not all secular music is bad!
Dee Goepel (dee@kagoona.mitre.org)
Fri, 09 Aug 1996 12:07:14 -0400
>additionally, we don't have "christian cocaine" to minister to drug
>addict, and we don't have "christian pornography" to minister to smut
>monsters. We don't have "christian beer" to deal with the alcoholic.
Honestly I don't see that these things are analogous at all. No, there
is not "christian cocaine" because cocaine is illegal and would be a
sin. No there is not "christian pornography" because sexual immorality
is again a sin, one which Jesus constantly warned about. However,
to say why have "christian rock" to minister to those who like rock is
not at all similar because there is nothing inherently wrong with rock.
Rock music is not a sin, the words which are often associated with it
may be sinful, but if the words are lifting up Jesus or encouraging us
to seek Him, then where is the problem.
And a useful tool for
ministering is to meet the people where they are. You have to be
in the world to save those who are lost. Paul was very clear that
you must be *in* the world, but not *of* the world. I am not advocating
for anyone to use drugs so they can get "in" with drug users and
minister. Obviously this would be rediculous. But listening to rock
music that lifts up Christ in order to share it with those who like
rock is not wrong, just as joining a racquetball club to meet others
that you can witness to would not be wrong, or working on a project
(at work) with non-Christians in order to meet new people to whom
you can tell the Good News would not be wrong. There are many
ways to open the door to minister to people. And it is up to us to
make such opportunities. Now, you certainly should not commit a sin
(cocaine, pornography, etc.) to do this, because (putting aside the
obvious reason of "do not sin period") your message would be
ineffective. You would be negating the whole purpose. If your
life were not an example of what you were preaching, you would
immediately be labeled a hypocrite.
Just my $.02
-Dee
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