I think I might have unwittingly purchased some Christian music! It’s an album by an artist I’ve just found called Peter Bradley Adams and while it’s a great album I have some nagging doubts it might be cleverly disguised Christian music.
What’s making me suspicious is the presence of some telltale Christian music hallmarks. Those are as follows:
- I can clearly make out every word he is singing.
- He sounds suspiciously like he might have his eyes closed and hands held high in some of these songs.
- There is an excessive amount of angel references and use of the word “Glory.”
- You can imagine some annoying ‘culturally relevant’ Christian youth leader loving this “secular” CD.
- It sounds like he would never use a cuss word while singing.
I don’t know anything about the artist though he sounds very familiar to me so it’s unlikely he’s a full blown hands-in-the-air rainbow guitar strap Christian. He sounds more like one of those undercover Christians who seems normal (until they start speaking).
After listening to it all day I feel like I need to go on a drunken drug fueled porno binge while listening to cuss-filled gangsta rap. A little ‘Christian offsetting,’ like planting trees to offset your carbon emissions.
That aside, this really is good music and, undercover-Christian or not, Peter Bradley Adams musical arrangements on some of these tracks is just awesome. ‘Los Angeles‘ sounds like something you might here on a TV show like The OC or something while other tracks like ‘Chant‘ already feel familiar to me.
His music is available on emusic, mTracks and iTunes, but if he’s listed under gospel music don’t tell me. My ignorance is bliss, even if I’m a little suspicious.
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[audio:https://sarathan.com/free/peterbradleyadams/PeterBradleyAdams_Always.mp3]
Peter Bradley Adams : Always
Wrote the following comment on Aug 3, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Why are your doubts “nagging?”
Surely that was tongue-in-cheek, and I’m reading your entendre incorrectly?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 3, 2008 at 4:36 pm
You are Tim, it’s tongue-in-cheek. I’d put smiley’s on my writing, but I don’t like to do that in anything but emails and text messages.
My feelings are that a great song is a great song regardless of the artist or subject. Ben Harper echoed that sentiment when on KCRW’s ‘Morning becomes eclectic’ radio show he covered Christian Aguilera’a song ‘Beautiful.’
On the whole I’m not a great fan of Christian music. I don’t like the way it’s often just a rip off of something in the mainstream market created to cater for a market of people who don’t want to engage with the real world and are happy to exist in a Christian culture bubble fearful of anything that hasn’t got some ‘Jesus safe stamp’ on it.
Jesus hung out with hookers and fishermen. The few hookers and fishermen I’ve ever met might are far removed from the hoards of happy clapper Christians I’ve met who have seemingly allowed themselves to retreat into a counterfeit culture of Jesus safe ‘not-of-the-world’ knock offs.
I’ll grant you that I’m cynical of Christian music. I have no doubt there are some great Christian artists out there. But I’m not likely to wander into a Jesus safe Christian supplies store anytime soon so the likelihood of me finding them is greatly reduced unless they venture out into the wider world.
(Take a read of this great GQ article which illustrates my point – What would Jesus do)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 3, 2008 at 6:05 pm
hey – i listened to this song and it sounded familiar – and its cause he was part of the duo eastmoutainsouth. do you know that? i like their album alot, though had never suspected it as ‘posing’. hahaha
Wrote the following comment on Aug 4, 2008 at 12:52 am
A wise man (named Bono (whose quotes I like to pimp out as frequently as possible) once said that the greatest music was written either by those running towards God, or those running away from God.
In passing I wanted to just say nice job on that final comment you left on that post about the pastor who walked out of a party because you arrived [Easy Target]. It sure did get heated in there didn’t it and you made some good points I thought. Anyway, I’m looking forward to meeting you in September when you’re out here. In the meantime I’ll try and figure out if this is “undercover Christian music.” Ha!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 4, 2008 at 10:25 pm
If you play it backwards is it an evangelistic sermon?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 5, 2008 at 12:26 am
*snicker* funny comment above.
But seriously, have you tried? Playing it backward?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 6, 2008 at 3:53 am
if you don’t know whether his songs are referring to God or his girlfriend, then chances are it’s “christian music”.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 6, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Simon, Eastmountainsouth (of whom Peter Bradley Adams is 50% of) have also sung a number of songs that I very much believe are about God. So I think it’s safe to assume that you’re picking up on the same sentiments.
You might want to read this article about Eastmountainsouth.
