Song banned from Christian album for loving people rather than judging them
November 5th, 2009 by Brad HeapI got this tweet from Parachute Music a few minutes ago:
Download Derek Webb’s controversial new song What Matters More on www.derekwebb.com. INO Records wouldn’t release it. What do you think?
Not knowing any controversy around the song I went and downloaded it wondering what could be possibly so wrong with the song that a record label wouldn’t include it on a CD. Well listen to it yourself below and see what you notice and what you think.
At first I noticed the words “damn” and “shit” in the lyrics. Surely this was not enough to get it banned. It was a little unusual given that Derek Webb is a former member of Caedmon’s Call a popular Christian alternative rock/worship band however in the context of the song the words fit and are relevant. And lets face it we hear far worse things everyday and probably nearly all of us have music be it “Christian” or non-Christian that has far worse things said in it.
To try and get my head around the whole issue a little bit more I did a little bit of searching for the lyrics, news and blog posts on the song. It turns out the main controversy is not only around those two “swear” words but also around these lyrics in the second verse:
If I can tell what’s in your heart by what comes out of your mouth
Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it’s about
It looks like being hated for all the wrong things
Like chasin’ the wind while the pendulum swings‘Cause we can talk and debate until we’re blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he’s comin’ to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don’t give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin’ todayTell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?
Webb makes a direct statement saying that the church is more concerned about being straight and hating on people for being different then caring about people. In fact I believe Webb is bibically correct here Jesus speaking in Mark 12:29-31 clearly states:
Mar 12:29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: `Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
Mar 12:30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
Mar 12:31 The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Love not hate, care not judge. But this seems to have fallen on death ears in a lot of the Christian community and subsequently the song was censored off his album.
The thing I find most ironic about this entire situation is that I have so much music that critises the church and the way we act:
Delirious sing in “Our God Reigns”
40 million babies lost to Gods great orphanage,
It’s a modern day genocide and a modern day disgrace
If this is a human right then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree.100 million faces, staring at the sky,
Wondering if this HIV will ever pass us by.
The devil stole the rain and hope trickles down the plug,
But still my Chinese take away could pay for someone’s drugs.Our God reigns, Our God reigns,
Forever your kingdom reigns.The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you.Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.
Casting Crowns sing in “What this world needs”
What this world needs is not another one hit wonder with an axe to grind
Another two bit politician peddling lies
Another three ring circus society
What this world needs is not another sign waving super saint that’s better than you
Another ear pleasing candy man afraid of the truth
Another prophet in an Armani suitWhat this world needs is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them in their time of need
A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That’s what this world needsWhat this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can’t see
God’s gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt
What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can’t see the difference
And it’s the difference that sets the world freeJesus is our Savior, that’s what this world needs
Father’s arms around you, that’s what this world needs
That’s what this world needs
So what is the difference this time, is it the mere mention of homosexuality that has everyone sticking their heads into the sand pretending they live on Mars and not Earth?
