Punk Rock Vs The Church

When I was in 7th grade I discovered my first Bad Religion CD, Stranger than Fiction. From that day on I began my journey as a young kid; finding my passion for Punk Rock. I loved what these Punk Bands had to say. Whether it was politics, skateboarding, or girls, I was in love. What really attracted me to Bad Religion was what they were singing about. They addressed issues in their songs that I never heard about in church or Sunday school. I can remember listening to their song “American Jesus” and it made me think, “who does America really see Jesus as?” We sometimes forget that Jesus was a man who wasn’t about money or fame, but a man who cared about the average person. Punk rock culture is very similar to that philosophy.

In 1998 Greg Graffin, the singer of Bad Religion, wrote an essay on what Punk Rock is. He said

“PUNK IS: the personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions.”

This made me think. Could punk rock and being a Christian go hand in hand?
Are we not supposed to ask questions about our faith? Did not God himself tell us in the Bible to ask questions and be curious?

In the first part of Greg Graffin’s quote he says that punk is about uniqueness and the experiences that happen when we grow up. Jesus was sent to earth because of his “uniqueness.” God allowed Jesus to grow up and experience what life as a human was like. Jesus got to see the hypocrisy and judgmental traits of the religious right. He saw how people claim God, but then pass by beggars and orphans. He saw how women were violently disciplined, and stood up for them. I don’t thing that many people know how many times the Bible addresses social justice and the “down trodden.”

Scotty and Jake (from the video above) were a joy to meet and speak with. They clearly value community and the closeness that it brings. I just think it’s great to see how everything positive, which attribute to the punk rock scene, is actually what church SHOULD be doing. So, Christ followers, don’t give up or judge guys like Scotty and Jake. They could be more outspoken for justice and love through Christ, more than you might ever imagine.

                                      

Hope is the Writer
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