I changed my mind. I feel like I do need to voice my opinion about these types of situations, because I get emails pertaining to this subject matter daily, and I usually don’t know what to say… sometimes I sit and ponder over a clever response but end up simply saying something short, and moving on. This isn’t really a response directly to this blog, but its my response to life in general.
On the argument of “Christian” bands playing in “secular” venues….
Well, there was an argument that at one of the clubs we played, there was some sort of S&M show there. Obviously, we cant know everything that goes on at every place we play… but unless we play exclusively churches, this argument will never die. What if we played only theatres, and then they had a broadway show that was racy, or only vfw halls, and they had a beer drinking contest or heaven forbid, line dancing there… there would be something at one of those places that someone didn’t agree with and would have a problem with it. As far as, by us playing this venue we are supporting events like the S&M show… that’s like saying if you go to the movies, and even by chance you are going to see kirk camerons left behind movie, a “Christian” movie, that you are then sponsoring every r rated sex nudie movie that comes through that theatre. Is that the case? If I buy something at a retailer that was made by someone in a sweatshop, am I supporting sweatshops? If the newsboys play an arena where kiss played the night before, are they all of a sudden part of the kiss army? That argument can go on forever… instead of embracing the possibility of possibly bringing any sort of positive natured fun show to this sort of place… we do the typical Christian boycott and just say what we think is wrong and how we should keep our kids away. With that being said, I don’t think that parents should drop off their 12 year old kids in a seedy part of town at a bar and come back to pick them in 4 hours… but wouldn’t it be awesome if the parent and kids actually had some sort of discussion, and maybe had a chaperone, or maybe this one even sparked a discussion between a family that could possibly promote healthy communication in a household? Im not saying that this happens, but its sure possible.
I am a little tired of the people that say because we don’t have the word jesus in every song, (who is mentioned on our current record) that we are dancing around the issue, and ashamed of our faith. Just like I have no right to convict you on what you say youre called to do, no one has the right to judge me, or my band, and especially people that have never even met us. I think its amazing all the generalizations that one can come up with, about me, just by looking at a building where we played a show. I know that not everyone will always agree with everything we do, but at least have the decency to ask us about it… my email and aim screename are very public… and I have never ever dodged a question from a concerned parent.
I know that I probably shouldn’t have responded to this, and let it roll off my shoulders… and am wondering why I feel like I need to justify myself to people that don’t even know me… Im sure I will make some people mad, maybe even my own band mates for taking a stance on this, im not sure… im not trying to turn this into a blog fight and have anyone passive aggressively take sides…I just feel like we are so often misrepresented by people who don’t know us… and this time I decided to make a point.
Heres my real question… what is wrong with five guys, who happen to be Christians, playing a show in a rock club?
js