But come on Simon, level with us all… YOU are an ‘undecover Christian’ surely? I mean come on man, who are you trying to kid? ;)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 6, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Eastmountainsouth. Of course, I knew his voice was familiar, and yes they are rather ‘spirry’ sounding too! As for being an undercover Christian… well heck, just ask ‘Blessed Truth’ and ‘Sad and bitter people’ what they think :-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 6, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Ha, I missed that exchange!
I seriously hope ‘Blessed Truth’ and ‘Sad and bitter people’ aren’t the ones who get decide who is and isn’t a christian. Otherwise I have a feeling a lot of us could be in for a shock.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 8, 2008 at 2:56 am
Come on, if you want to go on a drunken drug fueled porno binge while listening to cuss-filled gangsta rap then it’s not fair to blame Peter for that. Your sin is your own sin there brother Simon!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 10, 2008 at 6:39 am
Simon, dont dodge David’s question.. :-D.
as far as the music goes, thanks for the recommendation.. christian is generally a plus to me!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 11, 2008 at 2:07 am
To be fair about the state of music both secular and christian, it seems both have their share of trite pablum. I mean, I hear just as much “pursue your dreams” sh*t on the air waves as I hear love notes to Jesus songs. In my view pop culture does not have the corner on profound, cool, or enlightened. On top of that, try having an intelligent conversation (particularly about the human condition) with someone who feeds on a steady diet of pop music. Uugh! It is no better than a Xian who is chained to a religious ghetto.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 19, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Hey Simon, I’d have to echo Davids comment… Sounds like you are well on your way to being one of “them”… I mean, if you like the music you might as well start wearing the t-shirts too.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 19, 2008 at 11:10 pm
My T-shirt would read “I believe in God, but I don’t believe in Christians, religion, or the idea that God hates most of the world enough to condemn them all based on nothing more trivial than geography.”
Hey, maybe I should make that T-shirt. :-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 19, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I think it might be a hit.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2008 at 5:53 pm
What I had in mind was a “Jesus is my homeboy” shirt. I’ve never heard of God hating the people of certain geographies… Is that from a U2 song? Crumbs From Your Table?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Well Todd ponder this if you will. The God you believe in wants us all to accept him/Jesus as the singular path to him and a place called heaven. God is love we’re told, but taking off our rainbow guitar strap for a moment lets stop and think about what kind of love would create a rule that is so strict and unwavering that it would by default exclude the vast majority of the planets inhabitants who happen to be born into cultures and countries where Christianity is not the primary religion or way of life.
Sure you could argue that the people of the middle east or Asia have made a choice to be predominantly Muslim, you could say that the tribes in South American forests have had their chance when the missionaries came and taught the “savages” the ways of Christ, but the inescapable fact is that Christianity would seem to be a fairly exclusive club and that in effect God doesn’t therefore love those who don’t follow him/Jesus. But if God is the father, then I wonder how much hatred a father must have in his heart to willingly condemn his child to death?
I believe in God, but religion is a choice, and right there, Todd, is my next T shirt.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Did you hear in the media about the young Muslim girl who became a Christian and her father was so incensed that he cut out her tongue and burned her alive. So sad and heartbreaking…
https://europenews.dk/en/node/13088
It’s funny how Christianity actually lives and thrives under tyranny and persecution. Look at any communist state that condemns it, any Muslim state… North Korea… you find thriving Christian communities. I have heard the stories first-hand.
The very place and state where Christianity started condemned individuals who practiced it to death. Through much of history to be a Christian was to be an outcast a pariah… The very fact that Christianity has actually survived through history is pretty amazing. For what else would people of the world suffer death and rejection? For a God who hates them? No, it’s for a God who loved us so much who actually came down in the form of man to live like us and to die like a dog on a cross. It wasn’t Jesus God’s son who died it was God the son in the form of Jesus. God himself came down to die. He didn’t hate his son, but loved us enough to sacrifice everything… much like those who are martyred who die for the sake of Christ and give up their lives. I find that compelling.
There are so many unanswerable questions Simon, but knowing God and being a follower of Jesus had made a huge difference in my life. There is nothing else that even compares.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 20, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Wow, this has stirred more comments than I anticipated!
Simon Jones had written questioning the exclusivity of Christianity. Really, all world religions are exclusive, even those that claim to be inclusive. For instance the Dali Lama has said that he believes in Jesus Christ, as one way to God/Heaven among many. But Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhism, and Christianity all claim exclusivity in the truth.
