Back to Part I
Apparently even though you can't judge a book by its cover, you can judge an album this way. If you need a good example of an inability to look beyond the surface, look no further. What can you really expect an album cover to tell you anyway? Maybe what the group looks like, but that's about it.
There, you have Steve Taylor's explanation of the cover. What's so hard to understand? It's based on a piece of Viennese art, so calm down."Why do you not confess Jesus in your music?" I implored. "Why do you not witness to our youth that Jesus loved them so much He suffered on the cross for them?" His response was, unfortunately, lacking. Taylor responded hotly, "Is it necessary to tell young people about Jesus in every album?"
My immediate answer was "Yes! In every album. Indeed, in every song!"First of all, considering Marrs' tendency to dramatize and edit what he reports, (read this if you want to see what I mean) and his apparent difficulty with presenting the facts straight (such as here and here), I would be somewhat less than surprised to find out this is not an accurate account of this conversation.
But let's give Marrs the benefit of the doubt and say it is an accurate report. At your church, does the preacher present the basics of the gospel every week? Probably not, because if he did, what benefit would people who are already Christians get out of it? Instead, he probably talks about deeper spiritual matters quite a bit. If we go by Marrs' standards, no one would ever make it past spiritual milk, we'd all be hearing every single week how Jesus died on the cross.I wonder what happens when we apply Marrs' standards to the Bible. The book of Esther doesn't directly refer to God once. I guess Marrs is going to have to rip that out of his Bible, I mean, according to him, it's unholy. And if it has to mention Jesus by name, well, there goes the whole Old Testament! I guess we could be lenient and allow a few of the prophecies that refer to Jesus through, but that still takes out a good chunk of the Bible.
Also, in John 14:6 Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (emphasis mine). If Jesus is the truth, whenever we talk about truth, we're talking about Jesus. Steve Taylor doesn't have to say the name Jesus once on that album to be talking about him the whole way through it.What book? Am I the only one who is sick and tired of Marrs never giving details? I have no idea what book he's talking about here. If we knew what book he was talking about we could evaluate it for ourselves, but he still won't give us the details we need to investigate the matter further.
The attitude of Taylor is familiar in "Christian" rock circles. Christian rock stars frequently attack, mock and ridicule such conservative teachers and evangelists as Dave Wilkerson, Bill Gothard, and Bob Jones. In one magazine interview, Steve Taylor even suggested that Christians who believed like Wilkerson were so intolerant and rigid their minds weren't "subject to being opened."I don't know about the others, but I do know that Steve Taylor did a song satirizing Bob Jones. The song is "We Don't Need No Color Code" from the album Meltdown. In this song, Taylor attacks Bob Jones for the openly racist policies of his college. Galatians 3:28 says that in Christ's family race makes no difference. Maybe Marrs could find a verse in his own Bible defending racism, but I don't know of one in any Bible I've seen.
Bill Gothard is another name I've heard. I don't know what Christian rock musician "mocked" him, but whoever it is, I'd like to shake their hand. Gothard preaches health and wealth Christianity, that is, if you do exactly as God (through the convenient medium of Bill Gothard) tells you what to do, you won't have any problems and life will be wonderful. While this all sounds very nice, it is in direct contradiction to John 16:33, where Jesus assures his disciples that they "will continue to experience difficulties" (The Message). It also runs counter to James 1:2- 4. If Gothard is right, we shouldn't thank God for trials, we should look for what we're doing wrong so we can get rid of them. If these: Bill Gothard; Bob Jones, a racist; and Dave Wilkerson, a cultist; are the great men of Christianity, maybe I'd better convert to another religion.Oh, another thing, did Steve Taylor actually mention Wilkerson's name in that interview, or was he just talking about people like Wilkerson? Surprise, surprise, Marrs doesn't tell us anything about his source, so we can't find out ourselves.
