“We toured with more ‘Christian bands’ who actually aren’t Christians than bands that are. In 12 years of touring with As I Lay Dying, I would say maybe one in 10 Christian rock bands we toured with were actually Christian.”
Tim Lambesis, former frontman of As I Lay Dying.
Has ‘Christian rock music’ become a scam, driven more by money than actual religious beliefs? Yes, according to Tim Lambesis, the once-popular lead singer of As I Lay Dying who is now a declared atheist and says most other ‘Christian rock bands’ are basically fronts.
Lambesis is also at the beginning of a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to hiring a hitman to kill his ex-wife, which means he has very little to lose at this point. “I actually wasn’t the first guy in As I Lay Dying to stop being a Christian,” Lambesis explained in a lengthy interview with Alternative Press. “In fact, I think I was the third. The two who remained kind of stopped talking about it, and then I’m pretty sure they dropped it, too.”
“We talked about whether to keep taking money from the ‘Christian market’. We had this bizarrely ‘noble’ thing. Like, ‘Well, we’re not passing along any bad ideas. We’re just singing about real life stuff. Those kids need to hear about real life, because they live in a bubble’.”
Lambesis said As I Lay Dying wasn’t alone in the charade. “We toured with more ‘Christian bands’ who actually aren’t Christians than bands that are. In 12 years of touring with As I Lay Dying, I would say maybe one in 10 Christian bands we toured with were actually Christian bands.”
It gets worse.
“I remember one Christian festival where an interviewer wanted one of the guys to share his testimony. And he just froze up and let one of the guys who was still a Christian answer the question. We laughed about it afterward, but we were only laughing because it was so awkward. When kids would want to pray with us after shows, I’d be like, “Um, go ahead and pray!” I would just let them pray. I’d say ‘Amen.’ If praying while I have my hand on their shoulder makes them feel better, I didn’t want to take that away from them. When they would specifically ask me to pray for something, I’d say, ‘I don’t really like to pray out loud, but I’ll take that with me to the bus.'”
Sorry kids, they were just doing it for the money.
“Yeah. It was cowardly, looking back. But did I really want to get into a huge explanation? Before my arrest, my plan was to tour for as many really good years that we actually had left—four, five. I wanted to save up that money and then stop doing it altogether, stay home with my kids, have the money we needed. If I had to work at McDonalds, it would easily pay the bills. Because my house would be paid off, and all we’d need was food.”
What about Muslim bands (terrorists)? 🙂
?
The risk in attempting an offensive joke is that it’s offensive even if it’s not funny. And yours wasn’t even original.
poor delivery
Good Luck to ANY muslim kids that want to start a band, probably will get blown off the stage before they finish the first show!
I know stacks of Muslim musicians and have been several times to a festival in Morocco that is based on the Muslim Gnawa musical tradition. I know Muslim rock, dub, dubstep, hiphop and electronica musicians. I’m assuming most people here are Americans – you all need to stop taking all your government’s and your religious leaders’ anti-Muslim propaganda as being true. A lot of it is just hate-speak and very factually incorrect. As Christians, there will be much about Muslims’ beliefs that differs from yours – fair enough, but at least make a slight effort to find out truth by asking a Muslim rather than swallowing all that inaccurate nonsense that is spouted by your media, politicians and preachers. It’s designed to make you hate and dehumanise Muslims in your minds. Makes it much easier to persuade you to go and kill them and take their oil. Wise up.
dude it was a joke, stop taking everything as offensive. people like you are the reason there is discomfort in the world. sit back, learn to take a joke, and chill the fuck out
Yes, it is the person offended that is the problem. They caused it. You fucking idiot.
