Should Christians listen to "Secular" music?

Recently on a forum where I regularly participate someone asked a couple questions regarding a christian's response to "secular" music.

1. Is secular music evil?
2. Should Christian musicians perform secular music?
3. Should Christians listen to secular music/musicians?

If you were to ask most Christians this question their initial response would probably be "of course not!" However the truth is that almost no Christian actually believes and lives it. Part of the problem lies in what a Christian initially thinks of when they hear the term secular. Often we think secular = worldly = wicked/evil. However if we carefully begin to consider what secular actually mean this preconceived notion that secular is bad begins to fall apart.

Secular- 1: not sacred or ecclesiastical. 2: not bound by monastic vows. ( The Merriam-Webster dictionary)

So if secular literally means "not sacred" then we have to understand what sacred means to understand what secular means.

Sacred - 1. Set apart for the service or worship of deity 2: devoted exclusively to one service or use. 3: worthy of veneration or reverence 4: of or relating to religion, religious.

This means that secular is anything that is not considered sacred. Anything that is not set aside for worship of deity, devoted for one use, or of or relating to religion. Seeing as how sacred is a very limiting narrow term that includes only that which pertains to worship/religion this means that secular is a very broad general term that means anything not used for worship or religious in nature.

So then let's apply what he have learned to music. Secular music is any music that is not worship or religious in nature. While most Christians think of popular music such as "rock" music (or jazz, rap, r & b, metal, etc.) when they hear the term secular music, in reality it is much broader than that. Secular music includes folk music, classical music, children's songs (the alphabet song), camp songs, and many other types of music. Now to be clear some classical music is sacred, however not all classical music is sacred and therefore much of it is secular. The same goes for many other genres such as folk and children's songs. They have some sacred music but by and large have much secular music. Should a Christian only listen to those particular songs that are sacred, or is it okay to listen to some secular music?

Hopefully at this point you have realized that not all secular music is wrong to listen to. When we sing "Happy Birthday" to someone in Sunday School or at a birthday social after church in the fellowship hall we are singing a "secular" song in church and I don't think there are many who would say that is wrong. When we are listening to Beethoven's 9th symphony on the radio as we drive to work we are listening to secular music and even the most conservative Christians I personally know or have read would not think that is wrong.

So if it isn't wrong for a Christian to listen to/sing secular music then that means we can listen to pretty much whatever we want, right? Hold on there just a minute. While there is nothing wrong with secular music in general, that doesn't mean there isn't anything wrong with specific secular music. There is secular (and even "Christian") music that a Christian should not listen to. Well then, how do we know what we should and shouldn't listen to?

I could spend quite some time discussing the answer to this question but I'll save that for another time. The short answer is that we need to determine which music is okay to listen to the same way we make decisions regarding what books we read, what movies we watch, where we go for fun, etc. We need to evaluate their message, philosophy, and theology using scripture and if the message of the song is incompatible with the message of the Bible then we ought to avoid that song. Philippians 4:8 gives us a good rule of thumb to use when deciding these things.


Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

If a song contradicts scripture then we as Christians shouldn't listen to it. If it is proclaiming a worldly philosophy then it is not right for us to listen to. We need to be filling our minds with the good, pure, virtuous things. They do not necessarily have to be sacred or Christian, but they ought to be good and right before the eyes of God.  One things that I see often is that some Christians rail against all new secular music, but think all classical music is good and fine to listen to. However, there are many classical opera songs that a Christian should not listen to, songs about lust, murder, hate, etc. etc. Just because it is classical does not make it right to listen to. Neither does the fact that it is a top hit in today's world make it wrong. We need to carefully consider what the message of the song is, or whether or not it contradicts scriptural teachings. "Butterfly Kisses" and "Christmas Shoes" are a good example of two pretty new secular songs that have a wholesome message. They are both about the love between a child and parent. They are not "christian" songs, but they teach a message that is compatible with scripture and therefore even though they are "secular" songs, they are good songs.