“Extrabiblical Arguments,” “Borderline Racist,” “Cannibals,” and “CCM”

In his book, The Scandal of Schism: A Journey from Sinful Division to Biblical Fidelity, accomplished and highly dedicated Christian songwriter and minister Chris Anderson writes,

I’ve heard some fascinating extrabiblical arguments in favor of conservative music over the years. . . . Sometimes they’ve been borderline racist. . . . Converted cannibals said that CCM sounds like the music they used to worship the devil.

I find these remarks¹ to be problematic for several reasons.

First, in remarking about some people whom he believes have made invalid extrabiblical and “borderline racist” arguments supporting the use of conservative music, Chris uses terminology (“racist”) that is not found anywhere in Scripture to make his assessment that their arguments are faulty–the Bible does not even once use the words “racism” or “racist” to speak of unjust actions or unjust people. Nor does the Bible ever speak of people who unjustly speak disapprovingly about or judge the music of certain other people because they have some personal biases of one sort or another against those people based on their “race.”

In effect, therefore, Chris has himself regrettably made an invalid extrabiblical assessment to assert the supposed faultiness of people whose arguments Chris believes are invalidly extrabiblical. In order to have credibility in speaking against these supposedly extrabiblical assessments of others, Chris needs to make a thorough and rigorous biblical case for his view that such statements about music are “borderline racist” and invalidly extrabiblical.

Second, these remarks could be taken by converted cannibals as portraying them in a negative light. If these in fact do portray them in that manner, would the converted cannibals wonder if the remarks reflect some personal bias against them as former cannibals who have become believers?

In this respect, we should consider what missionary Margaret Stringer presents in her book From Cannibalism to Christianity.² On the cover of her book and in many places in the book, she has photographs of the people of West Papua to whom she ministered. Based on these photos, would she (or someone else who refers to or cites her book in some way) be regarded as being “borderline racist” because of the obvious differences between her and the cannibalistic people to whom she ministered?

If her relating what God has done for cannibals through her and others is not “borderline racist,” why would it be “borderline racist” to cite a music testimony from “converted cannibals”?

Third, these statements appear to deny that certain unspecified converted cannibals are able to make valid assessments that CCM sounds like the former music that they themselves used to worship the devil. If so, on what basis would it be thought that they are incapable of validly making such assessments?

Alternatively, if someone believes that converted cannibals can validly make such assessments, but also believes that such assessments by converted cannibals are wrong or holds that the converted cannibals’ making such assessments is irrelevant, why would it be believed that they are wrong assessments or that their making those assessments is irrelevant?

Conclusion

Chris appears to sincerely believe what he has remarked. He, however, has provided no valid support for his statements concerning arguments that he has assessed to be invalidly extrabiblical and “borderline racist” because they relate that “converted cannibals said that CCM sounds like the music they used to worship the devil.”

In actuality, these remarks by Chris are invalid, untenable, and unhelpful.³ God does want us to seek biblical unity and harmony among His people, but asserting (or implying) that consecrated, God-fearing believers who are musically conservative are “borderline racist” in their positions about worship music is not a biblically supportable way to seek such unity and harmony.

Footnotes

1. The Scandal of Schism, 126 ↩︎
2. My citation of this book and her work is not intended to be a wholesale endorsement of her, her book, her missionary activities, her ministry associations, etc. Rather, my purpose in citing her book is to provide documentation of a published source that relates information about cannibals who have been converted through their receiving the gospel. ↩︎
3. See my post On “Cultural Racism” and Christian Opposition to “Holy Hip-Hop” for a treatment of Scripture that addresses faulty claims that Christians who are musically conservative are guilty of “cultural racism.” ↩︎

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