One date my good sir, 9/11/00 4 MUSLIM terror attacks on the U.S. hitting the two twin towers (both fell killing millions) and the pentagon. The fourth and final one was supposed to hit the White House, but it crashed because the people on the plane fought back, so the coward pilots crashed it into the ground so they could still have a great ‘heaven’. Nice ‘heaven’, their in hell now. Enjoy the fire down there! My family lost some loved ones on September 11 2000. But I love all Muslims, I have Muslim cousins, but they are simply wrong in their thinking and if they believe their bible they want to kill ALL Christians, that means you, and me. As God said in the bible, love the sinner, hate the sin, or in this case love the Muslim, hate the Islam. I pray that all Muslims will one day turn to the true God, but their is a time to love them and a time to kick their asses and send them to hell. Enough said
I think you meant September 11, 2001. There was no terrorist attack on 9/11/00….
… Nor were MILLIONS killed.
Oh, and the Bible doesn’t say “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Dude needs to get his facts straight.
And here we have identified the idiot.
Vince Millett
Thursday, June 26, 2014
I know stacks of Muslim musicians and have been several times to a festival in Morocco that is based on the Muslim Gnawa musical tradition. I know Muslim rock, dub, dubstep, hiphop and electronica musicians. I’m assuming most people here are Americans – you all need to stop taking all your government’s and your religious leaders’ anti-Muslim propaganda as being true. A lot of it is just hate-speak and very factually incorrect. As Christians, there will be much about Muslims’ beliefs that differs from yours – fair enough, but at least make a slight effort to find out truth by asking a Muslim rather than swallowing all that inaccurate nonsense that is spouted by your media, politicians and preachers. It’s designed to make you hate and dehumanise Muslims in your minds. Makes it much easier to persuade you to go and kill them and take their oil. Wise up.
Vince Millett,
You need to wake up and wise up and quit believing all the lies your Muslim friends tell you. Are you aware that they will lie to your face and tell you what you want to hear because they don’t consider you human? Learn to speak their language and then speak to them in it. They’ll let the truth slip then. Furthermore, go read the Qu’ran and the Haddith. Any GOOD Muslim who follows the teachings contained within those is GOING TO BE a terrorist. Any Muslim that doesn’t follow these things is NOT a good Muslim and is NOT really a Muslim at all. In fact, rather than try to out fight us, which at this point they cannot do except by many cowardly attacks, they are infiltrating our countries and out-breeding us because we’ve been brainwashed to be selfish and, if we have kids, to have no more than 2. Europe is practically Eurabia right now, and that is what Muslims call it. Look at the predicament England is in right now, which is soon to be the case for America. When these sand devils out number you, they out vote you and bring in their demonic Sharia Law to enforce upon EVERYBODY else.
look out, we’ve got an expert on Islam here
Not all Muslims are bad. They don’t all want to go out and kill us all. Yes there are bad people but they aren’t all bad.
Muslims are not good at getting along with non-Muslims. Especially when they reach critical mass in a population. Where in the world do Muslims get along with their neighbors when they are more than about 5% or so? Nowhere, that’s where. Muslims almost remind me of Klingons, except that Muslims seem to have no honor like Klingons do.
You must be kidding ! sharia law ! 2 year old girls getting married, consummating at 9 !
Obviously you can’t even dress yourself !!
I think We All need to love Echother This All Gods anyway
You obviously don’t understand muslim beliefs. Did you know that in the koran, it mentions allah taking a six year old girl as a child bride? Now, is that really socially correct? Would you take a six year old as a spouse? Admit it, muslim ideas are centered around hate, perversion, and violence. It is ridiculous to say that their teachings are anywhere near being good. Yes, go murder your wife for oversalting your food. Really?
Your q’ran(sp?) makes very clear that what you just wrote is NOT true…
That was great! I’m thinking about starting a band called Ben Gazzi and the Ambassadors.
Muslims aren’t allowed to listen to music, so there can’t be any real muslim bands. There you know it’s a 100% fraud!
Listen Im from India and in Kashmir (a pre-dominantly muslim area) there was an all girl (muslim) rock band that got death threats and abuse, even their families were threatened, and over here its the real deal, so to equate poor musicians with terrorists is not funny at all..
