# Christian Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108 "2001-10-08T13:51:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/21 "2001-10-09T02:54:22Z")
I’ll have to second that MXPX thing. I heard they got into heavy drinking and other unChristianlike behavior. Got turned onto the dark side, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/22 "2001-10-09T04:01:54Z")
I’m quite surprised. Alot of the bands on this thread, I would never have known. I always had my suspicions about Creed, but MXPX?? I have much to learn…Grasshopper… ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/23 "2001-10-09T13:16:18Z")
She’s not really _popular_ so much, but [Sam Phillips](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Bjek9ikchbb59), had a pretty big college/modern rock album a few years back with _Martinis and Bikinis_, started her career as Christian vocalist Leslie Phillips. From what I’ve read, she’s still a believer in God, but has big, big problems with the Christian music world. She also had a role as the silent but deadly, throat-slashing female terrorist in _Die Hard With A Vengeance_. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/24 "2001-10-09T14:23:09Z")
When a telnted rock band turns its attention to religious subjects, the results CAN be wonderful. When U2, Bruce Springsteen, Kansas, Creed or Collective Soul makes a good record with reilgious themes, I’m always happy to listen. But I NEVER listen to “Contemporary Christian” radio stations, because my experience has been that, far too often, the music is treacly and shallow. Most of the Christian music I’ve heard sounds like… well, if you took any wimpy ballad by Journey or Styx, and put in the name “Jesus” instead of a girl’s name, you’d have a standard contemporary Christian song. Unfortunately, good intentions don’t count for much in music. A lame song doesn’t become a good song just because it has admirably Christian subject matter. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/25 "2001-10-09T15:12:54Z")
That guy who did “Butterfly Kisses” is a christian artist and that was a big hit for him. ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/26 "2001-10-09T18:25:15Z")
I love listening to Christian music! (sporadically, if I listened to it constantly I think I might kill someone) Download ABORTION IS MURDER by POD, an amazing exemplar of subtlety and graceful, considerate idealism. Download NO CONFIDENCE by Twila Paris, I really can’t describe it. It’s awesome. I giggle until I have to pee. I keep them in the same folder in which I’ve got my mp3s of Mr. T’s album. They sit right between BE SOMEBODY (OR BE SOMEBODY’S FOOL) and TREAT YOUR MOTHER RIGHT. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/27 "2001-10-09T19:25:29Z")
What about **Bob Dylan** ’s Christian albums like _ **Slow Train Coming** _? At the time, people said if you just ignored the preachy lyrics and listened to the music, it sounded great. Mark Knopfler produced it, played lead guitar, and did a great job on the sound. Audio-wise, it was probably the best record Dylan ever did. A lot of fans were upset by his sudden swing to fundamentalism, but consider the early-60s folkie scene he came out of had a lot of Gospel songs in it. Songs like “Gospel Plow” off of Dylan’s first album in 1961. The folkies didn’t think nothin’ of the Christian content they were singin’—some of 'em were Jewish and some were Communist. To them it was just old-timey folk music. Even Communist Woody Guthrie wrote a reverential song “Jesus Christ” (with the Son of Man in the role of anti-capitalist revolutionary). ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/28 "2001-10-09T19:43:50Z")
I’ve never actually listened to a “Contemporary Christin” radio station. For some reason, the mention of the words Christian music conjure visions of gospel and middle aged white women staring into the sky, arms raised. So if I actually tune into one of these stations, would I hear bands like POD and MXPX. Or are these bands too cool for sunday school? ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/29 "2001-10-09T20:39:12Z")
Disney’s “Night of Joy” and Universal Studios “Rock the Universe” are the two big Christian events at the parks, featuring a lot of Christian rock bands and gospel groups/soloists. Both take place the first weekend in September (parks close early, then reopen from 8pm to 1 am), and quite crowded, from my understanding, so there seems to be quite a big following). screech-owl (who wears a question mark, but knows the theme parks schedules) ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/30 "2001-10-09T21:30:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frock75 \* > \*\*I’ve never actually listened to a “Contemporary Christin” radio station. For some reason, the mention of the words Christian music conjure visions of gospel and middle aged white women staring into the sky, arms raised. So if I actually tune into one of these stations, would I hear bands like POD and MXPX. Or are these bands too cool for sunday school? \*\* I’m afraid that, unless a station in your market is really contemporary, your fears will be confirmed. For the most part, the Christian music mainstream Christian stations is a step below (or above depending on your outlook) most pop music. ---
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/31 "2001-10-09T23:25:14Z")
Christian bands that I hear on the Radio all the time: **P.O.D. Creed** (yes they are outright) **Lifehouse MXPX** (well they were} Heh, in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=80021) I rant about the unspeakably crappy time I had at as a volunteer at a fundie-filled camp for disabled kids. Someone needs to tell the fundies about MXPX’s defection, cause they never got the message. When I tried to tell them, they refused to believe me (that’s typical fundie style). Oh, I’m getting mad just remembering that week. Also **Creed** is definitely Xtian, songs like **My Own Prison** and to a lesser extent **Higher** make that clear. Plus I’ve heard Scott Stapp babble about his beliefs. I say babble because Scott is not a smart guy, and is not someone who should be delivering philosophy to people. I would rather have my kids taught by **Marilyn Manson** than this guy. Yeesh. LC ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/32 "2001-10-10T02:33:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lucki Chaarms \* > \*\* > Also **Creed** is definitely Xtian, songs like **My Own Prison** and to a lesser extent **Higher** make that clear. Plus I’ve heard Scott Stapp babble about his beliefs. I say babble because Scott is not a smart guy, and is not someone who should be delivering philosophy to people. I would rather have my kids taught by **Marilyn Manson** than this guy. Yeesh. > > LC \*\* I remember an interview I saw with the lead singer from Creed and he was saying something that, yeah, you can trample his beliefs and try to marginalize him as Christian and label him whatever you want if it makes you feel better about your own false faith… etc. etc. The entire time I was listening to him whine about being victimized, I was mentally screaming, “This continent is 95% Christian, you stupid fuck!” ---
