To Be Or Not to Be - The Great Christian Music Debate

What does it mean to be a Christian band or to play Christian music? Of course there are artist who readily produce music that have obvious Christian overtones or are unashamedly praise songs. And they can range from alternative rock styles to heavy metal to even country. And then there are others who are avowed Christians but produce music that isn't as obviously Christian in theme as their counterparts elsewhere. Some even have songs that have absolutely no Christian references and speak about romantic love, are protest songs, or even very angry songs. So where do we draw the line on what is to be considered to be Christian music?

The primary consideration perhaps when selecting people or groups to be included in this select list would most definitely boil down to one of the most important things in every song: the lyrics. No matter how heavy that guitar riff may sound, no matter how sexy the beats may get, and no matter how out of control the vocal style may be, as long as it is truly Christian in subject matter, it passes the test. A lot of people would say that Christian heavy metal or electronica is essentially impossible because those two genres are known for their less-than Christian habits as much as their music. But truth be told, as long as the lyrics as Christian, the overall message will be more or less so as well, no matter what the medium may be.

And what of those artists that are confessed Christians but do not write explicitly Christian songs? Some things may just boil down to matters of interpretation but I believe songs become much larger and become distinct entities apart from the people that wrote them. So a song about something completely un-Christian even when it comes from a practicing artist cannot be considered Christian music because of the lack of anything linking the song to the religion apart from the personal beliefs of the singer/writer (which are probably not reflected in the song anyway).

This debate rages on even today, and has probably made Christian music better, more diverse and stronger than ever. If you want more information on Christian music, visit:

[http://heavenlychristianmusic.com/Spreading+God%27s+Words+through+Music%3A+Writing+Songs+of+Praise.13445.htm]