At least the rockers over in your side of the world have got a stage .. here they are blackmailed and had to give up their music or die.. Tho I must say the rest of India isnt like that all..
Fail
they will bring bombs
So, does this mean that the bomb will drop instead of the beat?
If they are in the music biz, chances are they are satanic.
That is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
Actually, Death Metal, often called Black Metal, frequently has Satanic themes. It’s almost the anti-Christian music, though from afar sometimes they sound similar if you just blot out the lyrics.
Death metal isn’t “often called black metal”. They’re two separate subgenres.
I was inviting this criticism, you’re probably right. At some point, I stop sub-genre’ing, and just put it into a Dark, Heavy bucket. So, I guess I really don’t differentiate much personally between Death and Black metal, even Speed and Thrash at times because I just like the bands that I like. I’m not even sure what genre someone like Sepultura technically fits into, it’s not that I don’t care but I’m not really that interested in going Dewey Decimal System on my favorite groups. I mean, even Metallica songs delve into suicide and death, but, do we need to debate if that’s death metal?
It’s not Jason Mraz, let’s say that.
“Written while listening to Lamb of God”
I’m going to be pedantic here for a moment. Black metal is actually an offshoot of trash and death metal, not another term for death metal. The anti-Christian/Satanic variants of black metal tend to come mainly from Norway and surrounding Scandinavian countries. (It has something to do with anti-establishment types resenting Christianity’s forceful replacement of the region’s viking heritage. /shrug)
But Willis’s comment is still stupid. Just being in the music business does not automatically make someone Satanic.
actually, you will find more devout christians in death metal bands than you will in christian bands.
it’s always a little spooky when someone who just a few minutes ago was on stage dressed as a demon and spitting blood is in a prayer circle thanking jesus for their success.
Ha, I don’t think Exhorder fits into that category.
I think you may need to rethink your idea of Christian. If someone is doing that on stage to audience and thanking Jesus off stage, are they violating the second amendment by creating a Jesus of their own invention? One who is all-loving and doesn’t tell them to sin no more? Because someone mentions God, it doesn’t mean it’s the one True God. And just because someone prays to Jesus, it doesn’t mean they are a follower.
Amy, why in the world would the second ammendment even come into play here??? The United States has nothing to do with any of this! 0_0
If so, you need to get out more. Reference Hunter S Thompson for an accurate quote about the music biz.
The dumbest thing you’ve ever heard, hmm? Another ignorant brainwash born into a control system they can’t perceive. Read the lyrics of most bands and you will find humanism/satanism. Did you ready the gospel? The devil offered Christ all the kingdoms of the world becomes they had been given to him(the devil). All major organizations involved in monetary or government systems are part of Satan’s world kingdom (world government).
Now that IS the dumbest thing I’ve heard.
Also, humanism and Satanism have literally nothing to do with each other.
Or maybe they started a band when they were young and grew into new opinions about the world. Just because they lost their faith doesn’t mean they lost their love of making music.
Jabsco’s comment is the most intelligent and only necessary response to this situation. I’m an atheist so hearing that a few awesome metal bands who are supposedly “Christian” may not be actually makes me feel better about listening to them 😀 \m/
Well, if they’re atheists, why not tell their audiences? Wait, I know: because they wouldn’t continue to make money. Which is exactly what Lambesis is saying: a ‘big explanation’ to his fans means no more $. So they continued the absurd charade, and tricked their fans.
Then again, I’m not one to be outraged by this. It sort of fits into the category of products lying about being healthy, when in actuality it’s bad for you. I’ve accepted the grand misrepresentations found in capitalism (and a lot of other things).
I manage Undeorath one of the biggest Christian metal bands of the past decade and several members faith changed over their career.
As members belief system changed they chose to no longer refer to themselves as a Christian band even though the majority of them were still practicing Christians. They felt it was sacrilegious to claim to be Christian when they all were not. There is some truth to what Tim said in his interview but it gets tricky because most people tend to think for themselves and wont all share the identical feelings on any issue including faith.
