College and seminary professors are often in the habit of posting interesting or funny items related to their areas of study on their office doors. Of course, the funny posts are often only funny to those with PhD's; the rest of us just scratch our heads and try to pretend like we get it. I remember one professor in particular had a fascinating chart posted on his door. It had two columns, one labeled "If you like..." the other labeled "Then try..." The "If you like..." column contained the names of at least 200 mainstream music bands. The "Then try..." column contained the names of Christian bands that, I guess, sound comparable. The chart, of course, was meant to offer a Christian alternative to the mainstream music.
The Christian Alternative is present not only in the music world, but in several arenas. A few notable alternatives are bookstores, coffee houses, movies, TV channels, action heroes (Go Bible Man!), schools, and phone directories. Undoubtedly, others could be added here. The idea of the Christian alternative seems to be that believers are better off if they have less input from the world and more input from Christian sources.
But...Is that true? Does using the Christian alternative produce godlier, more Christ-like believers?
As I think about this issue, I can see two opposing realities colliding. On the one hand, the Christian alternative seems to feed an impulse toward separatist fundamentalism. On the other hand, as a parent, I really do not want my son to grow up and be more American than Christian. As a friend of mine puts it, "When my kid leaves my house, I want him to love Christ more than he loves the world" (Daren Busenitz).
My instinct is to lean away from using the Christian alternative in most areas. I am all for Christians using their gifts in art, music, business, or any other arena. I am not for Christians creating an alternative by intentionally imitating successful 'secular' ventures.
How about you?
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You know me, I'll take the worlds version. I often feel like the Christian alternative is just that, a Christian alternative to keep us from having to deal with the world we live in. I had a nice little rant complete with Christian waste water treatment plants, but then I got down off my soapbox prepared to admit that-
ReplyDeleteIt’s just my taste
Adam
I was raised to only see the Christian alternative and almost pretend that the real world didn't exist. That was fine until I left for college and realized there was a lot going on in the world that I knew nothing about and didn't know how to interact with. If we stay in our Christian cocoons it becomes increasingly difficult to "go into all the world...and make new disciples" because we don't even know what is going on in the world or how to reach the lost. We aren't in heaven just yet. We have to deal with this broken world whether we pretend to hide from it or not.
ReplyDeleteAdam,
ReplyDeleteI want to hear the waste water thing! Sounds fascinatingly Kippish!
Βλεπω?
ReplyDeleteNow I recognize that this post isn't focused on music but I would say that my only real problem with such music posters is that they confuse genres. Do they even know what they're these bands sound like?
Now consider the following conversation:
Bern, "What kind of music do you listen to?"
Stranger, "Hip hop."
Bern, "Oh really? What kind? All? Mid-90's, Old School?"
Stranger, "Oh, you know, Run DMC, LL Cool J..."
Bern, "Now I know exactly what you're speaking of."
I think w/ music a list of bands is more indicative of someone's tastes than a genre label. Whether that's what they were thinking or not when they made the poster, who knows? (prob not).
As far as the issue at hand, I used to think all Christians should do Christian versions of stuff, then I prob thought the opposite, now I'm like w/e. Long story short, I think Christian versions of things are fine as long as sheltering isn't the objective.
Maybe I should reserve commentary for cases where I feel violently one way or another...
Bern,
ReplyDeleteyou don't have to wait until you feel violently. although, i have never known you to be w/e about anything.
I generally tend to be ambivalent toward those things I have held two extreme/polar positions on. Usually that ends up being with my being ambivalent to the discussion and violent against such persons as hold either of my former positions - you think I'd've learned by now...
ReplyDeletei like it, Ryan! Informational but not much punch. Get a punchline in there and add a metaphor and it'll be even better :) that is coming from a fiction writer, i guess :) checkout my blog if you want. www.rossboone.com/blog
ReplyDeletelater Ryan!
-ross boone
Ross,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input! I know this could have been written with more umph. I will do better!
Jn. 4. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
ReplyDeleteSpirit: John 3 / Gal 5:22
What is truth? I do not believe we need to go really deep with this one. Personally I like my children to experience the world I feel confident there mother and I can defend against it and I have faith that the Lord will save them, secondly I believe our children need good foundational truths that are not boring and retarded. That stupid Hanna Montana could really impact some kids. How my kids will leave the house and if they will love Jesus well I am unsure, but pray for them all the time. I do find that some Old Test. families struggled with Children and teenagers the same as we do. Do we as parents pray without ceasing for our children? Like Job do we make sacrifices on there behalf, maybe not literally but are we coming before the Most High praying for them?
Well long winded again just my two cents.
While I do not believe utilizing the Christian alternative to anything will produce godlier Christians, they do have their place. Music, books, friends and activities rooted in Christianity are what were used to get me to realize my true need as a teenager. They were integral in the laying of the foundation of my faith. I had a friend that would notice a change in me when I spent too much time away from these Christian alternatives and wasn’t afraid to let me know. As an adult I still have these alternatives in my life along with their worldly counterparts. I think there’s a balance each person has to find for themselves. We can’t hide behind the alternatives from the very world we are supposed to be reaching...that's not what we're called to do.
