchanged for another that is deemed lesser.
3. Kids will listen to rock music anyway. Not all of them do, but even if they did, why not teach them to exercise good judgment rather than give it up altogether (the same goes for country music)? It is a false dilemma to say it's either 2 Live Crew or Christian rock. There's quite a bit that lies in between.
4. "But it's only entertainment; the purpose is not worship." It has already been argued that the reason for listening to Christian rock is that the words are inspiring and uplifting. Shall we say edifying? Does it admonish and teach? These things certainly make it sound like a spiritual song.
5. On what basis is Christian rock music authorized? Who will set forth an argument, the conclusion of which is, "The Bible authorizes my children and me to listen to Christian rock music"?