If a band’s lyrics and message hasn’t changed but the faith of some members has changed is it lying to still say you’re a Christian band? Underoath felt it was but I wouldn’t say other bands are wrong for staying affiliated as long as their message and actions have changed drastically.
PS how many satanic bands do you think are actually worshiping the devil?
Jabsco’s comment is the most intelligent and only necessary response to this situation. I’m an atheist so hearing that a few awesome metal bands who are supposedly “Christian” may not be actually makes me feel better about listening to them 😀 \m/
Trick question. I don’t have a favorite Christian band.
Although, I will say Faith + 1 is probably my favorite Christian rock band.
Yeah, Cartman was the best!
It doesn’t matter rather they where not christian band or not, We serve a might God and His Holy Spirit work thru one believer, at a non Christian concert, Our God has no limits. That is what most people don’t get, He is a personal God.
One of his bandmates has called Tim’s claims “slanderous” and “defamatory”.
http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/tim-lambesis-trial/former-as-i-lay-dying-guitarist-nick-hipa-responds-to-tim-lambesis-slanderous-accusations
I have played in Christian Bands all my life, I am a Christian, and so are those I play with. I can not attest to every other band out there, but I have never made any money playing Christian music after expenses… Their are bands that do it for ministry…
Word, man…this dude is a joke. I play metal that glorifies God. I will pray with people, I won’t mock them for their $$. Sheep in wolves clothing searching whom they shall devour.
Why are you only reporting on a tiny part of what he said? He *was* a declared atheist, but has now, from what he said in the interview you are quoting, has also returned to Christianity. He explained the breakdown of his faith, and has also explained the rebuilding of his faith.
Please don’t take only one part of his interview about his past beliefs and use it to explain his present beliefs.
Also, please don’t take what he has said and paint all Christian bands with it. Certainly from what he has said, some Christian bands may not be following Jesus as they used to, but to take his opinions and paint all of Christian Music as liars is not right. Each individual band needs to be judged on its own walk, and not judged on the basis of hearsay.
Thanks.
http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/tim_lambesis_world_exclusive_interview_as_i_lay_dying_singer_breaks_silence
I read the whole multi-page interview with great interest, but I don’t think your defense makes sense. The reason is that although his views have shifted – away from Christianity, towards atheism, etc. – he never told his audiences about it. And, he used all sorts of strange philosophical and moral self-arguments to justify behavior that included infidelity and using his audience for strictly financial reasons. So, I’m not sure what I presented was ‘out of context,’ what you’re referring to is a more in-depth discussion of this person’s spiritual journey.
Great comment Alissa, glad to hear he just had a crisis of faith and came back. if truly saved will stay that way
Yep, what a credible source we have here. Someone who was convicted of trying to have his ex wife killed is VERY trustworthy.
OK, valid point, very valid point. Though you could also argue that this is a person who is in a unique position of, well, not giving a f–k. Which opens the door to extreme honesty.
Paul, what validates Tim to be a judge of moral or Christian character? His personal step in following atheism doesn’t give him any credibility in judging the lives or motives of other people, does it? Doesn’t his life, greed and actions speak for themselves? It sounds to me like a man who has plenty of time on his hands (6 years in fact) just looking for some easy targets on which to spew his venom.
Heard this quote the other day: “those who make a living of their faith will always be at risk of losing either one or the other”- sadly this guy seems to have lost both! Tragic also to see where his lost faith got him… heading to jail for hiring a hitman to kill his ex-wife.
I’ve heard of this before. I mean, its easier to get signed as a Christian metal band since it isn’t flooded like the “secular” world. Once you’re signed and get a decent fan base, split and go fleshlike. I mean…theres no god to punish you for doing the devils work. Right?
Taking social commentary from this prick is about as useful as using a glove lined with glass to masturbate.
Based upon your comment, you need help.
