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Wrestling With Secular Music
As part of our regular music coverage, Lakesha Stokes reviewed ’N Sync’s No Strings Attached last week. Readers were not happy. Though this is actually her third secular music review (she’s been alternating between Christian and secular), the first two generated but one positive letter (in essence, thanking her for the variety of music covered). Not this time. Thoughts ranged from outrage to disappointment to warnings. Some felt we should only review secular groups that dealt with serious themes, not boy bands and their ilk. Some felt only Christian music should be covered. Others felt we’d betrayed our mission completely. For the record, as stated on our submissions page from the start, we’ve always wanted to offer readers a wide variety of Christian material, while “secular content can and should be reviewed from a Christian perspective.” No one has yet made a comment about reviewing secular books. However, secular music and its influence is obviously a volatile, unresolved subject within our ranks. As
this was a natural, though unexpected, discussion point, we are running the
reader rebuttals and letters and hope to offer
essays on finding the appropriate balance between the
sacred and the profane of Christian and secular music in next week’s issue. We welcome your comments on this topic. Feel free to write us a letter, send us a short essay with your feelings on the topic (editor@ninetyandnine.com) or let us know how your local church deals with the issue! ninetyandnine.com never pretends to be mistake-free, but rather to grapple with the realities of life in an honest, open fashion. The power of music is obviously another reality worth discussing. Let your voice be heard! The Weapons Of Their WarfareBy
Steve Brown I was highly disappointed in your decision to give rave reviews or even give a review of the band ’N Sync, (if you can even call them that, typically a band consists of actual musicians, not just boys who look pretty). At first I was offended at the thought that an Apostolic website would promote a secular group, but then I became more amazed that you chose such a mediocre or even bad group to embrace. If you’re going to uplift worldly music, at least pick group or individuals who actually have some talent! Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton or Boys II Men come to mind; these artists would sing circles around this supposed “band.” Not that I am totally against 25- and 26-year-old men singing about marriage to a focus group of 14-year-old girls, just change their names from ’N Sync to ’N Pedophiles, (or ’N Sick, if the prior was a little too risqué for your taste). As a youth leader I fight against the image the MTV generation tries to entice our teens with, but I never expected Apostolic media to endorse the blatant worldliness of a secular group. If this was even a remotely uplifting group with lyrics that were somewhat innocent and tame, maybe my comments would be a bit less rough. But isn’t ’N Sync the same group seen on Super Bowl Sunday gyrating and screaming, (I can’t honestly call it singing) on stage with the likes of Aerosmith and Mary J Blige? I’m not too sure that these types of groups are advancing the kind of Christian principles most Apostolics try to apply to their lives. This genre of music is the exact type of weapon the enemy uses to dull our youth’s senses and draw them into a mindset of world first, God second. You cannot say that I am exaggerating, for I have seen secular music play a defining role in the backsliding of our youth countless times, and I pray that your endorsement of this group will not be heeded by some influential soul who is looking to you for spiritual guidance! Last year around the elections I submitted a scripturally based article that covered the candidates for President and concluded with my endorsement of George W. Bush. You chose not to publish that submission citing you did not want to risk the alienation of those who did not agree with certain political beliefs and you did not want it to appear you were endorsing a particular candidate or philosophy. I was satisfied with that answer, until now. You have endorsed an unseen candidate and you have chosen a worldly philosophy. Maybe it’s time the editors took a look and reevaluated the mission you once proclaimed. It is listed on your very own mission statement, “Together, we will walk the narrow path of success or the precipitous trail of failure or the wide highway of mediocrity with others who are also learning to live the life of a Christian in a world more interested in noise than clarity.” It now seems you have been the facilitators of the noise, and not the clarity. Supposedly
No Strings Will Be Attached
By
Karly M. Knapp Moments ago, I finished reading Lakesha Stokes’ review of the album, No Strings Attached by ’N Sync, and my heart is troubled. All I can think about is my 15 year-old sister-in-law, Stephanie. I think Stephanie’s story may be helpful to someone else struggling with an addiction to secular music. Over the last two years it was disheartening to watch my sister-in-law struggle with her addiction to ’N Sync and their allure. Justin Timberlake was her favorite of the bunch, and she knew everything about him. She was mesmerized with his cuteness, his good voice, and the whole group’s fluid dance steps, which were all "in sync.” Each night, she would put their CD on, and fall asleep with it playing. The whole time this was happening, her relationship with Jesus went down the drain. Gradually, church music and the saints weren’t quite as "hip" for her, and our pastor wasn’t nearly as fun to listen to because he didn't have dread locks falling down his face, or pretty diamond earrings in his ears. Seemingly overnight, her attitude and demeanor changed, and she no longer had a strong relationship with the Lord. Thankfully, through a lot of prayer and encouragement, plus her growing older, the fascination began to subside. Happily she is on the upswing and is beginning to see how something she thought was harmless, innocent and fun, turned into an addiction which controlled her every action. As Lakesha mentioned, ‘NSync, and a lot of the other “boy bands” do not have terrible music; they usually do not even promote hatred and evil actions; actually their music talks about love, and girly stuff, and the heartbreak of breaking up and missing someone you are in love with. But what their music does not do is usher in the spirit of the Lord or stir up a desire to worship. Instead they promote dreams and unhealthy desires which have little to do with Jesus and how wonderful and fulfilling our relationship can be with Him. As parents, pastors, youth ministers, quiz coaches, and any other influential person over teens today need to take a stand and put our feet down against “harmless” non-Christian music. Do we remember that Satan was the music director in Heaven? Satan uses music to influence and entrap our young people. It has happened over and over again that a young person has fallen out of love with God and have fallen in love with Eminem or Destiny’s Child. Don’t
get me wrong—I don’t think we can’t ever listen to music which doesn’t
talk about God, but we should not encourage teens, who are still struggling to
sort out their own convictions, to listen to music which flat out doesn’t. The
Bible mentions this by saying, “Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16) As a result of the struggle I have seen Stephanie go through, I am saddened to see we are discussing and encouraging sales for musical groups in this forum, and perhaps even in our youth groups who do not reflect godly actions or clean Christian living. True, there is a shortage of godly music which is attractive to young people, but there are some groups which let them have the hip-hop feeling. The cool thing about these groups is, instead of singing about premarital sex, they will be singing “and when I think about Your goodness, it makes me want to Stomp!” by Kirk Franklin. They can then still be young and enjoy the music, all the while talking about God and His wonderful qualities! Stephanie
is beginning to come around and refocus her life on Jesus. She talks with me a
lot about how she can have an overcoming life, and together, along with Jesus, I
know she will. I hope to hear her Stomping
around soon. © 2001, Steve Brown and Karly M Knapp --------- Steve
Brown is currently attending
Landmark Tabernacle in Denver, where he is very involved in the youth ministry.
When he’s not banging on some drums or playing a light night game of spades,
you can usually find him tormenting his wife into tears of laughter. Karly M Knapp currently works for Pharmacia Corporation as a Helpdesk Technician. She and her husband Joshua work extensively with the young people at their home church in Portage, MI. Recently the two celebrated their first anniversary, and are now the brunt of many “So, when are ya gonna have a baby?” comments. Their answer is an eloquent: “Um, not any time in the next nine months, that’s for sure!”
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