Below are just a list of quotes by some CCM artists and music magazines with a little commentary from me:

Today’s contemporary style of Christian music is (by product, maybe not intent) honoring to man and not God.

Notice some things that some ‘big name artists’ have said:

Amy Grant said: “”What we’re trying to do is take Christian principles and make them understandable. Even if it doesn’t say Jesus, it doesn’t matter. . .” (Rolling Stone, June 6, 1985 p 10)

Back in 1987 when this was a relatively new thing, Rich Mullins said: “I’m really sick of all this heavy-handed Christianity. Musicians take themselves too seriously. They should have more FUN, and they should stop preaching unless that’s what God has called them to. If I want to hear a sermon, I’ll go to church, thank you.” (CCM magazine, April, 1987, p. 12)

Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 said: “A lot of bands, the reason they get so turned off, is because you have to put the word ‘Jesus’ in every line. . . That’s why so many bands get almost anti-Jesus in their lyrics, even though they’re Christians.” (HM, Mar/Apr 97 p. 21)

Inside the Music said in 1991 about Michael W Smith’s concerts: “His concerts draw hundreds of thousands of fans each year, mostly teenage girls who scream out their AFFECTION FOR HIM non-stop throughout. . . . To his fans, Smith is the absolute greatest there is, BAR NONE . . .” (emphasis added)

Of Steve Camp, Josh McDowell said: “Thank God for Steve Camp. The body of Christ is enriched because we have his heart and his music. My oldest daughter thinks he hung the moon.” Josh McDowell (CCM, Aug, 91, p. 15)

Now let me ask, who hung the moon? Should Jeremy camp get the credit for that? (I know, he’s being figurative) But really now, are these people gaining a following for Christ or for themselves. I know that they may not intend this but it is what is happening. Consider a few more quotes:

Michael Card: “Now, the industry is celebrity-driven. The song is almost irrelevant.The focus is on the PERSON, and songs have become disposable.” (Can’t Buy Me Ministry, Christianity Today, May 20, 1996 (p. 22)

Over 15 years ago Keith Green said the following about the music: “Why do we IDOLIZE Christian singers and speakers? We go from glorifying musicians in the world, to GLORIFYING Christian musicians. It’s all idolatry! . . . Satan is getting a great victory as we seem to WORSHIP these ministers on tapes and records, and clamor to get their autographs in churches and concert halls from coast to coast.” (Keith Green, from the Tract, “So You Wanna Be A Rock Star”)

Michael Card: “The direction and value system are getting worse faster than any of us can imagine.” (Can’t Buy Me Ministry, Christianity Today, May 20, 1996 (p. 22)

This is how CCM Mag introduces Sandi Patty’s album artist of my soul: “The press kit arrived today packed full of superlatives and more than 1200 square inches of plush photography. The singer looks to her right and smiles pleasantly as the breeze teases nicely coiffed blond hair. Her arms are thrown wide as she gladly embraces the moment. This is, after all, something of a comeback.
Open the lavish 9-inch by 12-inch publicity folio. Inside, the singer smiles up at you from a photograph a foot-and-a-half wide. Open the folder again and a photographic panorama spreads three-feet wide across the desk. On the left 18 inches, she’s outside, same setting, still smiling, gazing skyward. To the right, indoors, under amber light, hands lightly clasped, eyes downcast, she strikes a contemplative pose. Nestled inside the press kit, enfolded by all those smiling photos, are the words–the P.R.–and the praise is effusive. The singer has created “a distinguished work of art.” Her voice is “distinctive,” her songs “eloquent and articulate,” the CD “masterfully crafted” and “breathtakingly performed.” She’s a “preeminent talent,” who is “critically acclaimed” and “highly successful” –”stirring” with “remarkable musical diversity” and an “expansive vocal range.” “Dynamic… quintessential… timeless… heartwarming.” She is the recipient of five Grammy Awards, nine Grammy nominations, 35 Dove Awards (“more than any other artist”), three platinum records, five gold records. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.” (CCM Magazine, January, 1998, p.32)

Some other interesting quotes:

Stan Moser, former head of Word Records (the man responsible for signing Amy Grant) and CEO of Star Song Records, was one of the pioneers and most important executives in CCM. And after 26 years involved in CCM, in November 1995 walked away CCM. In an article in Christianity Today, titled “We Have Created a Monster”, about CCM Mr. Moser says:

“In the beginning of the eighties, Sandi, Patti was singing Dottie Rambo songs in church concerts; toward the end of the eighties, she was singing at the Republican National Convention. We went from the church to Carnegie Hall, from the church to large, secular arenas, where Bill and Gloria Gaither would hold praise gatherings. . .
We as an industry weren’t running away from the church at that time, but I do think we walked away, hoping to bring enough of the church along so we could still make a living-so we could still, basically, get rich. Materialism, a lot of it, crept in and started affecting our values. . .