Christianity does so explicitly. In Acts 4:12 we read this in one of St. Peter’s most famous sermons:
Act 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
And then there is the statement of Jesus Himself:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Exclusive? YES.
True? You must decide.
In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote saying:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic ‘on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg’ or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Mere Christianity (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996 [first published 1943]), p.56
Paschals Gambit says “Yes; but you must wager. It is not optional. You are embarked. Which will you choose then?” (Penises 233). You must choose; God, or not God. The wager is everything that you are. If you wager wrongly, you stand to loose all; but you must choose.
So, is Jesus LORD and God, or not? The wager is yourself, what will you choose?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 12:14 am
Christianity survives under tyranny and persecution because, dare I say, that’s the easiest time to have faith in a higher power. It would be easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than enter the kingdom of God remember, and that right there is a truth that we see over and over again. We’re fat wealthy westerners debating this stuff on our computers in our lavish homes that use more power in a night than many of the people in the world will use in a year. And right now in the wealthy west Christianity is no longer the dominant force it once was (when we were poorer).
As these poor nations that are embracing religion become wealthier and more ‘developed’ they too will begin to turn away from religious dogma and take on a far more free-thinking approach to life. This could be argued to be a bad thing, certainly I see things like the collapse of the family as an extremely damaging force in our fat and wealthy please yourself culture. But I’m not convinced that religion is a force for as much good as it would like us to believe.
Islam, the worlds fastest growing religion, is also full of devout followers who feel as convinced as the most devoted Christian that their God (the God of Abraham – who also is the Christian and Jewish God, but lets not go there) is also talking to them, in some cases telling them to seek out the destruction of anyone who doesn’t follow the teachings of Islam. The Holy Qu’ran will also have verses that Muslims can cherry pick to prove their point that THEIR religion is the only path to God, just as Christian cherry pick verses from the Bible. So they are wrong, right? But if I asked them if the you guys were wrong what do you suppose they would say?
Neither of you have, or can, answer my question. Why, if God is a loving father, would he make the conscience decision to knowingly and willingly send millions and millions and millions of people to their deaths because he cannot accept them on the technicality that they didn’t follow him/Jesus?
Matthew 7:7 says “Seek and you will find” Proverbs 8:17 says “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” I plan to hold God to this. But here’s the thing, the jews, the muslims, the tribes of the rainforests all seek him and in their ways they find him. These deeply spiritual/religious people are to be put to death for having a faith and devotion in the “wrong God?” That’s not love if you ask me. Maybe you would argue that they didn’t find God, they found a lie, but come on – are you honestly trying to claim these many millions of people didn’t seek with all the hearts, didn’t sincerely search for God?
Jesus died on the cross for our sins? Okay, that was nice of him. But why? Because he wanted to forgive us? Okay, then why not just forgive us, why do the whole sacrifice thing? I struggle with this point because it paints God as a jealous vindictive and unjust figure willing to create a standard that would by its very nature be out of reach to many of his “children.” We’re lucky enough to be born in the wealthy west, but pity those who live in Palestine or Indonesia. Pity those born into Hinduism, or Tribalism. Their cultures, their upbringing, will in all likelihood forever condemn them to hell while they may sit in similar judgement of those who fail to adhere to their singular path to eternity with God.
I’m not shooting anyone down for their faith in Jesus Christ. All I am saying is that at this point it seems as if claims that God is a loving merciful character who at the same time demands strict adherence to a rule most of the world won’t abide by, is a nonsense.
Right now I simply cannot look at the night sky littered with galaxies and planets, or the beautiful complexity of a tree covered in leafs, and then believe that a God capable of such amazing diversity and creation would willingly choose to create such an impassable barrier for mankind to grapple with. It makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 5:56 pm
“Jesus died on the cross for our sins? Okay, that was nice of him. But why? Because he wanted to forgive us? Okay, then why not just forgive us, why do the whole sacrifice thing? I struggle with this point because it paints God as a jealous vindictive and unjust figure willing to create a standard that would by its very nature be out of reach to many of his “children.” ”
These are good questions.. and not questions that any of us can really answer for you- cause you’ve already heard the answers of Christians to this question over and over again… correct me if I’m wrong of course in all sincerity.
If you genuinely want to know the answers to this from a judeo-christian perspective, I highly recommend you study the book where they draw their answers- the Bible. Cause even if i had a two sentence answer to this questions, that was true, it wouldnt be yours until you searched it out yourself.