If the opinion of this article has some credibility, it should have title like “The scam that record labels are feeding music listeners”. If that is an abroad message, then, country music should change its name as well. Labels labeled the music too narrow to be exact. Christian music never has been labeled correctly, so the message nor the style are exact match to the purpose.
My first exposure to the Christian Rock Industry was during the week of the Dove Awards in Nashville back in the early 90s. I was working at a rock venue and the Christian Rock bands were doing their showcases for an entire week. The band members, crew and managers were 90% disgusting; all drinking backstage while the venue could not serve alcohol to the audience and language/personalities/bad energy worse than any big Rock, Rap, Blues artists that played at the venue. They all seemed angry/frustrated/bitter that they could not work in the real Rock music world. This brings back a lot of bad memories about living in Nashville for 6 years.
neat perspective! any chance you know exactly what year that was or what bands were involved?
You get in a “Christian” band because you can play an instrument or sing well. You get put up on stage because of your musical talent. We never ask them to fill out a belief statement before we buy their songs. We tend not to worry if their tour schedule inhibits discipleship. We don’t even care if they have been a Christian for more that 24 hrs. If you have musical talent we will love you. And then we shake our heads in shame at those that struggle with their walk. Spending your formative decade from 16 – 26 years old playing in front of churches instead of actually being part of one is going to mess you up. It is amazing that some Christians actually survive the Christian music scene.
I never really listened to his band to begin with anyway. However asking him to pray with you may be a bit awkward. I would just pray at home by myself.
It is terrible that a band like this would just do it for the money and lying to the people.
Good luck being an atheist tho….not
In the 90s, it was common for female singer songwriters to be ambiguous about their sexuality as the lesbian market was so huge. I never went that route, even tho I had a solid lesbian following, but I know of those who did. When the scam was revealed, many lesbians felt betrayed and used. There were a lot of articles about it at the time, one where I was interviewed as an artist who didn’t play the ambiguity card and paid the price, as my career could have been much bigger had I’d been a bit more vague about my sexual preferences.
This band was in a niche within a niche, Christian metal, and commensurately we’re not talking about loads of cash here. Except at the very top, the Christian-music touring market can be a dismal round of church performances that offer little other than “love offerings” based on whatever the local pastor decides to shell out that night.
When someone makes the statement “I quit being a Christian” then that tells me they were not followers of Christ in the first place. There are some bands that are in it just for the money and they don’t believe. Just like there are preachers and churches that present a false gospel. The problem with most professing Christians is their inability to discern truth from fiction. Praying for this guy. Never heard of him or his band actually. Just another reason why we have to be careful who we listen to. By the way there are a LOT of really good Christian Bands out there. So don’t give up on them 🙂
yours was the most intelligent comment I have read. Absolutely true top to end. I did hear of these guys years ago and was happy to hear at the time that they were Christians. Sad to hear what the whole outcome is. Dude needs prayer as we all do. Let’s keep supporting the true bands like Demon Hunter, Disciple and Becoming the Archetype.
There is ample scriptural support for what you have said. The clearest verse about it would be
1 John 2:19 — They left us because they did not belong with us, had they belonged with us they would have stayed, but their leaving only proves what was in their hearts all along.
The other scriptural support on this would be the parable of the Soils — 4 soil types …. 2 of which are found “Playing” church. They weren’t of the Church, they were merely playing games until their love of their sin found them out.
Likewise Jesus speaking in Matthew 25 about the sheep and the goats. The Goats looked like believers, even started in the same crowd as believers — Until Jesus divided them properly.
In short, those who “walk away” never knew Christ and never were “Christian” from the get go. They were merely spectators who admired an idol they improperly named “Jesus”. Once their idol failed them (and Idols always will) they tossed in the towel and proclaimed themselves “fallen believers” when nothing could be further from the truth.
