By Emma VanTol
Music. It’s been widely enjoyed throughout time and used in a variety of ways: cultural expression, entertainment, praise and worship, and so much more. In Biblical times, the Psalms served as the Israelites’ hymnal. David and other authors wrote them as praises, laments, and thanksgiving to God. Many of the Psalms even have notations such as, “to the choirmaster” or “a song of David,” showing the musical qualities of these poems. Today, the Psalms are used with hymns and liturgy in worship services.
Music has changed much since biblical times, hasn’t it? Most of the popular songs of our time are no longer written by the church for worship but by individuals for a secular community. While using music in secular settings isn’t evil, it’s important for Christians to recognize who that music is written for. We now live in a post-Christian society, and people no longer view the world’s issues from a Biblical worldview. Secular music often reflects this reality. It is especially true that cultural views have affected the entertainment industry and its disregard for God’s design for life.
As Christians, we want to be mindful of how we react to and respond to these changes; as Gospel-motivated voices who uphold life, we need to be conscious of the messages these songs share. The best way to counteract the brokenness of the world is with the truths written in God’s Word: God’s Law, which protects the gifts God desires to give us in life, and His Gospel, the message of Christ which brings forgiveness, comfort, and hope.
When I think of secular music, two popular artists come to mind: Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. They’re not the only artists promoting worldviews that disregard life and God, but they are good examples of the situation at hand.
In the last year, Taylor Swift has conducted her famous ‘Eras’ Tour, while simultaneously releasing her newest album entitled, ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’ Though full of catchy toons and exciting rhythms, Swift’s songs have caused Christian analysts to raise an eyebrow about the themes she presents. I’ll link an article[1] regarding these issues at the end of this blog post, but for now, I’m going to focus on an album that led up to this tour. Swift’s album titled “Lover” addresses life issues, but not in a life-affirming way. For example, in the song, “The Man” Swift writes:
“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can
Wondering if I’d get there quicker
If I was a man
And I’m so sick of them coming at me again
‘Cause if I was a man
Then I’d be the man
I’d be the man
I’d be the man”
So, what is the life issue here? Swift’s perception of gender inequality. Becoming a man would allow her to be, “a fearless leader… an alpha type… When everyone believes ya,” she sings. While sin has certainly affected relationships between men and women, and inequalities can and do exist, the answer to this life issue isn’t coveting. Instead, it’s valuing and upholding the gift of male and female. God made men and women unique – both different and both necessary. Men and women are designed to complement each other in the ways they work together in both the home and in society. The natural desires and roles of both men and women should be embraced as God gave them.
In another song by Swift titled, “Lover” she portrays her longing to build a home with her lover. The lyrics read:
“Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, and take me home”
“We could let our friends crash in the living room
This is our place, we make the call”
This sounds great, right? Coming home with your lover, being close to him/her, having friends over to your house. So, what’s the catch? Unfortunately, Swift’s approach to relationships includes cohabitation. God’s Word indicates that a couple should only live together after they are married. Why would God command something so incredibly uncool? Because He has gifts to give – gifts like life-long marriage. The truth is, that cohabitation is harmful to a couple’s relationship. While many couples use cohabitation as a test run to see if they can handle living together for the rest of their lives, the research shows that this test run actually ends up increasing their chance of divorce. Here’s what the research proves: cohabitating before marriage doubles the chances of infidelity[2] and increases your chance of divorce by 50%.[3]
Cohabitation was not God’s design for marriage; it doesn’t affirm and uphold life. So, although Swift longs to live with her lover, this message is not something we should support. Instead, we should uphold the sanctity of marriage, and encourage friends to set boundaries for dating so they can have a healthy romantic relationship, and a firm foundation for children, for years to come.
Olivia Rodrigo embraces secular worldviews about life in a different way. Before her world tour, ‘Guts’, started, she expressed her support for abortion clinics.[4] In fact, a portion of the revenue made from ticket sales through the end of October will be donated to abortion clinics, and these clinics are even encouraged to exhibit at Rodrigo’s tour stops. In a few cities, abortion clinic volunteers have passed out contraceptives like condoms and abortifacients like Plan B to concertgoers.
As people for life, we thank God that Rodrigo’s tour producers have now limited the distribution of these products, but the concern is not obsolete.[5] What message is Rodrigo sharing with society? What kind of values is she promoting?
While she may not speak her opinions through the lyrics of her songs in the same way Taylor Swift does, sometimes actions speak louder than words. Rodrigo’s example tells young girls that having sex outside of marriage is acceptable, expected even. And if they become pregnant there are many options to terminate the pregnancy either immediately after conception or later in the pregnancy. This perspective does not uphold life. Sex outside of marriage has many negative impacts on future relationships and shouldn’t be encouraged. Additionally, abortion poses many risks for the mother and her future children.
Pre-marital sex and abortion are neither loving nor life-affirming. Instead, young people need Christian, Gospel-centered facts on these topics and other life issues so they can be prepared, not only to defend life, but also stand firm as they face the many secular pressures of society and media. Where can you find resources to strengthen and uphold yourselves and others? Explore the Y4Life website at Y4Life.org!
[1] Taylor Swift’s new album mocks God, Christians, critics say | Entertainment News (christianpost.com)
[2] Cohabitation: Effects of Cohabitation on the Men and Women Involved – Part 1 of 2 | American College of Pediatricians (acpeds.org)
[3] PALS Study Guide – Premarital Counseling and Cohabitation (lcms.org)
[4] Olivia Rodrigo Has Free Plan B, Condoms at Concert (variety.com)
[5] Olivia Rodrigo Concerts No Longer Allowing Plan B, Condom Distribution (variety.com)