Evangelist Dave Wilkerson (author of THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE) has done much work for the Lord, and I simply can not understand why Taylor and his friends in "Christian" rock and "Christian" contemporary music so despise him. The only reason I can think of is the fact that Brother Wilkerson has preached on the perversions of rock music.There is a major difference between despise and disagree with. I've yet to hear a Christian rock musician say one thing that indicates they despise a fellow brother in Christ, disagree with yes, despise, no.
And again Marrs holds Wilkerson up as the ultimate Christian who we cannot possibly disagree with. Like I pointed out above, Wilkerson has joined a dangerous, non-Biblical cult. If we are still not allowed to disagree with him, we should all become members of this cult.But the Bible does tells us we can judge fruits. And it tells us to make righteous judgments and not to cast our pearls before swine (see Matthew 7). We can know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, acts.
You know, funny that he should mention Matthew 7. At the very beginning of that chapter Jesus tells us not to judge others because we would be judged by the same standard. I wonder how Marrs would like being held up to his own standard: every word and act suspiciously cast in the worst possible light with no regard for his actual intent. Something tells me he wouldn't enjoy it too much.First, I would remind Mr. Taylor that many young people look to him and his music for Christian example. Therefore, why is he too ashamed or unwilling to confess Jesus before men in his songs? Furthermore, if we are to believe him, he chose an old Viennese art poster for an album cover not realizing its occultic nature. Why choose something so totally unrelated to the things of God? What kind of spirit suggested this to him?
That's right, you don't like what he's doing so he must be manipulated or perhaps even possessed by a demon, right Marrs? Is it just possible that he chose that cover because he liked the way it looked? His wife is a painter after all, you'd think he'd know something about art.That bit about being unwilling to confess Jesus is completely ridiculous. He talks about Jesus and God in plenty of his music. Marrs has examined one album (out of seven) and concludes that he has a good grasp of Taylor's work. That's like me reading one page out of the seven of this essay and concluding that I know exactly what Marrs is saying.
Moreover, why does Mr. Taylor unjustly delight in publicly ridiculing and mocking men of God like Dave Wilkerson and others? Taylor and his friends call this "biting satire." I call it cruelty and a sin before God (see James 3 and 1 Peter 3:16).Remember, Marrs and his friends are above reproach. Peter may have needed a rebuke by Paul (Galatians 2:11), but Texe Marrs, David Wilkerson, Bob Jones III and Bill Gothard are too holy for this sort of thing. Besides, as the Newsboys said "when the stones get thrown/they either miss or they turn to glory" ("Step Up to the Microphone" Step Up to the Microphone). If it's not true, how can it hurt them, and if it is true, then maybe they need correction.
Note: Marrs gets to decide what appears evil and therefore what we should stay away from. If he says it's bad, it must be so. Why, with Texe Marrs around to guide us, we hardly need to look at a Bible and think for ourselves. After all, he's reliable isn't he — even though twice in these seven pages he felt the need to alter the Bible to fit his argument?
Of course Christian musicians should talk about God in their music, and what do you know, when you look at what they're singing, they do! Maybe if Marrs had bothered to look further than album covers, song titles and a single album he would have found this out.Today, many "Christian" music stars often say they don't want to offend the unsaved by mentioning Jesus, His Word, and His sacrifice. What a tragedy! Do they not understand that, in so doing, their lukewarm messages have no power and become carnal and unholy?
Note: If you do not mention Jesus in every single sentance you speak, your speech is unholy. The fact that what you're talking about has nothing directly to do with God is unimportant. Who cares about that little thing about taking God's name in vain? It's better to mention God every at every possible opportunity and trivialize his name into silliness than to "become carnal and unholy."Do they not know that Paul boldly announced "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16)? Are they not aware that God has given Jesus an exalted name of honor and glory?: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:9).