ReplyDeleteMiles,
ReplyDeleteGood point about prayer. I think sometimes the use of Christian alternatives can be a substitute for real spiritual input into the lives of our children.
Praycilla :),
Thanks for sharing! "They were integral in the laying of the foundation of my faith." I must be honest, you are the first person who has ever said that to me. I am sure there are thousands more out there like you who make good and legitimate use of the alternatives. And I imagine that this is the spirit in which most of it is created. Thanks for your perspective.
Good thoughts. As is true in many (most?)gray areas in life, I believe that wisdom is found in the middle. It is a delicate balancing act. Focus on any one side too much and you will falter, but focus on following God and it's surprisingly freeing.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, the whole good goes in/good comes out formula is worth making a part of your life. On the other hand, how is one to reach the world when he is insulated from it? I want my kids to be Christians rather than just Americans, but I also want my kids to be a witness and not just a church goer. If you focus on either side you are likely to fall in the direction that you look. Focus on following God and you don't have to worry about any of this.
Regardless, there's no sense in imposing hard and fast rules on ourselves that God didn't see fit to put on us Himself by outlining them in Scripture. Adding rules is by nature limiting, whereas Christianity is by nature freeing. I'd rather be free to follow as God leads than be bound by a rule that I imposed on myself.
Brodie
Good questions!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I first read the Bible--when I read it for real and let it soak in and came to know who Jesus really was. It was so rich and wonderful that it grieved me, not because I didn't want to read it, but because I felt like the "Christian sub-culture" had cheated me out of an amazing gift by coming up with holy boy bands and end-times-focused literature and youth group cliques. It's not that some of the 'alternatives' can't be good, but I feel like often they keep us away from the real story, the only story worth telling. Because it's only in knowing the story of redemption that we understand the real beauty of art and literature and music--and how all of it points us to truth that is much bigger than the echo or mirage that we see in this life.
So I guess what I'm saying is that, while I would love to advocate for Bible man, I would much rather just advocate for the Bible. And then everything we view, whether the beauty of creation or the notes of a beautiful chord or the words of a well-constructed sentence, will point us back to the God who fashioned it all.
I don't know...just my thoughts tonight...
Brodie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! I am totally on board with you that there is not hard and fast rule here. The point though is that for some people there is one. While I agree that wisdom and the Spirit are the answer here, the goal is not so much an answer as understanding one another.
DeeAnn,
Great thoughts! I love you comment "I feel like often they keep us away from the real story, the only story worth telling." Amen sister! This is where I stand as well. I am not against these things. I just often they are a cheap substitute for real spiritual substance. I knew a lot of people in high school and college, for instance, who substituted christian t-shirts, fish car decals, and christian music for actually manifesting the character and love of Jesus. Thanks for your thoughts!
Most of you know me that I am totally into Christian Freedom and can get tired and even cynical of the Christian culture. But saying that, I'm very glad that there is great Christian music out there.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick personal testimony. I was raised on the philosophy of Bill Gathord where any rock and roll music is of the devil. Once I got old enough, I rebelled from that philosophy and ended up listening all secular music, saying that I am just listening to music and the words don't effect me. But most of the music I listened to was all about rebelling against the man. As I started to grow in my spiritual life in college, I still had a rebelious spirit again authority. There was a time that I felt convicted and got rid of all my music and I felt a lot of new freedom in my life.
As I've gotten older now, I do listen to all music but I do think we need to be careful of what we put into our minds and hearts.
Just a few thoughts.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a bit of your journey. I myself had two such musical purgings. I am totally on board about what we put in. Personally, I advocate always keeping a critical mind when we are consuming media, even Christian media!
I heard this quote and think that it applies to this subject..."It is not what is in the notes, but what is in the quotes." In other words, I have received ministry (edification, instruction, encouragement, care, maybe even principles of disicpleship) from things secular. Like an old black and western white movie. I have also encounter things labeled Christian, that offered no edicifcation. Now, it could be a style thing (ex: I may not like the genre offered in sacred or secular styles) or it could be that there was no depth, etc. in the Christian.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that "we are what we eat." So, a diet high in grease & fat would be bad for my long-term health, as in a diet of things not containing a high amount of "good for my spiritual health" stuff and godly stuff would not help my long-term spiritual growth & walk with Jesus.
What do you think? By Eric K.
Eric,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts! As to your comment, the point I would make is that just because something says 'Jesus' or is made by Christians does not mean it is "good for my spiritual growth" stuff. There can come a point in how people use Christian alternatives and apply the whole "trash in trash out" idea where it is actually detrimental to true spiritual growth. That's is true in my experience at least. I have known some folk who from birth until age 18 never saw, heard, or experienced anything "Unchristian." A couple of these people turned out ok. The majority that I have known turned out either to shun faith or to be terribly stunted in their spiritual, emotional, and social maturity.
Of course this does not mean we refuse to use any Christian alternatives. However, I think it does mean that parents in particular do not assume that inputting only "Christian" stuff somehow leads to spiritual growth.