**Author:** ![Skijumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Skijumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skijumper)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/33 "2001-10-10T02:54:42Z")
[slight hijack] astorian mentioned U2. Personally, I’ve always thought of them as a Christian band. Or a mainstream rock band with Christian leanings in their lyrics. For example, ‘With Or Without You’ is not just a romantic love song to me. I hear it as something a lot more spiritual. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/34 "2001-10-10T04:19:15Z")
Just adding on to Skijumper’s hijack, in the U2 song “The End of the World” I’ve always harbored the suspicion that the verse that goes (very roughly) “And in the garden I was playing the tart, I kissed your lips and broke your heart, and you, you were talking like it was the end of the world” was written from the perspective of Judas talking to Jesus. But back on topic, though he never really crossed over I truly believe that had he chose to he easily could have, the man that started the genre, Larry Norman. I’m no longer religious at all, but I still love his work, including his Chuck Barry flavored “Why Should the Devil have all the Good Music.” ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/35 "2001-10-10T04:39:38Z")
From [the Official Creed web site](http://www.creed.com/webdocs/faq.htm#4): > [@](#): > > **Is Creed a Christian band?** “Are we a Christian band? This is a question we are asked a lot because of some of the references made in the lyrics. No, we are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in their specific religious beliefs. We have no agenda!” -Scott Stapp ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/36 "2001-10-10T12:02:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*Kansas definitely had Christian leanings (for instance, see their song “The Devil Game”). \*\* I missed this the first time I read the thread–Kansas leaned so far that founder/guitarist/songwriter Kerry Livgren left the band and went on to form Christian rockers AD. They were only around a few years and disbanded when Livgren quit, but as I recall, their songwriting wasn’t too terrible. John Elefante, who replaced Steve Walsh on vocals in Kansas, also went on to have a successful Christian songwriting and production career. ---
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/37 "2001-10-10T12:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*From [the Official Creed web site](http://www.creed.com/webdocs/faq.htm#4): > > > [@](#): > > > > **Is Creed a Christian band?** “Are we a Christian band? This is a question we are asked a lot because of some of the references made in the lyrics. No, we are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in their specific religious beliefs. We have no agenda!” -Scott Stapp > > \*\* So they could still be a band of Christians then, as opposed to a “Christian Band.” The very next question on the site is - > [@](#): > > **Are the members of Creed Christians?** “This is a very personal question because the whole foundation of being a Christian is a personal relationship. I can say that all the members believe in God, but we each differ on our methods to reach Him. We are all still learning and growing, and God can only answer this question, because who are we to say that being a Christian is the only way to heaven. I know this might be hard to understand for all the Christians who follow the band–and trust me, I know where you are coming from–but let us continue to seek, and if that is the way, then we will find, if we continue to knock, the doors will be opened.” – Scott Stapp ---
**Author:** ![frock75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@frock75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frock75)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/38 "2001-10-10T12:39:56Z")
From what I have read on this thread, Creed seems to appologize for their Christian leanings. They sound sort of embarrassed. I know being pigeon-holed a " Christian band" is sort of a stigma these days, but why make excuses for your beliefs? For the record. I am not a Christian. I’ve always found religious referance to be a very powerful tool in art, though. If done well and not preachy, popular music could benefit from a religiuos message. Everything should be balanced. We have no shortage of cynicism and angst, I see no problem with a positive message, Christian or otherwise. p.s. Creed gives me the shits. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/39 "2001-10-10T13:40:27Z")
Is the ska band **Five Iron Frenzy** a Christian band? I don’t know what it was that made me think they were, something in one or two of their songs, but I got that impression. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108/40 "2001-10-10T13:45:01Z")
**Jars of Clay** and **MxPx** have been mentioned, I see. The only one I can think to add to the list is **DC Talk**. They had a couple of crossover semi-hits a few years ago with “Just Between You and Me” and “Jesus Freak.” Not sure if this counts as a hijack, but here goes: News flash: There are some really good Christian bands! Hey, I was surprised as you are. I absolutely despise “Contemporary Christian” music in it’s entirety. I’m also not fond of the rubbish my sunday school kids (9th and 10th graders) listen to. Stuff like POD and Audio Adrenaline. Fear not, though. If you’re looking for some **good** music, try these: **Switchfoot** - My all time favorite Christian band. Check out “Don’t Be There,” and “Chem 6a.” **Plumb** - Their first album sucked, but the second was genius. “Phobic,” and “Drugstore jesus” are great. **The Waiting** - They’re slightly leaning toward the treacle side, but overall they’re pretty good. I like “Staring at a Bird” and their hilarious cover of that “Oh baby give me one more chance” Jackson Five song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-music/86108.md?page=3)