Maybe Christian rock artists are unaware of this. Maybe that's why the Newsboys titled one of their albums Not Ashamed, maybe that's why Five Iron Frenzy onstage talks about what Jesus has done in their lives, maybe that's why the on the album Skalleluia the Insyderz have the song "Jesus Name Above All Names." Or maybe Marrs doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. I don't know, you pick whichever seems most likely.Discerning Christians are not fooled by "Christian" entertainers who fail or refuse to bring a message of Jesus and the Cross and His wonderful love to their audience. These people are frauds and fakes. They are simply secular entertainers who rip off and lead into darkness the uncommitted and the unaware. There is no such thing as "Christian" music without Christ!
Fellow Christians, we need to get on our knees before our God and pray that He will forgive us for ever allowing this incredible, outrageous perversion to go on right in our very midst. Today, it is totally out of control. I take responsibility for my own prior failure to fully investigate the horrors of this "new" music.
Or maybe some of us need to ask forgiveness for shallowly judging by appearances. Maybe some of us need to turn away from selfish judgemental standards like "I don't like it so it must be evil."But friends, now I know the depravities of many of the people who perform this music and the utter sinfulness and abhorrent evil of their music.
Some of these rock and contemporary stars curse;If this is true, I would like to point out that none of us are perfect. This is a sin, and these people need to take care of it. But Texe Marrs is also a sinner, and has problems in his life that he needs to get rid of. Taking God's name in vain and speaking in a manner not fitting for a Christian should not be brushed off, but they are not unforgivable sins. I hope if any of my favorite performers stars have a problem with this, they are actively working on getting rid of it, but I personally have yet to see it.
many preach and promote violence and disrespect for parents and church leaders;Yes, such as in these horrible songs, "Parents", "Sister Mariana Trench" and "Trigger Happy". As you can clearly see, Christian rock stars are enthusiastically advocating violence and disrespect for elders.
others use occult symbols in performances and on album covers.Yeah, like circles, triangles and lightning bolts.
Most are fans of secular rock; they admit they enjoy listening to Satanic rock groups.If I want to learn how to paint well, I look at the work of a good painter, right? If I want to learn how to write well, I read a lot of good writing. The religion of the painter or the author isn't the point, it's the skill with which they do this. Because of people like Marrs, there aren't too many Christians involved in things like rock music. So, if a person wants to learn how to do it, they have to look at secular examples.
Many dress in demonic leather costumes and unashamedly show off their body parts while prancing about the stage.Were you aware that leather is demonic? I didn't know that. I guess I'd better get rid of my Bible with a leather cover. I guess cows must be a creation of Satan or something.
I've seen lots of Christian rock bands on stage, from the calm and quiet to the fast and furious. The only body parts I've ever seen them showing off are things like arms and legs. I somehow doubt this would violate most people's standards of modesty.The photos I've included in this report amply demonstrate the crude perversity, rebellious behavior, vile appearance and occultic leanings of most "Christian" rock groups.
Well darn, guess what. Dial-the-Truth forgot to include these pictures in the internet posting of this pamphlet. Even if they did, I don't see how pictures could demonstrate anything about most Christian rock bands considering the sheer number out there. Marrs would have to have hundreds of photos to constitute a majority of the field. Also, remember what I said earlier about judging by appearances.That's a challenge I love to accept. First, we should note that the Bible does not specifically mention and list cocaine, marijuana, child sexual abuse, hard core pornography, X-rated movies, wife battering, wife swapping, physical torture, abortion, and a host of other criminal and immoral acts. It is nevertheless ridiculous for us to assert that these acts are permissible for Christians. God has written the law on our hearts and the Holy Spirit within will surely be grieved if we participate in such evil doings.
