Expert: Carl Fuglein - 4/8/2009

Question
I have started listening to a lot of Christian music, most of it is Heavy Metal and really hardcore like Death Metal style and my friends and I basically dress like with black and chains and the main difference is that we have no devil symbols or anything like that except like I have a shirt with an angel beheading a demon on it. We all skateboard, go to concerts, mosh and pretty much are the Christian version of the other metal kids at school. So someone says that this is not a good thing because we might as well just listen to secular music because we are not pleasing God. What is your opinion of Christian Metal and even pop and rap for that matter and the lifestyle in general?

Answer
Hi Vincent,

Sorry for the delay in answering, I just got a new computer and it's taking me forever to load software and transfer data.


Heavy Metal Christian Music, eh?  I bet you like Family Force Five.  I've seen them live, and all I wondered was, "Who are these people and why are they screaming at me?"  What was really interesting was watching a friend of mine doing sign language for their music -now THAT was wild.  My taste runs more towards Skillet & Audio Adrenline.  My favorite band is David Crowder, followed closely by Chris Tomlin, despite his personality.  (I've met him, he's kinda standoffish, not very friendly.  I've also met Dave Crowder - he's amazingly approachable and friendly)

Well, enough about my taste, let's address yours.  So who, exactly, is telling you that you're not pleasing God?  I'd like to have a word or two with them.  I'd also like to find where in the Bible that it says you can't skateboard or mosh.  But I can find in the Bible where it says,

(Psalm 150:1 KJV)  Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4  Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5  Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

I'm pretty sure that heavy metal music would be covered by this.

The bottom line, Vincent, is that some people have a certain way to praise God, and unfortunately, they think that any other way is wrong.  To the contrary, they are wrong.  I think that God doesn't give two hoots how you're singing praises, just so long as you are.  I have been in a crowd of 5,000 people dancing, and jumping to hip-hop, and praising God with rock music.  I feel like I'm in heaven when I'm in that group, and my vision of heaven seriously includes that.  I'm sad for the people who sing to old, slow, somber hymns and say that's what we've always done.  They miss the joy of knowing Jesus.

Obviously, by now, you can see that I am in favor of heavy metal Christian music.  If you start going to other heavy metal, hip-hop, or rap music that includes horrible language, then I think you've lost your mind.  But as long as you continue to listen to Christian bands, I think God is pleased.

Hope this helps.  Please take the time to rate my answer and give me some feedback.

Rock On!

Carl