drivel

i wrote this as a response to a thread on a "christian" music page a long time ago. i was new to the internet so i didn't know not to use all caps. now i try to make up for it by using caps only in reference to God. :)



"HI,
  THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF ONLINE
DISCUSSION, BUT I FELT COMPELLED TO RESPOND BECAUSE OF THE SUBJECT
MATTER. I AM A 32 YEAR OLD MALE CHRISTIAN WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO WRITE
AND PRODUCE MY OWN MUSIC. I HAVE'NT BEEN A CHRISTIAN ALL MY LIFE, OR
EVEN A MAJORITY, BUT WHEN I WAS BORN AGAIN, IT WAS A TREMENDOUS
CHANGE IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE. GOD HAS TURNED ON MY INTELLECT AND
CREATIVITY IN A WAY THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED POSSIBLE.
  FROM A MUSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE, I BELIEVE CREATING ANY KIND OF ART IS
AN EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL RELEASE. MANY MUSICIANS
CRAFT MUSIC THAT WILL APPEAL TO THE MASSES, AND CAUSE THE GENERAL
PUBLIC TO SING ALONG WITH THEIR CATCHY TUNES. BUT I BELIEVE TRUE
ARTISTS EXPRESS WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY BELEIVE IN THROUGH THEIR
MUSIC. I DON'T WANT TO BELITTLE ANYONE BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS THEIR
PLACE AND PURPOSE, BUT MANY PEOPLE IN BANDS OR MAKING MUSIC ARE NOT
SINCERELY COMMITTING TO REALISM OR HONESTY IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I COULD BE MISINTERPETING SHALLOWNESS OF CHARACTER
OR LACK OF GENUINESS FOR BLATANT COMMERCIALISM, SO I CAN'T BE SURE OF
ANYONE'S MOTIVES. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM A BIBLICAL
PERSPECTIVE, I BELIEVE THAT GOD WOULD PREFER AN ATHEIST BEING HONEST
AND INTROSPECTIVE OVER ANYONE(SAVED OR NOT) JUST SAYING A BUNCH OF
WORDS THAT BEAR NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE AUTHORS HEART, OR EVEN WORSE,
ARE DECEITFUL IN THEIR PRESENTATION OF THE SINGER OR BAND. IF SOMEONE
IS SINGING SONGS FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN EXPRESSION, HOW CAN YOU
CALL THIS CREATIVITY? ANYONE WITH SOME MINIMAL TALENT IN THE RIGHT
PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME CAN MAKE SOME CASH SELLING RECORDS, BUT MOST
PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS, WITH THEIR
FRIENDS OR EVEN GOD, MUCH LESS THE RECORD BUYING PUBLIC. JESUS SAID
IN REVELATION 3:15-16, "I KNOW ALL THE THINGS YOU DO, THAT YOU ARE
NEITHER HOT NOR COLD. I WISH YOU WERE ONE OR THE OTHER! BUT SINCE YOU
ARE LIKE LUKEWARM WATER, I WILL SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH."
  GOD KNOWS OUR HEARTS, AND I TRULY THINK SINCERITY IS A FIRST
REQUIREMENT TO COME TO GOD. MANY WITHIN THE CHURCH STRUCTURE ARE NOT
TRUE BELIEVERS IN THE PIVOTAL SENSE OF THE WORD, AND THIS SEEMS VERY
PREVALENT AMONG CHRISTIAN MUSIC FANS. THIS IS A GENERALIZATION, AND
DOES NOT APPLY UNIVERSALLY, BUT I HAVE SEEN A TRUE LACK OF REALNEES
IN THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC SCENE THAT RIVALS NON-BELIEVERS. OFCOURSE THE
PROBLEM LIES WITHIN THE LACK OF VISION TO EVEN RECOGNIZE THE ABSENCE
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE IT IN THE HEAD BUT NOT THE
HEART. OUR HEARTS ARE DECEITFULLY WICKED, SO WE
DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN WE ARE LYING TO OURSELVES ABOUT MONUMENTAL
SUBJECT MATTER, SUCH AS OUR OWN SALVATION!
  MY POINT IS, THE REASON ALOT OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC FAILS TO ILICIT A
RESPONSE FROM MOST PEOPLE THE WAY SECULAR MUSIC DOES, IS BECAUSE MOST
PEOPLE LIKE TO LISTEN TO LYRICS AND MUSIC THAT SPEAK TO THEM ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL. I PERSONALLY DON'T GET THAT OUT OF ANY BAND THAT
SPOUTS CARDBOARD, EMPTY WORDS THAT ANYONE COULD WRITE DOWN WITHOUT
ANY REAL DEPTH. JOY AND PAIN STEM FROM VERY DEEP WITHIN US, AND TO BE
IN TOUCH WITH OUR TRUE SELVES IS GOD'S INTENTION. FOR AN ARTIST, WHY
WASTE SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY ON MINDLESS DRIVEL? JESUS DIDN'T.
                 




                      GOD IS LOVE"