BenWilliams wrote:
First of all, what is your definition of revealing clothing?Second, which groups are you talking about?
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Lastly, my dad was reading your post while I was reading it, and he wants to know why you are looking at women in revealing clothing?
I may be out of line saying this, Ben but it seems like you are seeking a means to validate your sin. Sure their is nothing sinful about music, in itself, but their is a rebelliousness in most of these bands, that reeks of "I don't care what you think about what I am doing, I am going to play loud music, and wear these clothes, and if you don't like it, then tough luck!!"
Scripture exhorts us to avoid the appearance of sin. These "drug dealers", are probably dressing more like "gangstas" (spelled as they would spell), and considering that their dress sense is one that is a kind of marketing strategy for getting kids to join gangs, wearing "colors" and the like, why would you want to direct people to that? It is one thing to dress like this to identify with the lost, in order to reach them, but we are not talking about this here.
My understanding of what ATF is all about, is mobilising Christian youth to serious life for God, that is mission minded. In other words, we are appealing to the "saved" through these events. My experience with this kind of thing, is that the "lost" think that it's all second rate to what they already have, and for the "church kids", it tends to be a bridge into the more worldly, sinful stuff (eg, from Christian Hip Hop, on to Gangsta Rap, which is a far greater quality, and therefore much more appealing).
Citing particular bands, why would you want a Christian Youth Group to go a see Skillet play, under the guise of being their to get fired up for Christ's purposes, and listen to Corey singing about how God is "Better than drugs"? Why would you want to even put that comparison in their minds, if either they have kicked drugs, meaning that you are drawing their attention back to those days (which did have their fun moments) or they have not been exposed to drugs, where ignorance provides an element of safety for them? God wisely place a tree of the "Knowledge of Good and Evil" in the garden and then said, "Don't eat". This imagery is a form of "eating" of this "knowledge".
Recently I pulled out an old Grammatrain album, and some lyrics of the lyrics stood out, "I want to know the reason...why can't you say the reason you keep your eyes away from Me." which paints God to be powerless against sin, and wondered, "Could this be part of the reason why Pete Stewart is no longer in fellowship?" Mind you, in my youth leading days, I used to cite Stewart as I would a preacher...this is the kind of sway these artists can have.
The old "Wesley and Booth used to rewrite bar room songs..." argument is redundant, because these days, the music is pumping out at a massive decibel level, causing the "hearer" to be a "feeler" as well, and then are being asked "Can you [b]feel[/b] the presence of God, here?" Much of the music is orchestrated to stimulate the emotions, and then emotions are being sold as a valid means of sensing God's presence.
Regarding scantily clad women on stage, there are two issues here. For some of us, sexual lust is the "thorn in the flesh" that God says His "grace is sufficient for.." rather than removing it. These women are flaunting their sexuality before us, making it harder to think pure thoughts. It is bad enough that "the world" does it, but when the "church" does it, what's going on? The only possible reason that I can think, for doing this, is marketing. In other words, it will help sell records to the teenage male demographic. The Bible exhorts us to dress modestly (men and women) and yet their is no modesty in flaunting your body.
The second issue is that these artists argue that they are trying to reach the lost. If this is the case, then why would they want to create the impression that dressing in revealing clothing is normal and acceptable? And do you honestly think that their minds are being directed to holiness? If you do, then you are more naive than they are.
I must admit that I have trouble reconciling the whole "Is their such a thing as Christian Rock?" question, when I consider bands like Third Day and Stavesacre (both of whom, I notice are absent from ATF's list of bands), but the fact is, there is a lot of chaff in the Christian music industry. One's mind can quickly go to a band like MXPX, who were for a long time the quintessential "Christian Punk" band. A good friend of mine went out for drinks with them while they were on tour in Australia. After having a long conversation with their manager, he asked the question, "So, what's the deal? Are Mike and the boys Christians, or what?" The response that he got was, "Look at them? Their drinking, swearing, tattoos and all. What do you think?" He went on to say that they go to church sometimes when they are home, but when they are on tour, they leave all that stuff at home.
We are often too quick to defend people, when the apostles tended to be wary until trust was earned and proven. Perhaps we need the kind of persecution that they had to endure, before we will "guard our fellowship" the way that they exhorted.
Keith Daniel wisely said, "You don't win the world by being like the world, the world will win you."
