"Why does the devil have all the good music?"

I was inspired to write this based on a relevant issue for Christians everywhere. Yesterday, I posted a video on my Facebook, which was attended to be comical like the video in my last post. The video is different shots of my random, basic life, but the music is "Lose Yourself" by Eminem; a song that everyone has heard and has a pretty sweet beat, so it is completely irrelevant to the video. 

The song says a few words that could be seen as inappropriate to some, but then the big "Mother F***ing" twice. Even though no one knows where that word ever came from, I try to avoid using it for the sake of negative connotations in different peoples minds, but it is by no means foreign to me. 

I didn't think a thing about it.

I got some complaints. Several people mentioned why I didn't use a "Christian" rap song. Well, that would somewhat defeat the entire purpose of the video. 

This is so frustrating to me. I don't even like 90%....ok....98% of "Christian" music. "What makes it Christian?" is the question that I struggle with. Is it because it says God in the song? Is it because it's made by Christians? Is it because it's made for Christians to listen to? There are plenty of Christians whose music isn't in the mainstream Christian market.  

Whatever the definition is, the concept of creating art is lost in entirety. It's just making something that sounds like something else (but says "God"). It's not true art. All beauty is lost. 

Is all music BUT "Christian" music bad? Therefore are all things that are secular are have no artistic value? Only "Christian" movies, plays, paintings, poems are acceptable?

There are a few artists I think that actually create music for it's artistic value and get pushed in the Christian market. (Robbie Seay Band, Edison Glass, David Crowder Band, and more).

There is so much truth in music that so many Christians call "secular", or you can find truth in the ABSENCE of it. And besides, why do we have to devalue everything that we think has nothing to do with God? 

I hear at school all the time "Well Reliant K says there a Christian band, but they sing about girls and stuff, so there's really nothing Christian about it." What's wrong with singing about human struggles? We are humans aren't we? 

As a songwriter, this is a really sensitive subject to me. 

Finally, why do Christians always feel that we need to separate ourselves? Yeah, we are not called to be OF the world, but we are called to be IN the world. Why do we have Christian movies, music, coffee shops, bookstores, and restaurants? People separate themselves and create this sub-culture that I think is really unhealthy. 

Music is not marketing. It's art. It's true. It's beautiful. Of anyone, the church should be the last people to try and copy something that's true.