Top Christian music bands

This will be a visitor post by George Perdikis.

In 1985, I co-founded Newsboys, very effective Christian rock groups ever sold. You may possibly have heard the band’s music in movie God’s Not Dead. The band’s record album of the identical name struck #1 from the Billboard Christian Albums chart.

And I’m now an atheist.

How did that take place? Really, let me get back to the band’s founding.

After being kicked out of Seaton highschool in 1981, my moms and dads sent me to Bethesda Christian class. We just lasted six months indeed there, however in that time, I met two drummers. One of them, Peter Furler, had a more impressive drum kit compared to other man, so I jammed with Peter. We played together in storage as a duo for some years and became good mates.

Peter’s household relocated to Nambour, Queensland in 1983. We were reunited in 1985 whenever I ended up being published from Adelaide to Amberley Airforce Base near Brisbane. I would drive within the coast every weekend to jam with Peter.

Sean Taylor was element of yet another group of dudes we enjoyed. The two of us had a whole lot in common — the two of us enjoyed Rush. I welcomed Sean to participate Peter and me, and our duo became a trio.

John James became the 4th person in the group immediately after. He decided to go to our local church and sang in choir. We shared a similar love of life. It seemed reasonable for him to pick up the microphone.

Peter, Sean, John, and I began as a cover musical organization playing parties, bars, churches, youth groups, parks — anywhere some body will have us. Even as we grew in confidence, we begun to add some initial tracks to your repertoire. The musical organization developed quickly. Within a few months I'd quit my profession floating around energy and relocated in using Furler family to concentrate on songs full time.

The decision to become a “Christian rockband” was greatly affected by Peter’s moms and dads, Bill and Rosalie Furler. As fundamentalist Christians, the only acceptable as a type of music was the type that worshipped God. Bill and Rosalie had been like second moms and dads if you ask me and, that is why, I never questioned their particular advice.

When John required accommodations, he relocated in aided by the Furlers besides. For the following several years, John, Peter, and I also shared a bedroom and spent all our sparetime composing songs and rehearsing our asses down. We may were categorized as Christian Rock, but, musically, I thought we were as good as any secular band. With forty solid songs under our belts, we became the Newsboys.

Our big break emerged in 1987 if the Christian band Whiteheart invited united states to guide them at Festival Hall, Brisbane. They liked our songs and, within a few months, we found ourselves in nj recording our very first record, browse about It. I co-wrote the very first two Newsboys albums and toured together with them until 1990.

I usually felt uncomfortable using strict rules imposed by Christianity. All i desired to complete had been create and play rock 'n roll… yet the majority of the attention I got ended up being centered on how well we maintained the impossible requirements of religion. I wanted my entire life to-be measured by my music, perhaps not by my power to withstand urge.

I left the band in 1990 and went back to Adelaide. Truth be told there, i acquired hitched, taught electric guitar, played bars and groups, built houses, along with two gorgeous daughters.

As I carved aside a life for myself from the chapel, we started my very own voyage of query into the thing I believed. My perceptions started initially to change when I became interested in cosmology in 1992. We shortly discovered myself fascinated by the works of Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins. I discovered plenty and ended up being blown away by most of the amazing scientific discoveries and details. Whenever my wedding mixed in 2003, we switched my attention to human therapy.

By 2007, I renounced Christianity once and for all and declared myself an atheist.

The Christian songs scene is inhabited by many individuals who act as though obtained a primary hotline to a God whom supplies these with the answers towards the Universe. There seems to be more ego and narcissism amongst Christian musicians than their secular alternatives.

Recently, the Newsboys had been featured in film God’s Not Dead. The film demonstrated the pervading attitude of Christians. They demonized everyone while providing a pass with their very own specific brand of Christianity, making on their own seem like fluffy white angels with perfect, synchronized lives.

The fact is — from somebody who understands just what continued then and how are you affected today — the Newsboys aren’t since holy as they profess. In place of putting on a mask of “righteousness, ” they ought to acknowledge they are struggling as much as everyone.