Contemporary Christian Music Is Dangerous

Over the years I have become very concerned about Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM, as it is also known). At first I thought it was uplifting and encouraging, but I’ve now come to believe that it is a genuine danger to the Church. It is not nearly as harmless as it seems to be.

Now, let me start off by saying that my objections are not tied to the music itself. There are some people who hate CCM because it has a rock beat, and they teach that drums and rock beats are evil and sinful. That sort of thinking is utterly preposterous. It is impossible for a beat to be sinful. There are no verses anywhere in the Bible that say “Using drums in music is sinful”, or “If your musical beat matches these characteristics, it is evil.” That whole line of thinking has no Biblical support whatsoever. The problem is not the beat.

There are other people who criticize CCM because its songs tend to be short and repetitive. While I admit that I prefer the classic hymns which had far more spiritual depth, I think it is an error to say that something that is short and repetitive is sinful. You see, the Bible actually has examples of both! For example, Psalm 136 is one of the most repetitive psalms in the Bible. Every single one of its 26 verses ends with the phrase “for his mercy endureth forever”:

Psalm 136:1: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. . .”

But that’s not the only example. In the book of Revelation the apostle John told us that this scene is continually happening in the throne room of Heaven:

Revelation 4:8: “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

These beings repeat that same short statement day and night forever. You really can’t get any more repetitive than that!

Now, I’m not saying that music should be repetitive. There are plenty of Psalms that aren’t the least bit repetitive, and there are plenty that aren’t short either. The point is that it’s not a sin for a song to be short, and it’s not evil for a song to be repetitive. The Bible has both.

What bothers me about CCM is not the tune, or the beat, or the instruments, or the repetitiveness, or the brevity of the songs. I’m not even bothered by the words. Sure, some of the songs are very light on theology, and others are just plain bad, but there are a few that are very uplifting and Biblically sound. No, what really bothers me is the artists.

You see, the songs themselves may be fine, but the artists are not. The people who write and sing the songs are not Biblially sound at all. Instead they use their position and fame to spread heresies, damage the Church, and lure people away from the truth and into error. They are the real danger, and they are causing a great deal of harm.

A great recent example of this is Dan Haseltine, of the band Jars of Clay. He has come out in support of gay marriage, and has urged his fans to do the same. Now, gay marriage is an abomination in the sight of God. The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a very serious sin, and those who are caught up in it need to repent. But that’s not what CCM artists teach! They are using their positions to promote gay marriage – and young people are listening. When they see these famous artists stand up and say “It’s fine for a Christian to support homosexuality”, they think “Well, it must be all right then.” People are listening to what these artists have to say.

It doesn’t take a lot of research to discover that many CCM artists are not Biblically sound. For example:

• Matt Maher, who wrote “Lord, I Need You” is a big supporter of the Catholic Church. Not only is he raising his son in it, but he sees it as his family and wants to bring Protestants back to it. The “Lord” in his songs is not the God of the Bible, but the false God of Rome. He spreads the message that Catholicism’s works-based religion is perfectly fine and that Protestants need to return to the Pope.
• James Cleveland, who won multiple Grammy Awards for gospel singing (1974, 1977, 1980, 1990), was a homosexual. He died of AIDS, which he contracted from his homosexual partners.
• Marsha Stephens, who wrote the famous “For Those Tears I Died”, divorced her husband, left her children, and married another woman. She then started a lesbian praise music ministry.
• Ray Boltz, who wrote the famous song “Thank You (for giving to the Lord)”, announced his homosexuality in 2008. He then divorced his wife to live with another man, and today tours the country to spread his gay-Christian message.
• Geron Davis, Joel Hemphill, Mark Carouthers, Phillips, Craig and Dean, and Lanny Wolfe all deny the Trinity.
• Stuart Townend denies that God is vengeful, which is a rejection of the God of the Bible.
• Michael W. Smith endorsed The Shack, which was a shockingly heretical book that rejects the God of the Bible and replaces Him with a false god.

These are not isolated examples; I could go on for pages. Homosexuality is common among CCM artists. Support for homosexuality is also common. CCM artists don’t speak out against gay marriage; instead they speak out in support of it. The books and works that they promote are heretical. CCM artists are also tied to the emergent church, which has largely abandoned the gospel altogether. They also happen to be very ecumenical. Instead of standing up for what the Word of God says, they seek to unite all believers everywhere into one church – specifically, the Church of Rome. They don’t stand up for the truth; instead they water it down. I am not saying that every single one of them are bad, but I am saying that as a group they are doctrinally unsound – and that matters.

In the modern era of Twitter, Facebook, and social media, it is very easy for fans to connect with these artists and hear what they have to say – and the artists are taking full advantage of that. The message that they are spreading is very dangerous, and they are winning a lot of converts. It ought to alarm us that CCM artists are promoting homosexual marriage. That ought to be a huge warning sign that something is very, very wrong with that entire industry.

I have come to believe that it is a very bad idea to use CCM in churches as worship music. When CCM is used in churches, people become interested in the artists. They grow to respect them (because the church has endorsed them by using their music in church services!) and they want to find out more about them. So they begin following the artists on Twitter, listening to interviews, and hearing what they have to say. These artists are then able to lead people away from the truth. I believe CCM is dangerous because it leads people right to the artists, who in turn lead people into error. CCM builds bridges to a world of heresy and sin. It is a serious problem because it leads to a dangerous place.

The Bible is very clear that Christians ought to separate themselves from Christians who are living in unrepentant sin or who are preaching dangerous heresies:

1 Corinthians 5:11: “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

II John 1:9: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

What do you think the apostles would say about people who were using their positions to promote immorality? Do you think John would have been fine with using the music of unrepentant homosexual “Christians” in worship services? Do you really think he would have put his stamp of approval on that? If we are not even supposed to eat with them or receive them into our homes then do you really think we should receive them into our churches, promote their music, and give them a stage?

That is why I think that we should reevaluate our use of CCM. It is not harmless and it is not fine. I think it has the potential to do a tremendous amount of damage.