Instead of Church, I Went to a Secular Concert on Easter Sunday.
Reflections on the demonization of secular music in high control religion.
I haven't been to church on Easter Sunday in over a decade. My children are unfamiliar with the religious celebration, and instead associate Easter with baskets, egg hunts, brunch, and my talk of new beginnings, springtime, gratitude, and abundance. However, not attending church on Easter Sunday feels strange, since it used to be such a significant part of my upbringing. Easter Sunday was just as important as Christmas, and it was always a busy day, not very relaxing.
I have always enjoyed my Easter Sundays in my life after church. With no pressure to dress up or meet expectations, it's a free day to celebrate with my family in any way we choose. This year, I decided to attend a secular punk-reggae concert by an amazing band called "Bumpin’ Uglies". The lead singer, Brandon Hardesty, asked the crowd if anyone had gone to church that morning, but not a single person raised their hand. Although this wasn't a crowd that would mock someone for attending church, it made me wonder about the divide between church-goers and non-churchgoers.
I understand that there are Christians who attend secular concerts and do not believe it is a sin. However, in this essay, I will be addressing the Christians who have grown up believing that secular music and concerts are sinful. I was also raised to believe this way. In the past, I would have felt guilty attending a concert like this. Though I would have gone anyway, I would have felt false guilt for no reason.
Unfortunately, people who hold the belief that secular music is demonic are missing out on a great time, a happy community, and amazing lyrics. Brandon Hardesty, the lead singer of Bumpin' Uglies, is a lyrical poet, and often the songs contain real, beautiful, and spiritual truths.
He wrote the line, “The struggle is divine.” That is a prophetic WORD.
He also wrote the line, “I might die a poor poet but I’ll live a free man.” Also, a WORD.
Or the line, “Slowly learning what the cost is of trying to monetize a soul.” PREACH.
These lyrics are profound and full of spiritual depth, and they speak directly to the human experience. Christians who believe that secular music is demonic are missing out on the power of these words. They are depriving themselves of the opportunity to be inspired by these lyrics and to grow and evolve as individuals. Art has the power to change us, and by rejecting secular music, these Christians are cutting themselves off from an important source of inspiration. The problem is that this kind of thinking leads to a separation between different groups of people.
Fundamentalist Christians are becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, and as a result, they are losing touch with reality and the truth of the human experience. This divide is hindering human progress and the evolution of consciousness, and it is keeping us from coming together as one human family.
Art is the vehicle that humanity needs to move forward and high control religion has stolen the gasoline.
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