We as a band do not have problem with those that do not believe in Jesus, nor do we cast judgement on those that do not believe in Jesus.

AHAHA…ahaha…aha…ha…whew. What bible do you guys read from again?

I’m well aware that they are not a Christian band. What I’m saying is that it is misleading to think of them as the opposite of a Christian band in the sense that their purpose is the same as that of a Christian band except that the ideology is different.

Ah, I see. My bad 0_0

Yeah, they are definitely not as simple as “CCR” bands, in that respect.

BrianM said, [July 20, 2008 at 10:55 pm]

D’you you really think that having an atheist member would prevent them from selling more records? Are the folks who buy Xtian rock albums likely to take that into account before plunking down their money?

The majority of people who buy Christian contemporary music (CCM) buy it because the performers are Christian (or, the “right kind” of Christian). In most cases, it’s not because they like the music, because as Price noted, most of it is watered-down clones of better mainstream acts. There are good, talented CCM acts but most of them are spoiled by preachiness. This is something evangelicals rarely seem to get–hitting unconvinced people over the head with Scripture doesn’t accomplish anything.

Otherwise, professional musicians don’t necessarily have to agree with the ideological stances of the music they’re playing, anymore than an actor playing Hitler needs to be a Nazi. Music is its own language. System of a Down was a very political band, but most of that was Serj Tankian (singer). Although the band, as Armenian-Americans, supported recognition of the Armenian genocide, I was always under the impression that the anti-globalization/anti-Bush stances were mostly Serj, with the rest of the band largely politically indifferent.

Oh, I wasn’t calling them a Christian Rock band (by any means!!! XD). No, they’re quite the opposite

I’m well aware that they are not a Christian band. What I’m saying is that it is misleading to think of them as the opposite of a Christian band in the sense that their purpose is the same as that of a Christian band except that the ideology is different.

Music that is marketed specifically as “Christian” is, to put it bluntly, ideologically centered. Some of it is meant to outright promote Christianity. Much of it is meant to reinforce the beliefs of the faithful, and even at its vaguest, it is at least the kind of music that is “safe” for Christian, in that it isn’t supposed to provide temptations for Christians to stray into sin or disbelief. In one way or another, it is meant to reinforce a particular ideology.

From what little I know of Bad Religion, it doesn’t seem to be ideologically centered in that way, and I doubt that its members would feel right being that way.

Oh, I wasn’t calling them a Christian Rock band (by any means!!! XD). No, they’re quite the opposite (to make this point, I need only cite a lyric from “Do What You Want:” I don’t know if the millions will survive/but I’ll believe in God when one and one are five). What I meant was, their music is generally steered towards an anti-mass-religion ideology, and yet the band members have distinctly different spiritual beliefs.

Which brings me back to my point; if the music is really good, then it doesn’t matter if everyone agrees on every aspect of the theme. If the music is really good, then that means the theme is accurate and powerful enough to make people put aside their differences (which is why I love Bad Religion so much; I’ve met a lot of really intelligent people, both Christian and Atheist, through mutual interest in Bad Religion).

Music that is marketed specifically as “Christian” is, to put it bluntly, ideologically centered.

I find it instructive to compare that with, say, U2, George Harrison or Bob Marley. In the case of those artists, while the religion is/was never very far from the surface (and in some cases quite explicit), it is/was never marketed as specifically religious music.

It seems to me that that the “Christian music” tag is bad for the band, because it needlessly restricts what they can do.

Hector Avalos, in his book Fighting Words explains that the New Testament messages of love and kindness toward others did not mean all others – but only others of one’s own group.

Hector is full of crap; read Jesus instead. Lordy, Christians have enough for atheists to pick on without inventing stuff.

We just want to love on people like Jesus would

Hector Avalos, in his book Fighting Words explains that the New Testament messages of love and kindness toward others did not mean all others – but only others of one’s own group. This young man has left the Christian faith – and is therefor no longer a member of their group.