>Religious Music Industry = Garbage

>When I say religious I mean Christian – I can’t speak for other faith based music industries because I haven’t experienced them firsthand – nor do I think they would be as pathetic and cowardly as my very own faith’s industry. America has a miserable Christian music industry. The artists are all aspiring rock stars who are too afraid to be put on a real hot seat – aka the secular music industry – so they hide behind the church.

If you want to be a rock star, just come out and say it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a competing artist. The best athletes don’t go play for the Christian basketball Association. Real painters don’t go paint at religious centers. Olympic contenders don’t start the Christian Olympics so they can pray before each event. **That metaphor stings doesn’t it?

When you are true to your craft, you don’t manipulate your art. You don’t create sub-cultures to fit in – you break the mold. You don’t change to be relevant – you make other people fit into what you are doing. You lead. You are a trailblazer. I continue to get nauseated at the amounts of Christian sub-cultures that get created so people can have a forum. Do you guys do this because you are not good? Do you do this because you want so badly to be the next Bono but don’t have the goods to back it up? Let me know because I stand corrected if your reasons are true.

At fall conference, our pastor made a great distinction between things that are valid, and things that are true. I have a feeling that Christian musicians have many valid reasons as to why they hide behind church when making music. But I doubt that anything we (yes I say we) have to say is true. When reading the gospels, I am pretty sure that the Jesus you prescribe to cared alot about those outside of the religious sects. I am pretty confident that a God you like to shrink down to size cared about being a presence in the world – a light to the nations.

Today we have many Christian brands – cool Christian worship gear – cool post-modern churches. We have religious artist communities of weirdos that never could quite break the world’s stage – so they made their own – quite interesting actually. Just remember that while you keep copying each other to stay in business, nobody cares about what you are making – because the level of your artistry is poor. You are an imitation of something else. Real recognizes real, and I will never recognize you.

Peace, and much love to you – John Baptist!

One Response

  1. Sunitha

    >love this. no point in hiding within sub-culture upon sub-culture. *cough, cough* IVCF 😉 haha…i mean that out of love 🙂