Is it any wonder that Hebrews 6:4-6 twice states that it is IMPOSSIBLE for these sort of folk to come back to Christ? They think they’ve “tried” Christ and he’s failed them — the wording of that passage explicitly implies this…. every thing mentioned isn’t something said of believers. Believers are never called “Enlightened”, and neither are we “partakers of the Holy Spirit” — we are the Holy Spirit’s dwelling place, He is the seal upon us that the promises of God are sure and true. (Romans 8, John 15, 16 & 17) Getting back to the original thought — It is impossible for these sort of folk to honestly know Christ because they’ve rejected truth in favor of their sin. (John 3:19)
You hit the nail on the head, directly.
For the record, I’ve blogged about this issue in the past. Here’s a link.
http://juliemillerfan.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/ojo-taylor-relative/
For the record, I have blogged about this sort of thing (People showing their true colors having never actually been Christians all along) in the past. The last time was just last year — here’s the link.
http://juliemillerfan.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/ojo-taylor-relative/
The Swedish band Jerusalem has benen faithful for 30 years. Sometimes they Said no to money because if they didn’t they would have compromised their faith.
Are Jerusalem still together?! That’s AWESOME!!!
This is just a microcosm of what happens in all churches with all the world. It has nothing to do with bands. Pastors who have lost their faith, leadership as well as the congregation, falling in sin, it is all part of People’s spiritual walk changes, either progresses and they grow or if they fall away if they never really had a relationship. I laughed out loud when this article says they “just did it for the money.” That statement alone makes the article ridiculous. All of us do what we do for a living “for the money” whether in ministry or not. When it comes to “Christian” bands or Christians who are in bands, they make virtually nothing and the majority live around the poverty level. Only a small percentage of musicians can truly make a living at it. Not exactly a reason to put on a elaborate ruse. I have a good idea, whatever the case, why don’t we pray for this guy and the entire band and their families that have all lost in the situation.
all I have to say is WATAIN! – http://www.templeofwatain.com/
practice what you preach!!!
who are you to judge these bands who is to say you follow the straight and narrow they will have to answer for there wrong doings. your no better than them for rubbing there noses in the dirt this is wrong
what a scumbag. puts a hit out on his wife…pretends to pray with kids. smh. I hope he finally finds God in that small little jail cell. He certainly can’t run from Him.
C’mon folks the popular record biz has always been about sham and fraud!!!
I’m sure there’s plenty of ‘Country’ acts that swap their big hats and wranglers for nikes and yankees caps when they’re off stage, and how many ‘Reggae’ bands that dress like rastas, and talk the talk, actually practice rastafarian and walk the walk?? .. and the list goes on and on and on
can’t blame them really, we’re surrounded by politicians and corporate icons that’ll take on any cause or belief under false pretence if it’s economically expedient.
What does the American way teach us? Truth, decency and morality are for fkn losers!!
Tim, you made great music, I would use your music to prove to all my non Christian friends how cool Christian music can be. What about Oh Sleeper and August Burns Red, Corpus Christi and what about For Today? The good news is there are still a multitude of bands and band members that are not punk ass b****** like you. But, I will still use your music and the words to minister, just that the original singer and this band broke up because he turned into a retard. Now your going to be one of those dudes that uses the prison chapel to do less cell time. lame. Maybe it will have an effect on you? Lets just remember, dropping the soap has nothing compared to eternity. Have fun out there on the mainline, with all the guys all day everyday, your probably gonna turn gay, lol.
News flash, your favorite Christian Speaker/Pastor probably isn’t Christian.
These stories are always really interesting, particularly the way that believers respond. This is a pretty common thing… pastors preaching from the pulpit each sunday morning while they’re having an affair with the church secretary, christian performers who have lost their faith, but continue to perform for money, televangelist con artists defrauding the government, cynical ex-pro wrestlers touring the baptist circuit, sharing their “conversion testimony” for cash, etc. This is happening undetected all over the place at all times. And it’s long been known that very many Christian bands don’t behave any differently than their secular counterparts, which is to be expected… these aren’t seminary graduates. You can’t have a serious theological conversation with very many of them. They’re just kids brought up with certain biases who get sucked into the marketing machine early on & before they know it, they can’t get out.
