Christian Rock Concert

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I was invited to go to a Christian music concert with a group of girls who are Protestant. The group was Hillsong Young and Free which I didn’t know but I thought a night with friends would be fun and Christian music should be good for me. I found out later that the concert was at a Protestant mega church and the group We are Messengers would also be there. I hadn’t thought much about the concert until a few hours before I started wondering if this Protestant music was inline with Catholic theology. I did go to the concert and it was a very different experience for this cradle Catholic, midwestern girl. Everyone was raising their hands up above their heads and singing to the songs in worship of Jesus. Is it okay to go to a Christian rock, worship concert or did I do something wrong? Is Christian rock music good to listen to or is it like any secular music where there is some good and some not so good? It seems that Christian music should be better then a lot of pop music I listen to but I also don’t want to be worshiping God or singing along to a song that goes against my Catholic beliefs.

Thanks!
 
“Christian rock” does not make Christianity any better…it just makes rock worse.
I would avoid for many reasons, both theological and artistic.
 
I’m not a huge fan of Christian Rock; though I do like Steven Curtis Chapman. Its just too saccharine for me.

That said, the stuff I’ve seen is pretty vanilla in its lyrics. Not too much to worry about in terms of negatively affecting your faith.

Kind of like the ‘Jesus calling’ books. Written by a Prod, and from that point of view. Mostly neutral and uplifting. If you read carefully you see things that aren’t anti-catholic but very protestant (OSAS, for example).

So long as you go into it with that mindset and awareness; and people aren’t actively trying to convert you, I don’t see a real problem with it.
 
I’ve often wondered if there could be a great rock band that had music done on Christian, even Catholic themes. The materiel is there. Like a Flannery O’Connor for the music world.

I once bugged a buddy who is a huge Christian rock fan because he kept trying to get me into the music. I told him the lyrics were generally just too fluffy for me, and the music didn’t capture me. If he could get me a Christian version of Rush or at least had riffs like Alice in Chains or Zeppelin I might be on board.
 
Just know that there will be a point where they will use the music to work the attendees into an emotional state, then, there will be a Protestant “altar call” (they will ask people to come and get saved).

Remember that we as Catholics believe that salvation is a process, and that you are “saved” by virtue of your valid baptism, that you remain in friendship with God through the Sacraments, etc.
 
Well it might be just fun . being with people who pray and praise Jesus and God. That have similar beliefs. All Christian denominations had a different emphasis . and learn scripture that is supported by this understanding.
What really separates roman catholics is praying to Mary and saints.
The idea of “saved” is really have you accepted Jesus as your lord and savior and now in covenant with him.
 
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TheLittleLady said:
Just know that there will be a point where they will use the music to work the attendees into an emotional state, then, there will be a Protestant “altar call” (they will ask people to come and get saved).
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Not all Christian Contemporary artists do this. I have seen Amy Grant in concert four times (going back to 1991, and most recently this May) and she never did an altar call.
 
There was a point where they asked the crowd to raise your hand if you have accepted Jesus into your heart tonight. None of the people I was with raised their hand because I am assuming they had already done this.
I was just trying to have a night out with friends. I have learned I need to do a little more research before I just say “sure I’ll go listen to music”. I don’t think I will go to another one of these concerts. I really just listened, clapped along some and tried to take it all in. I am just wondering if this is ok for Catholics to do?
 
No one was trying to convert me. My friends really like this music and are just trying to share it with me. I don’t think it is something I will do again just wondering if it is okay for Catholics to go to a concert like this or not.
 
This is Hillsong though and altar calls are part of that culture.

If it was a regular Christian rock concert, like Amy Grant, I wouldn’t be concerned about it. I’ve gone to concerts held at churches and there was no hint of an altar call. But they were CCM artists not praise and worship like Hillsong.

OP, I would do some research, google hillsong and cult. I don’t know if it’s a cult but it has some other concerning practices.

Ive looked into it because I learned a former musician for Hillsong has shared he is losing his faith and the replies (until he turned them off) from Hillsong fans were awful. If that is how they treat someone who is down I wouldn’t want any part of them.
 
Don’t worry about it.

If you were young/ impressionable/ in danger of losing your faith/ planning to do this regularly, then I’d be concerned. None of those things apply. There’s also nothing bad about waving your arms and praising Jesus. You don’t need to raise your hand for the “altar call” as you have already accepted Jesus.

Pretty sure some selected Hillsong songs are used at a youth Mass I sometimes attend. I’ve also seen ecumenical Christian fairs and events with these artists playing, and a Catholic church sending teens from its youth group there.
 
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My $0.02 is that there isn’t any issue with it. I went to see SCC and Michael (something, can’t remember) several years ago.
 
I don’t see a major problem with it. I’ve been to Wonderjam at Canada’s Wonderland where TobyMac, For King and Country, Hollyn, and The Color. I also don’t mind Hillsong Young & Free’s music. I have many Catholic friends who go to concerts with artists like these. My uncle was at a Hillsong concert in Toronto, and I haven’t heard of any “altar calls” from that concert.

That said, I think the location is a bit of a concern. If it were an average place designed for concerts, with Christian artists like these, I would attend. At a Protestant megachurch… not so much.
 
If you want deep lyrics tied with talented music, at least in my experience, you have to move beyond Christian Rock to Christian Metal. Here’s a good example from a Christian group called Becoming the Archetype:

 
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