Sure, the Bible doesn't name each and every one of those things. But it does establish principles that cover them. Sexual abuse, pornography and X-rated movies all fall under the category of lust, clearly condemned in Matthew 5:28. Cocaine and marijuana use is quite close to drunkenness (see Ephesians 5:18) and in other places may be referred to as witchcraft. Abortion is pretty specifically referred to in Exodus 21:22-25. Wife battering, torture, etc. fall under the Old Testament laws against assault. Jesus forbidding of divorce in Matthew 5:31-32 deals with wife swapping pretty well. So, where are the biblical principles forbidding Christian rock? This is the second instance in this essay of Marrs distorting God's word to fit his agenda. Jubal may be a descendant of Caine, but nowhere does the Bible say that he was satanically inspired to invent musical instruments. If this man, who claims to be a Christian, is willing to lie about the Bible to prove his point, what else might he be lying about? Besides, if the first musical instruments were inspired by the devil, that would mean that all musical instruments, not just those involved in rock music, would be evil.In the wilderness, as Moses and Joshua came down from the mountains, how did they know that something was terribly wrong in the camp below? The answer is that they heard a strange sound, a noise. That noise was the singing of pagan songs and the instrumental accompaniment:
"And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear."(Exodus 32:17-18)
I must have missed it. Exactly where does this passage say the music was evil? The sin was idolatry, not evil music. According to verse nineteen, which Marrs conveniently left out "when Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned" (NIV). He got angry when he saw people worshiping the golden calf. If the music itself was sinful, wouldn't he have gotten angry earlier when he heard the music?It was in tune with this music of Lucifer that the Children of Israel were drinking, dancing, and engaging in frenzied sexual orgies before the golden calf. Now today, in the 1990s, our children, too, are found drinking, dancing, and engaging in sensual acts before their idols: "Christian" rock stars, as the heavy beat of the music draws them feverishly into the devil's web.
As I've said before, I've been to a lot of Christian rock concerts. While at these concerts, I have seen people dancing. But remember, dancing in itself is not evil. In II Samuel 6:14 David danced in worship of the Lord. Although I have seen people high, I have never seen anyone doing drugs or drinking alcohol at a concert. I do, however, know someone who got off drugs as a result of the outreach that was sponsoring the concert.I have never, though, seen people "engaging in sensual acts." I can only assume that Marrs means illicit sex. Maybe I've just never been in the right place, but I have yet to see anything like that going on at a Christian rock concert.
Solomon, the Bible records, called the devil's music "the song of fools" (Eccles. 7:5). Amos prophesied that in the end time, "the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God."Marrs also seems to have trouble keeping things in context, too. If we put these two clips of scripture in context, we see that neither bears any relation to Christian rock. In the first, Solomon declares, "it is better to heed a wise man's rebuke/than to listen to the song of fools" (NIV). That is, it's better to take harsh words from the wise than to listen to the pleasant words of a fool. The passage from Amos, taken from 8:3, is part of a longer prophesy that God would become silent to the Isrealites. That specific verse is saying that the worshipers at the temple will lament because God refuses to hear them. What do either of these have to do with rock music? Absolutely nothing.
Howlings! What an accurate picture of the distorted hollers, blood curdling screams, shouting, and deafening screeching and hissing of today's "Christian" rock bands. (Screaming is a universal sign of demon possession.)It's amazing how much you can learn from Texe Marrs. I did not know that everyone who screams must be demon possessed. Maybe I'd better go exorcise the neighborhood kids playing tag — I mean, they sure shriek a lot. When a drowning person is yelling for help, be sure you cast out that demon before you make a move to rescue them.
No, my friends, this is a cruel thing we are seeing. The Bible warns us of this type of foul music. And if a person can enjoy such demonic music while professing to be Christian, that person is either a liar or is deceived. The Holy Spirit inside simply will not allow this of true believers.
Where exactly does the Bible warn us of foul music? I'm talking about the one everybody uses, not the Texe Marrs Version he is apparently using. I have yet to see the Bible say anything about satanic music. As for the accusation of being either a liar or deceived, I ask you to examine exactly who must lie about the Bible to gain evidence for his side.While they may listen to them, I don't know of one Christian rock artist who claims a secular artist as his hero. I know of at least two bands who consider the well- known Christian author C. S. Lewis pretty important, considering they named their bands after something from his work, namely Sixpence None the Richer and Chasing Furies. In the liner notes for the song "Hero" with his box set Now the Truth Can Be Told Steve Taylor said, "Jesus is the only hero worth having." I could be wrong, but that sounds to me like someone who has his priorities straight.
