I got the following email referring to the web page for my band, Peabody Myers, which is a Christian punk rock band:

There is something that I have been thinking for awhile now. As I look at your web page, you guys say your Christians but you guys are so much into secular bands. What do you feel to be christians and listen to bands that almost deny Christ.

Good question. In fact some bands do all out deny religion and Christ in general.. But it's always been my opinion that you simply can't shut stuff out. I don't have to agree with the ideas in certain songs to like the band in general. For instance.. All has a song called Self-Righteous which is an anti-straight-edge song. Yet its my favorite All song. Partly cuz i get a kick out of it, partly because they state their point well (even Jesus Christ turned the water into wine / don't care what you don't do), and partly just cuz it's a good song musically, well arranged and such.

NOFX's song Happy Guy is all about how this guy turned to religion and everyone thinks he's stupid. It ends with "his hopes may be false, but his happiness is real, don't try to judge him, he's just a man." Of course i dont think his hopes are false, but he sees that a person can find true happiness in God, whether that onlooker believes in God or not.

Of course some songs that are just completely anti-God I can't find anything good about, but I tend to look past those songs, because generally those same bands have some really intelligent points to make in other songs. I mean you don't ignore a really smart and cool guy just cuz he may be Athiest or Muslim or something, or a drug user if you're straight edge. My best friend at one time was a big drug addict. Of course I disagreed with him about it, but that didn't stop us from being friends. Same with Christians liking secular music. Just because you disagree with them sometimes doesn't mean you pretend they don't exist.

And to be very honest, a large part of the time, the secular bands are just plain better bands than Christian bands, sorry to say. I mean look at Supertones. I really enjoy their music because of the message behind it, but they're musically the worst ska band I've ever heard. Not to say this is always true, since I prefer MxPx's first album and 90 lb. wuss over a LOT of secular stuff. I don't think you can listen to ONLY Christian music any more than you can ONLY talk to Christians. It's just not healthy. =)