Re: HOW DARE YOU!
I should probably leave this thread alone, but I'll see if I can lend some light here.
There has always been a stigma associated with Christian music, and especially Christian rock. For a kid, there isn't much satisfaction in 'rocking out' with a station your parents would approve of, especially if THEY suggest that you listen. It's just not 'music to gain independence by'. There's also something "uncool" about being associated with it, that you'll be judged by others as a 'holy roller' if you admit to liking it. For folks past 25, there's sort of a comraderie aspect of having mainstream (secular) music that you can discuss with others, and fun sometimes to see if your favorite is embraced by others across the land via the Hot 100 and/or by frequent airplay. Christian rock doesn't have that aspect. You don't have a measuring stick to know what's good, bad or otherwise, what's new or old, no nationwide or universal appeal, no music videos, etc. There's also no superstars or bad boys/girls in Christian music, which, in the secular world, that aspect often sell records to ones who are just curious about what all the hoopla is about.
And ask any mainstream radio listener to name a current Christian group. Most would only come up with the 20-years-in-the-past Petra, or maybe Carman.
For me, I don't feel comfortable 'receiving' a message when I don't know what its basis (or motive) is. I still believe that backmasking is probably used to drop those subtle hints of goodness into the minds of its listeners. And I also don't feel a 'kinship' with those messages anyway. A band from the 90s, "Live," was doing semi-Christian songs then, and got heavy airplay on the pop and rock stations. But what they talk about has more to do with the STRUGGLE over faith and being disillusioned and finding one's place in the world. I can relate to that without feeling 'nudged' into Christianity. But filling me with "God is good" and songs that talk only about positives is just ignoring reality. Also, in a day and age where politicians have muddled the line between church and state, and Christians are lumped in exclusively with conservative points of view, I REALLY have reservations about embracing anything with "CHRISTIAN" stamped on it, although I consider myself one. But yet my version of "Christian-ness" is looked down upon because I don't embrace viewpoints like pro-life, pro-Bush, pro-Moral Majority, etc.
Finally, I also perceive an arrogance with Christian stations, that they won't even consider playing songs that are perfectly harmless, just because they made the mainstream charts, or, are not done by certified "Christian artists." It's almost like, 'Hi there, we're here to promote an agenda, and if you won't listen to it via spoken word, then pick it up from our songs.' It's basically Audio Witnessing. That's a big turnoff. And I know if I listen, I won't hear anything familiar amidst the new offerings, like with The Edge or other rock stations. The Listening Experience, for me, is much more than just, 'Hey, look, it's a generic ROCK song I've never heard before, and I like rock music, so let's keep listening!'
And isn't your station owned by the Criswell Foundation or something? The same folks that run the First Baptist Church downtown? That's another turnoff. Like if George W Bush owned a tv or radio station---would you really think that there'd be a BALANCE there, and fair and equal treatments of issues? Or just there to promote a personal agenda? This adds to the negative perception.
Just my little 2 cents, but I think I've covered it fairly well, at least my perception of things. After going through an earlier wave of Christians trying to compromise my music tastes in the early 80s (Swaggart's crusades, backmasking accusations, seeing my buddies throw away their record collections because their pastor told them to, etc), sure, I'm calloused about this subject. I hope you can understand that. Surely I'm not alone.
> Boy you people are so closed minded. I know athsists who
> will even give 89.7 a listen. If you want to settle for the
> crap they play on the bone and 102.1 fine with me.
>
> I am not trying to convert anybody, I just want to have a
> radio discussion. you people havent even listened to the
> station. Some of their stuff, you can't even tell its
> Christian. Enjoy having Clear Channel shove junk down your
> throats. Power Fm is the only station I have been to where
> the staff actully cares about their listeners. And every
> song made has a message no matter what station its on.
>
> You guys always complain that there's nothing creative in
> this market. Now we have 897 that is creative and you shoot
> it down. What a bunch of closed minded people. I am not
> forcing you to like it. Just Try it.
>
> And why do some of you refuse to try it?
>
