DanJoe

Christian Contemporary Music

Years ago I had a site dedicated to Christian Contemporary Music (CCM), however when Yahoo took over Geocities, they dumped my site. Funny thing is, my wife had a site and her's was not dumped. Weird!

Anyway, this site was dedicated to how CCM is gone the way of the dogs. I tend to lean to the conservative side when it comes to religion, and my music tastes follow that lead. CCM used to be people who sang their praises to God and used their voices for witnessing. But today, it seems to be for the show, the sound and the money. It is more commonly known that many groups cannot start in the mainstream secular music because they just don't have what it takes. So, what do they do? They start their careers singing CCM. Once they get recognized, sell a few albums, they then make the jump to secular where they wanted to be all along. Though I don't take issue with that - side note: I wish many more would do the same because they in no way portray the Bible or Jesus in any good way: end site note - I do take issue with them using God to make a profit.

I for about four or five years did not listen to anything but CCM. During that time I became rather familiar with CCM and it's musicians. I saw Michael English fall; Sandy Patti Fall; Steven Curtis Chapman change his style after touring with Audio Adrenalin; Michael Card drop out of making albums for major labels; Steve Green Make comments about the industry; Michael W. Smith go after the $$; Carmen become the largest concert selling artist; Jackie Velasquez change; Susan Ashton kinda slightly sell out to country; and many many more.

My page made note how out of all the CCM musicians there were two that I highly respected and admired. Well, 5 years later and four years after yahoo dumped my geocities site, Steve Green and Michael Card are still my favorites. They have stood the test of time and show that their hearts are there for the witnessing of Christ and not the money like the rest of the industry. I have my eyes on a few newcomers, but for now, if you do not know Steve Green and Michael Card, do yourself a big favor and become familiar with them. I will definitely be talking about them again. Meanwhile, guard your hearts against the rapid secularization of modern CCM.

Why are all Christians lumped into Catholicism?

You ever notice that when Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, the History Channel or any of the major media for that fact refer to Christianity, they show pictures of the Vatican or the popes? I added some Google links/ads to my website and wouldn't you know, Google came up with "Spirituality in America - Where do you stand on faith? Podcasts, polls, blogs and more - www.newsweek.com." This link goes on to talk about Father this and Catholic that. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Catholics, but I do have a problem with the system lumping us all together. The Pope is not the leader of all Christendom! And Christians do not all pray to Mary! It would be nice to differentiate between Christians and Catholics.

I was watching GlobeTrekker on GPTV earlier today and on it, the host was in Malaysia talking about how the Hindu festivals is "not unlike the Christians." During the Hindu festivals participants pray to Sheba, stuck nails in themselves, pierce their bodies with hooks, attach the hooks to wagons and pull the wagons with their flesh to show their devotion to Sheba. The host exclaimed that, we should not find what they do sick or weird, because it's a pilgrimage like Christians who carry over sized crosses, pierce their hands, flagellate their bodies, and pray to Mary. This is a prime example of what I'm talking about. There is no way in this world that I will be praying to Mary, carrying an over sized cross, or flagellating and piercing my body for any reason. Catholics do this, not Christians.

Google was even kind enough to give me another ad link asking this question, "Is there a difference between Catholic and Christian?" Well, my curiosity got the better of me and I strolled on over to the link only to ascertain that the link only discussed "having Christ in your heart" and didn't touch on the question at all. So much for me getting my hopes up that other people felt the same as I do.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

Well it seems that everyone is chiming in on this Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays issue (Link). I was driving home a week ago and I heard Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family charge everyone to boycott stores who don't wish you a Merry Christmas. Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, and many more are also charged with the issue. Although Boortz takes a less forceful stance and only comically lets people know that "every time someone wishes you Happy Holidays, an elf dies." Now, I have to honestly admit that if I think about it too hard, I also get a bit charged. But...and in case you haven't noticed by now, I almost always have a but...there is also another side to consider. For example, Home Depot, they have no clue whether the person walking through their door is Christian, Buddhists Muslim, Jew, Amish, or an atheist, so how should they greet that person? For them to say, "Happy Holidays" is not such a terrible thing...is it? Of course not! Where I draw the line is when the ACLU comes in and forces us to do or not do our own will. But then, if you have a government building, wouldn't it also be fair to have up a menorah and a whatever that symbol is that Muslims have displayed? I would venture to guess equality is fair and let them put it up. Rather than the ACLU forcing people to take their's down, they should encourage people to also set up a Minora. Mike Straka wrote a very good article that brings out some poignant facts. I agree with a lot of what he has to say, and I encourage you to read the article. My biggest fear is that the ACLU, Christian Coalition, liberals and others who want to use government to spread their agenda are going to push us so far, that people will get fed up and we will swing so far the other way that Sunday Laws will be enacted with force and vengeance. I realize Sunday Laws are eminent (I'll address this sometime down the road), but that doesn't make me want it to happen all the same.

Have we Christians brought this on ourselves? Has the Christian Coalition been so poisonous with forcing religion on people that people are fed up and the other side is speaking out? I'm no expert, I don't claim to be one, but in my opinion this is what is happening. Christians take on such zealous attitudes sometimes that they forget that they need to love their fellow man. Yes man, none of this PC man and woman nonsense. "Man" is an all-inclusive word. So, as I was saying, they get so busy trying to force religion on people that many are turned away and turned off. As Mike Straka pointed out, Jesus doesn't care whether WalMart, Home Depot, or Macy's uses Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. And Jesus never forced anyone to accept Him. We as Christians need to follow this, and if we follow Him and lift Him up, He will draw all men onto Himself (John 12:32). We as Christians have to accept some, though not all, but we must accept some fault because if we are too busy worrying about "Happy Holidays taking preference over Merry Christmas" then our hearts are not in the right place and we are lifting ourselves up rather than the person of the season...JESUS!