What is System Saying?
Media Q&A Campus Life, January/February 2006
Answer by Mark Matlock
Q. I really like System of the Down. But I don't always understand them. I have a friend who believes the "BYOB" song and video is anti-God and anti-American. I don't know if I agree. What's this band all about?
A. The guys in System of a Down might have good reason not to trust governments. All four are from Armenian-American families. The nation of Armenia has seen its share of corruption and attempted genocide. That helps us to understand, in part, why they're so furiously anti-war, including the one America is currently fighting. So while I don't know if they're anti-American, they do angrily speak against those who send others off to fight. In fact, the band seems to be against any authority or institution that would tell them what to do, including governments and churches. That may account for the imagery in the "BYOB" video.
They also get angry about some stuff I wish Christians got more steamed about, including "Violent Pornography" and brain-sapping TV watching. On top of that, their lyrics encourage both forgiveness and helping those who are suffering. But System of a Down is a mixed bag when it comes to their messages. There's good and bad. I'd encourage you to steer clear, especially if listening to angry music makes it tough for you to avoid anger. They also drop plenty of f-bombs and curses when ranting about things they detest.
Mark is the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries. You can learn about his conferences, read movie and music reviews, and more at planetwisdom.com.Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.Click here for reprint information on Ignite Your Faith.January/February 2006, Vol. 64, No. 6, Page 48
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Answer by Mark Matlock
Q. I really like System of the Down. But I don't always understand them. I have a friend who believes the "BYOB" song and video is anti-God and anti-American. I don't know if I agree. What's this band all about?
A. The guys in System of a Down might have good reason not to trust governments. All four are from Armenian-American families. The nation of Armenia has seen its share of corruption and attempted genocide. That helps us to understand, in part, why they're so furiously anti-war, including the one America is currently fighting. So while I don't know if they're anti-American, they do angrily speak against those who send others off to fight. In fact, the band seems to be against any authority or institution that would tell them what to do, including governments and churches. That may account for the imagery in the "BYOB" video.
They also get angry about some stuff I wish Christians got more steamed about, including "Violent Pornography" and brain-sapping TV watching. On top of that, their lyrics encourage both forgiveness and helping those who are suffering. But System of a Down is a mixed bag when it comes to their messages. There's good and bad. I'd encourage you to steer clear, especially if listening to angry music makes it tough for you to avoid anger. They also drop plenty of f-bombs and curses when ranting about things they detest.
Mark is the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries. You can learn about his conferences, read movie and music reviews, and more at planetwisdom.com.Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Ignite Your Faith magazine.Click here for reprint information on Ignite Your Faith.January/February 2006, Vol. 64, No. 6, Page 48
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
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