I will say though that as far as “children” go.. The Bible has only ever referred to those who come to him as His children- not the entire world. That’s what salvation is about- coming into His family so to speak. There’s a parable in the gospels that says that many will do signs and wonders in His name and stand before Him on judgment day and yet He will say that He did not know them- how could he not know his children?
I’m sure that last statement just fueled your engine on God being unkind and unjust, but that’s not at all how i see it. From what I read in the book that I hold as God’s word, I see things very differently- but that’s a perspective it would seem you need to seek and discover on your own to make it your own belief.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Yet does it not also say in Gods word (written by men over hundreds of years) that when little children die they are with God? So doesn’t that then suggest that at some point God cares, then doesn’t? I wonder what age that would be? Six, maybe seven perhaps? When do we ‘go bad’ beyond the auto salvation thing I wonder.
I wonder what the Holy Qu’ran says about this. I’ll confess I’ve not checked. Then again I haven’t checked Hindu texts either. As for the poor ol’ Jews they reject the new testament anyway so I guess they’re still caught up with the God who appears in the nasty old testament. A God jealous hateful and petty God who is racist and supportive of genocide and the like. I feel bad for them, but hey, God likes them doesn’t he? I mean aren’t they his chosen people or something.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’ll write more about the Jealous God in my xanga in a couple of days; just a quick note for now.
Use your Internet connection to go to this website http://www.blueletterbible.com, and search on the words “jealous God” in the modern version of your choice, and see what the Bible says about God being jealous!
Should a husband be jealous over his unfaithful wife? I would be, and God is jealous when we turn our affections to Gods which are no gods at all. When we disobey we deserve punishment from a righteous God.
If God were not righteous, he could tolerate sin and evil. But God is a righteous God, and His righteousness cannot tolerate sin and evil.
Okay, now imagine for a moment that YOU get to decide what level of sin and evil are tolerable. Where do you draw the line? A petty white lie? A malignant lie intended to defraud? A simple slap in the face? A simple shiv in the back, a gun shot to the face? How “little” a sin is too small to punish?
Because God is righteous and just, He must punish sin. Jesus died to take the punishment for our sin (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Romans 5:6-10) and to pay the penalty we could not pay, in our place. Thank you, JESUS!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 7:07 pm
If your wife was unfaithful Tim, would you take her outside and cut her throat leaving her on the street to bleed out and die? That completes your analogy does it not?
So God is a jealous God. Nice, because jealously is such a beautiful quality in anyone. But then it does explain why God would be so openly hateful I guess.
When I look at the stars, a sunset, a seahorse, or a leaf I don’t see hate or jealousy. I see the breadth of beauty which is about as far removed from hatred and jealousy as I know. I can’t help but think that those traits would seem to be more inline with the heart of man. No temple, regardless of its beauty, can match the awe of a sunset or the depth of space, yet I am to believe that a God capable of such limitless creative power would choose to place a stifling limitation on the ability of those whom he created to know him. Such a notion seems to contradict his power and presence, it is an absurdity that I am struggling to fathom.
I wonder what the holy Qu’ran or sacred Hindu texts say about this? I would imagine they too place human cultural limitations on a limitless God too. Does the Muslim think he will be with you in heaven Tim? And if he doesn’t I wonder what makes him so sure you won’t be there? The same thing that makes you sure you won’t be sharing heaven with him I suspect.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 7:35 pm
you really missed the main point of my comment.. and i’d love a response to that. I mentioned the children part as a side note, and yet that’s where you majored in your response.
My main concern with all this is that it seems you’re unhappy with the Bible’s depiction of God,but havent really put a lot of time into studying it… or maybe i’m wrong? and you feel you have a good handle of it? Take your quote of the children dying and going to God… it doesnt say that anywhere… it says things that lead people to believe this (me being one of those people), but often times the Bible’s message is more about trying to get people to God then explaining all the ins and outs of God’s judgment day. It explains what people need to do to be saved, and why we need a savior.. but not every scenario that could possibly come up where someone’s salvation might be in question. That would be a ridiculously long book.
If your knowledge of the Bible is based on what you’ve heard and remembered from attending church, or scripture you were forced to memorize as a child, then I have to question the quality of your Bible knowledge. In questioning the quality of your knowledge of the Bible, I then sincerely have to question your assumptions about my God whom my faith believes reveals Himself in that text.
