I don't know if this erks anyone else as much as it does me, but here comes a rant... kinda.
It's alarming to me when I see Christian kids or, worse yet, Christian bands promoting bands that are outwardly profane or professing blasphemous beliefs.
It's one thing to listen to secular music. There are a lot of "good" secular artists out there that sing about life, love, loss and whatever else it is that motivates them to write a song about. Not pushing beliefs, not denigrating anyone or anything. Just being passionate about what's on their heart and mind.
I'm all for a broad spectrum of music. I listen to anything from trance/progressive/dance/ebm stuff to alt rock and metal to...oh no... some country?! Yeah, but not the redneck crap. This morning on my way to work I was rocking Eisley. Very light, pretty girl-vocal folksy type stuff. I'm mad eclectic. But there's a line I think that needs to be drawn at what kind of lyrical content you choose to indulge your listening in.
Like I said, I like metal. Not super super hard stuff, but I like some pretty heavy stuff. Some of it, be as it may, is relatively unintelligable at times, but the motivation in the lyrics is still there. I feel it sinks in, even if you think you "just listen to the music, not the words". I've heard that one before, and I don't buy it. Music effects us. Music was meant to stimulate your senses, give you feeling, drive you to understand and relate with the song writer's motives, beliefs and feelings. Music is an expression of one's heart and soul, with an effort to draw you in so you can feel what they feel.
So, more to the point of this blog, it's disheartening to see Christian kids and bands wearing profane or outright blasphemous Satanic band shirts, and listening to that filth. It not only shows that they agree with and condone those beliefs, but it also shows that they promote it. If I don't want to be labeled as Satanist, I sure as heck am not not going to wear a shirt or listen to the message of devout Satanists. Here are some examples that blow my mind:
Nodes of Ranvier. They released "The Years To Come" on Facedown Records, a prominant Christian hardcore record label.

Note the Metallica shirt. For the sake of being real, I'll be straight up with you. The shirt says "metal up your a__". I don't know about you, but I know for a fact that kids look up to bands. I purchased my Nodes of Ranvier cd from Evangel, a very conservative, very contemporary Christian book and music store. Right on the shelf is NoR's cd with the above picture on the back of the cd case for all to see. Tasteless and stupid, or just a bad choice. At any rate, it erked me.
He Is Legend. On Solid State Records, another Christian label. This pic appeared in a sampler that Solid State put out.

Note the Morbid Angel shirt. It's got a stinkin' PENTAGRAM on it. How self defeating can you possibly get?
I just don't get it. Am I too discerning, or are they not discerning enough? The bible says what you partake of becomes you. I feel if we partake of evil things, we will reap evil things. I don't think it's right to promote something that goes against your belief system. What do you guys think?