The “christian music industry” is inherently cynical, & tantamount to the temple changers that caused Jesus’ tantrum. But believers are so eager to justify their own faith that they project all sorts of things on “professional christians” & place them on a pedestal that these artists have no business being on. Because religious people are, by & large, very gullible, & are simply looking for affirmation above all else.
The other issue with religion is that it attracts some really fucked up, unstable people. Narcissistic, homicidal neurotics, for instance, like Lambesis. It seems like people who have difficulty feeling empathy turn to religion as a way of defining what’s right & wrong, but those people always tend to be on the verge of acting outside of the religious principles or using the religion to manipulate others for their own benefit (see the history of religion throughout all time).
And then there is the whole “no man can serve two masters” thing. Jesus commanded his disciples to go out with nothing but the clothes on their back, subsisting by faith & generosity alone, but every big Christian act I’ve ever known commands a hefty guarantee. When your faith becomes your job, you’re inviting a lot of moral and ethical conflicts into your life that I’d want no part of.
Oh, & the narcissism & self-gratification that comes along with performing on stage in your rock star outfit with your rock star lights flashing all over the place… where’s the humility in that? It’s textbook serving two masters.
I’m not saying that artists shouldn’t write songs about their faith or philosophies or whatever, I’m just saying treat it like what it is. It’s not a “ministry,” & these people aren’t spiritual superheroes. They’re just regular artists like everybody else, who happen to have a certain spiritual/religious bias. Those biases evolve & change & grow & fade away, in spite of what are probably feels like crippling expectations to fill the role that believers expect them to fill. There’s this weird false binary that a lot of Christians buy into… you’re either in the club or you’re not, & if your beliefs change later you were never really in it to begin with. Which is a weird, delusional defense mechanism that protects a believer’s sense of affirmation. And it’s unhealthy for everyone, imo.
That’s how I see it, anyhow.
“And it’s long been known that very many Christian bands don’t behave any differently than their secular counterparts, which is to be expected”
I assume you have facts, figures and names to back up this statement.
Reminds me of Amy Grant throwing down the sign of the devil on stage or Katy Perry who is now doing illuminati lesser majick rituals at awards shows was being set up to be a christian pop princess too, instead she sings about lesbian trystes and teenage sexcapades. The issue is, one of the few places with paying live music venue is the church circuit and its a very enticing proposition. Of course if you’re atheist, why the fudge do you care about being a contrivance? Count your money and laugh, if you think there is no heaven, no hell, or kharma.
Poor Amy Grant. And poor Michael W Smith, while we’re at it. Talk about two totally good people getting a bad rap because some totally insane religious fanatics have too much time on their hands.
If you believe that there’s an ounce of subversive intent in Amy Grant’s bones, you need your head checked.
And the idea that “if you don’t believe in eternal damnation, why give a fuck about authenticity/morality/ethics/etc?” is just about the most obnoxious concept in popular Christianity, & really exposes the shallow fire-and-brimstone roots of many believers’ faith (perhaps the majority). Tim Lambesis aside, and as a general rule, ethics, integrity, authenticity, honesty, morality, charity, & other altruistic concepts exist & even thrive in many secular circles, and are more often self-actualized, rather than done out of phony obligation or fear. When I think about contrivance, religious people are not at the top of my list.
Amy Grant came out as a supporter of the LGBT movement. So I think that quells your argument.
Why, Susan? Are Christians supposed to hate people from the LGBT community?
Hmmm…so I guess this is why I was always told never to talk about religion on a first date…
Seriously, though, the only reason I started playing guitar was to get chicks! So why don’t we all get honest here?
There is an easy explanation to all this.. The people who are getting the ‘message’ out through music are targets for the devil. And he will test these ppl more.. He will frustrate them.. Even if they have everything in their life, he will make them unhappy .. In the end, Everybody has a choice to succumb or to keep the faith.. Certain ppl give up altogether and become atheists.. Certain ppl get back up stronger..