Please understand this is not meant in any harsh way, just an honest opinion about what I’ve seen in your comments over time.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 21, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Fortunately Rachel, I was never forced to memorize Bible verses at any time of my life. I come from a family where the only Sunday tradition we observed was a roast dinner, and you know what, that’s a tradition I rather like :-)
My knowledge of the Bible is based on my studies of it though I am quite sure you, Tim, and Todd could all knock me to the deck if we were to start bible beating one another. Fortunately for me I have neither the time nor interest in engaging in such a futile and meaningless battle.
But here’s where you’re going to have to throw your arms in the air in frustration. I am finding it more than a little bit of a struggle to view the Bible as anything more than a religious set of texts and traditions written in whole by men who had political and personal agendas. Once again I cannot align the hateful murderous and jealous God of the Bible with an all powerful creative force that could create a seahorse or a leaf, a sunset or a galaxy. The rules of the Bible seem to me to be the rules of men.
Do you believe in the texts of the holy Qu’ran? How about the ancient texts of Hinduism, or any other religious texts for that matter? I’m pretty sure you think those are a crock of shit. Works of fiction or worse still, deeds of mass deception. But I’m willing to bet that the people who read and live by those religious texts feel that every word of them is ordained by God, holy and unquestionable truths.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 22, 2008 at 1:29 am
Boy have we opened a can here! I would love to sit down at Revue over a coffee and talk… Simon might feel a little ganged up on but something tells me he could handle it!
I was just in the doctors office waiting for my turn and there was a copy of “the Message” by Eugene Peterson in there. I picked it up and thumbed through it and read some of the book of Romans. It might be an interesting read for you (Romans) Simon in light of what we have been talking about (religion, sin, grace, love, and salvation). The Message version seems particularly cool, but it is a paraphrase by Mr. Peterson as opposed so something like the New Living Translation which is a direct translation by scholars from the oldest Biblical manuscripts.
Romans was written by Paul or The Artist Formerly Known as Saul… Sorry- inside joke… I’ll take off my rainbow guitar strap now… a Pharisaical Christian Killing Jew turned Jesus follower and by the way never stopped being a Jew. God likes to change people’s names… Anyway, he just began to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Not sure what his agenda would be in writing Romans or any of his other letters because he had nothing to gain but everything to lose in terms of becoming a “Christian” although I don’t think that term had yet been used.
As far as the holy Qu-ran and writings of Hinduism et al… I don’t know as much as I should although we have been studying them at my church as of late in a series comparing the major world religions (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism).
It doesn’t sound like you put much stock in religious writings -particularly the Bible. If you believe in a creator-God, how will you find out the truth about him? Are you afraid to commit or just can’t find the answers yet intellectually? I don’t mean that condescendingly, honest.
Lee Strobel’s book The Case For Faith: A Journalist investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity might shed some light on some of your questions better than I can. I’m not too good of an apologist- I’m really just a musician who decided to make a wise crack about your music review.
I’d be happy to check out any material that you might suggest Simon… I’ll even read the Qu-ran! My bro in law Shane has a copy.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 22, 2008 at 3:23 am
It’s not a can so much as an interesting discussion. I appreciate that I might come off here as something of an atheist or Christian hater, neither is true. I can’t say I am a big fan of religion, however I find religious people fascinating and in some ways I wish I could be just like them. To have an unswerving belief and faith in something that cannot be seen or proved is amazing. Atheists often dismiss this as being spectacularly closed minded, I however think quite the opposite. Without science and proof religious people allow their faith to direct their lives, to me that shows a staggeringly open mind. Religious people should surely then be the most open minded people on the planet, it’s strangely ironic that they are often the most close minded.
I actually have a copy of ‘The Message’ Todd. I also have a few other version of the Bible, a Qu’ran, some Hare Krishna thing and the book of Morman! My main problem is that reading them has never engaged me that much. In fact, I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit this, but books in general don’t engage me. I find it very difficult to read and retain knowledge from books.
I think it’s a choice really isn’t it. One has to choose to be religious, to choose their God. For a white Brit like myself the logical choice would be to become a Christian as that is the most predominant faith in the UK, regardless of the fact it’s in decline here. If I lived in Indonesia I’d choose Islam I suppose, and in India I’d probably choose Hinduism. But you see it’s hard for me to make this choice because I feel like in doing so I am denying something of the power, creativity, reality and breadth of God.
As for having a coffee at ‘The Revue’ sometime, you’re on. I’m in town in a couple of weeks (8-19th of Sept) so we’ll figure something out. Just do me a favor and leave the rainbow guitar strap behind ;-)