“There is a growing chasm between CCM and the church – between what’s actually happening in the real world of ministry, or even in the music ministry of the church, and what we’re doing in CCM. In fact, I would probably be more inclined to call the industry “commercial Christian music,” rather than “contemporary Christian music. . . “(Christianity Today, “We Have Created a Monster”, May 20, 1996 p. 27)

Robert Sweet (formerly with stryper) “We always had this attitude that we didn’t want to be characterized as this little religious band sold in religious bookstores and happy and content to play in a church for love offerings.” (Milwaukee Journal, Aug 25, 1987 p. 11)

Mark Farner: “Music is a part of my ministry no matter where I go and 90 percent of that is secular,” Farner said. Farner also continues to tour the nation performing in some of the same nightclubs and bars that he played as a member of Grand Funk. (Calendar Fall/Win 91 p 6)

Other Quotes about the ‘rock music’ style:

“But rock music has one appeal only, a barbaric appeal, to sexual desire – not love, not eros, but sexual desire undeveloped and untutored.” (Bloom, Alan, The Closing of the American Mind, Simon & Schuster, 1987 p.73)
“Its admirers want to make rock appealing by making it respectable. The thing can’t be done. Rock is appealing because it’s vulgar, . . Rock is the quintessence of vulgarity. It’s crude, loud, and tasteless.” (Pattison, Robert, The Triumph of Vulgarity, 1987, preface, p.4)

The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of it’s rhythm — it is the BEAT that commands a directly PHYSICAL response.” (Simon Frith, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock ‘n’ Roll, p. 240)

“Rhythm is the element of music most closely allied to BODY MOVEMENT, to PHYSICAL action. Its simpler patterns when repeated over and over can have a hypnotic effect on us”. (Joseph Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, p. 19) (emphasis added)

Michael Jackson said about his grabbing him self: “It’s the music that compels me to do it. You don’t think about it, it just happens. I’m a slave to the rhythm.” (The Evening Star, February 11, 1993, p. A10)

Drums:

“[Drums] represents the beat of the heart and is played to summon up magic powers.” (Miranda Bruce-Mitford, The Illustrated Book of Signs & Symbols, DK Publishing, 1996 p.80)
“The shaman was the original ‘long hair’, the first rock star draped in leather, dancing possessed to a rhythm banged out on A drum.” (Danny Sugerman, Appetite for Destruction, p. 208)

In Siberia, in northern Asia, drums are used in shamanic rituals to heal people. It is believed that the shaman can communicate with the spirit world through drumming. (Louise Tythacott, Musical Instruments, Thomas Learning, 1995, p. 37)

“Pagan dances and rituals are always accompanied by the incessant beat of drums. Rhythm plays a major role in these demonic activities.” (Hart, Lowell Satan’s Music Exposed, Salem Kirban Inc., 1980 p.71)

I recently had a conversation with my mom and sister about music. My sister has found some interesting things about musicians, movies stars and devil worship (I haven’t looked into it). And I made a picture video four our family reunion and used some songs from ‘pickin on patch’. I got comments like “why did you put funeral music on there?” and “There’s no beat.” I talked to my mom about it and she said that people just don’t like that ‘church music’ they like something with a little beat or rhythm in it.

Let me ask the question, Why do people like the beat? Why do they need to have some sort of ‘rhythm’ in their ‘music’? Now let me further qualify that if their is no rhythm in a song, it does not play. You must have rhythm in order for a song to move along. You have to have a beat. Hence the timing of a song like 4/4 3/4 and so on. So, what are they talking about when they say beat? Its the back beat. They need the back beat. Question: Why? is it their preference or their ’style’ of music? Nope, when I asked that, they just said any beat will do as long as it isn’t boring like that stuff. (This is really funny, I’ll post the video later so you can see it; it will be called “Peake Family Reunion 2010″) (The titles to the songs on the video are ‘all that I need’, ‘bow the knee’, ‘Jonah’, ‘wiggle worm’, ‘little by little’ and ‘be still my soul’)

So, what is it about the beat? I have to confess that a little while ago, while researching this, I watched probably 30 or 40 music videos from various artists and I like the beat myself. But what in me likes the beat? Is it the Spirit of God and the new creature that he has made me crying out from the inward man saying ‘give me that beat, I wanna move my…’ WAIT A MINUTE, that’s it, it’s my FLESH! Our flesh wants the beat, it craves it, just like it craves many other things that are not good for it. Does your flesh just hate sweets? How about exercise? Personally, I have to beat myself into working out, my body hates it. If you have an addiction, doesn’t your flesh just cry out for it if you try to leave it alone? The lusts of the flesh are spoken against all through the New Testament. Let me know if you need references and I’ll get them to you, they are all over the place.

Now, what is the most important thing about all of the ‘CCM’ that is out there? Does the music fit you liking? Isn’t that how we judge what ’style’ of music we listen to? What do we like, right? That sounds pretty fleshly to me. Now, granted, that can go both ways. I don’t think the issue of music is such a ’subjective thing’ as many would like to think it is.

In future notes, I will discuss whether or not music is amoral and the issue of preference.

Let me know your thoughts below.