What a Loser!! You’ve always been a rotten example of a human being and now your going to try and take other bands down with you??? Have fun in jail.
This is a non story. Most musicians play whatever music makes them the most money and have genre skipped through different formats until they find one that works for them commercially. Who cares?
So are Jewish composers immoral for writing popular Xmas songs? Leonard Bernstein for Mass, which opened the Kennedy Center? Nah.
Norman Greenbaum made a few shekels from “Spirit in the Sky”. I’m guessing “gotta have a friend in Moses” wouldn’t have had quite the same market appeal. Guess you don’t have to believe a message to spread it.
I’ve never heard of this man or the group he was in, but I’m assuming he is referring to bands that were formed in the 21st century. I’m an old fogie of 51, and I’m pretty sure the bands I’ve been listening to for the past 30-plus years – Iona, Sweet Comfort Band, 2nd Chapter of Acts, A.D. to name but a few – were and still are Christian. These groups are also made up of fallible human beings, however, so I’m sure they have sinned numerous times during their walk with Christ. But the message in their lyrics and music has always been a clear preaching of Christ and His teachings. I hate to be one of those old folks who gripes about “today’s” music. But I hear far less pure, clear content and a lot more “room noise” as Annie Herring described “pseudo-gospel music” way back in the 1980’s. Casting Crowns is an exception; their lyrics seem to hit the mark (“Jesus, Friend of Sinners” immediately comes to mind.)
From reading the comments, what i see is God in the end saving a person who really hit rock bottom after being on an all time high at some point.
Our journeys thru life in God’s grace are not perfect, and they are not without pain. It looks like a story of a lot of pain here. Also joy from finding God at the end of everything, after all that he went thru, he came back to what he knew in his heart was true and sure.
I don’t know anything about other bands, and what they claim. I can only imagine how it would be to be a chistian with your faith on display. I know my walk with God hasn’t been the best all the time. My prayer life failed, after i lost my family, when my body was racked with pain and doctors didn’t and still don’t know how to relieve the physical pain that i feel. I got further away after the death of my mother, who was my closest friend in life.
Somehow now i know that God still has me safe in his arms. I am loved today. I am his child. I am still trying to discover his plan for my life. But i need to trust in Him. If someone else looked at me, they would just see a woman who has lost everything compared to who i was. But that isn’t true. I have gained. I am now just trying to see how to use what God has been teaching me thru the hard times.
I didn’t mean to start talking about myself. I really just wanted to comment on what i saw when i read the information here. It’s not that christian bands are false. It’s that this man went so far from God, to the very extreme that it would seem that you couldn’t turn back, and is now back home, rescued by a God that is madly in love with his soul. That journey in itself is quite remarkable.
this is so messed up.. i had a feeling. and it’s even worse than we realize. musicians that are no longer famous or want to be just pretend they became christian and try to get in the music industry through christian fans. i hate to say this but this is the works of non-christian people.. very non-christian thing to do. misleading and cowardly..
And you get all of this from one man’s statement? And you consider it trustworthy? OK…
T and apparently quite a few others are living a big lie and deceiving their fans all for a profit. That’s the part I find unconscionable. Either be real and authentic, no matter what that means to you, and stop lying to yourself and the people who support and look up to you. Just be honest. There are already too many liars and deceivers these days… smh.
I wonder if you consider Tim Lambesis more reliable than the many bands and artists out there who live the life despite the claims of Mr Lambesis. Seems too many people are quick to take his word as truth, which is ironic considering how long he’s been lying about himself!
Um ok so my comment was butchered to bits and I have no idea why. O.o
Now it doesn’t make sense… oh well, I’m not retyping it. 😛
The atheist admitted he stopped believing in God so he felt better about his affair. Then tried to have his wife killed. Then became a Christian again. Maybe not the best source of information.