Profanity in Christian Music

Does profanity have a place in Christian songwriting?

I was very confused by an article I read in an online Christian Music magazine awhile back, it was about a disagreement that an artist, Derek Webb, had with his record label, INO. Apparently there was some problem with the release of his album “Stockholm Syndrome”, the matter was centered around his choice of words in the lyrics of a song. I hadn’t heard the song at that time, so I didn’t know the exact word he used. But from the article, I gathered it wasn’t a very nice one. Webb claimed that the song and its lyrics were very important to the album and his work.

I had really liked Derek Webb and loved his work with the group, Caedmon’s Call. I own one of his solo albums and was considering checking out more of his work, but this story had left me very troubled. I later had the misfortune of hearing firsthand the song and the lyric, which turned out to be the infamous “S-word” at a Christian Music Festival in a room filled with people of all ages, including young children! Why would Webb, a Christian artist or an artist with Christian beliefs, find it necessary to use profanity in his song? As believers and followers of Christ, we are to be living and behaving in a manner that was exemplified by Christ and ultimately glorifies God! So my question is this “does the use of profanity glorify God and if not, then why use it?” The Bible gives us some clear guidelines as to how followers should try to conduct themselves. The Old Testament states in Psalm 63:3 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Then in Proverbs 4:24 it says “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” And again in Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.” Along with the idea that we are to be reborn and therefore changed, it tells us in Colossians 3:8 “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

With all this in mind, I just don’t understand the need to include crude words in the lyrics of a song, especially songs written with the express purpose of spreading the word of God and the message of his love to others. But even if Webb’s song is just a song about his life, his own experiences or life in general, why add an unsavory word? We would expect to find this type of thing in the secular, unsaved world, as the prowess of mainstream bands today is built on how lewd and graphic their lyrics are, as though this makes them more creditable musicians and better songwriters. Bands like Green Day, Blink 182, and so many others have always said whatever they felt would shock and wow the listener. But when bands like Lincoln Park, who boasted that they didn’t need to use profanity to get their message across, decide to add so much, that their music now carries a “Parental Warning” label, it becomes really sad! Although bands sometimes find it necessary to re-invent themselves, changing their music styles or sound, which is understandable in the market these days, where there is so much music, that it all starts to sound the same. But Lincoln Park’s decision doesn't seem to be about their re-invention and this type of behavior takes away from their credibility and makes me think they are small minds with little talent! What about the argument, art for art sake? But is it really art or just garbage? I tend to think true artists, with true gifts, would be able to express themselves without degrading others or life itself! Should we sacrifice our principles for art? At what cost? Wouldn’t it be more admirable to sacrifice our art for our principles? Whatever happened to the moral majority? It has become the moral minority!

Even before I discovered Christ, after having kids and driving around listening to the same music I’d listened to since I was a teen, I had the revelation one day that most of it was unfit for little ears. So I continued to listen, but only in private, away from the kids, kinda like a music junkie! But when I found Christ (or He found me) I could no longer ignore such issues, how could I continue to listen to music so highly saturated with coarse language and explicit imagery in good conscience? Then came my discovery of “Christian” music, I was so thrilled to find another realm of music that would fulfill my inner need to rock, head bang, whatever, but is way better for my soul and those little ears!

I started listening to “Christian Music” to escape the madness! But now, has that madness found a way into my new realm? Maybe there is something deeper to consider here, if Webb and other Christian artists start using these words in their songs, what will the world imply from it? That Christians are just another bunch of hypocrites, or that they are just like everyone else? As Christians, we are to be set apart from the things of this world that will drag us down into the pit. There is a very fine line here and I wonder if it really should be crossed. Does the use of this word glorify God in anyway? What about integrity? When artists do things like this, I believe it corrupts the integrity of their work. To me they seem to have lost sight of some of their original intentions behind their music, the ones that sent them on the journey in the first place! The Bible puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” It also gives us these warnings in 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Then again in Titus 2:7-8 “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may have nothing bad to say about us.”

By using profanity in their songs what kind of example are believers setting for the rest of the world? Will it just give the world more bad things to say about Christians? My hope is that Webb and others will have well thought out answers to these questions!