As for why they play in nightclubs, where do you go to reach out to the lost? Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners and tax collecters (Matthew 9:11). Why did he do it? In his own words "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Matthew 9:12 NIV). And I have yet to hear a Christian band encouraging kids to drink (alcohol that is.)Why do Christian bands go on the road with secular bands? Why don't you ask why Daniel prophesied along with pagan magicians and astrologers? Again, they play with secular bands to reach non-Christian kids. They also often witness to the other bands they play with. Jars of Clay worked with a non-Christian sound engineer Heff Moraes who was impressed with how different they were from a lot of secular bands. According to him, "If Christianity gives people the desire to behave like these guys do, then it's probably worth checking into" ("Jars of Clay" 7Ball 13 p. 40). But if we listen to Marrs, Christian bands should give up this witness for Christ.
Why do the members of Christian rock groups often wear occult emblems? Why do they dress in chains, leather, metal studs, and spandex, the same as do the gay sadomasochists in San Francisco?Note: If you wear leather, metal studs or spandex, you must be gay. There must be a lot of health fanatics out there who were completely unaware that they were gay. I hope They see the sinfulness of this lifestyle and stop wearing spandex. And you'd better not be wearing anything with circles, triangles, bolts of lightning, crescent moons or the Star of David either.
These filthy dreamers don't run away from sin and degradation—they willingly hurdle right toward it, embrace it, and wallow in the mire. And their wicked goal is to seduce every other Christian young person to do likewise.Kids are not finding Jesus through these groups. They're being initiated into the devil's corps. It is not through music that we came to know Jesus as Lord. This is true even of worthy praise music—which rock is not! Instead I Cor. 1:18 tells us that it is the preaching of the cross that saves. However, to them that perish, the preaching of the cross is "foolishness."
I Corinthians 1:18 does not say the preaching of the cross saves. Just to be perfectly clear, I'll include the entire verse: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (NIV). The preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are saved. Ephesians 2:8 makes it clear that "it is by grace you have been saved" (NIV). The Bible says nothing about how that grace comes to each individual.Yes, friends, the Christian testimony and the preaching of the Word of God yields results while the hellish sounds of rock bring confusion and chaos. It also brings conformity with the world; but Paul taught:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)As I said earlier, this passage is talking about the renewing of your mind, not the renewing of your wardrobe. God works from the inside out, making real changes, not just on the surface. God cares about your heart, not how you look, not how you sound. Conforming to the world is not a matter of outside appearance, but a matter of attitudes, valuing and pursuing what the world values instead of what God wants (see I John 2:15-17).
I might care what Lita Ford said about spiritual matters, if she were a Christian. According to I Corinthians 2:14, a person without the Holy Spirit, a non-Christian, can't understand spiritual matters. Quoting a non-Christian about spiritual things has all the authority of quoting a man born blind about Picasso. These words carry no weight.
Better yet, think for yourself. Search the Bible and pray for guidance. Don't rely on Texe Marrs and don't rely on me. God gave you a mind of your own because he wants you to use it! I hope I have clearly shown how unreliable Marrs is. I hope you realize that I, too am only human, and prone to error. So think for yourself.
If you are not a Christian and are hooked on rock music, listen up! God can set you free of rock and all other sin. He can save you for all eternity and bring profound joy, peace and happiness into your life. Won't you please give God the opportunity to change your life and make you whole? You can do this by getting on your knees, confessing your sins and asking forgiveness from the one and only Lord Jesus Christ. Pledge to commit your life to His service and ask for Him to enter your heart and become Lord of all. You'll never, ever regret your decision, for the Bible tells us that God is just and faithful. "God is Love."Okay, Marrs got this part right. Except for that bit about rock being sin. If you don't know Jesus, God does want to change your life. He wants to set you free from the trap of sin and death that you're caught in. If you want to know more about this, e-mail me, I'll be glad to help.